Natalie attempted to push Marcus away, but he swiftly seized her wrist instead. "Mr. Langley, just endure it for a moment," he said coolly.
Her patience snapped, and she raised her hand to p him. She couldn''t tolerate his antics any longer.
But Marcus, faster than her fury, caught her wrist mid-air. "Don''t be impulsive," he said, his voice low but firm. "Remember, Mrs. Langley Senior is still in Aunt Charlotte''s hands."
Natalie exhaled deeply, her mind spinning with frustration and restraint. After a beat, she finally relented. "Fine, then let go of me."
Marcus loosened his grip, though his hand lingered lightly around her waist. "Rx. I''m not even touching you. You''re just overly tense."
Natalie nced down, noticing that his hand barely grazed her clothing. Yet earlier, she could have sworn she felt the warmth of his palm.
She wondered if she was imagining things and truly that on edge.
"What are you two... doing?"
The voice startled them. William, who had walked ahead, turned back after realizing they had fallen behind. His eyes widened as he took in the scene, a mixture of surprise and bemusement flickering across his face.
"Nothing," Marcus replied smoothly, withdrawing his hand as if nothing had happened.
Standing together, Marcus'' height and Natalie''s disguised form created an oddly harmonious image, a juxtaposition that was difficult to ignore.
William''s gaze lingered on them, his expression inscrutable, as though he was holding back a knowing smile.
Natalie rubbed her arms uneasily, feeling ufortably exposed under his scrutiny.
Marcus'' sudden whims and threats were infuriating, and yet she couldn''t outright defy him.
This wasn''t her territory. In Dithoria State, Marcus was the unchallenged kingpin, and the Walker family''s influence was both elusive and immense. She had no desire to stir up trouble; her only goal was to rescue her grandmother from Charlotte''s clutches unharmed.
If Charlotte used Grace to threaten her further, Natalie knew she might need to rely on Marcus. It was a reluctant but necessary option, a favor she could bargain for with the debt Charles owed her.
"Uncle William, Nathaniel, let''s go!"
Marcus nodded and casually brushed his finger against Natalie''s.
Natalie stared nkly, her mind briefly nk with disbelief.
William chuckled knowingly. "Emma should being down soon."
"Uncle William, I need to discuss something privately with you. Could Mason take Nathaniel outside for a stroll in the meantime?" Marcus asked smoothly.
As he spoke, he reached out to adjust Natalie''s cor. "Go wait outside. It won''t take long." Natalie nodded. "Alright," she replied. Without a second nce, she turned and bolted. Being forced to act out this charade of ambiguous intimacy was utterly exhausting. Distracted, she dashed out the vi door and collided directly into someone''s chest. Before she could stumble back, strong hands steadied her. "You okay?" the man asked.
Natalie rubbed her forehead, scowling slightly. "Why is his chest so solid?" she thought to herself. "I''m fine."
The man replied, "I''m Mason. Marcus asked me to show you around. Come on, let''s take a look around the ce."
Before she could react, Mason slung an arm around her shoulders with easy familiarity. "So, are you the school heartthrob or something?"
"Mason, let go of Mr. Langley," came Timothy''s sharp voice from behind them.
He walked over, his gaze fixed on Natalie''s face. "Mr. Langley is not someone you can casually touch."
"Ah! Why not?" Mason ruffled his hair, grinning. "We''re all guys here. Putting an arm around each other is normal, isn''t it?"
"Trust me."
Natalie seized the opportunity to slip out from under Mason''s arm. She couldn''t help but notice that the Walker brothers were exceptionally tall. The two in front of her, along with the movie star Lincoln, were all towering at around 6''2" or even taller.
At 5''6", even with height-boosting insoles, Natalie fell far short of Marcus and the Walker brothers.
And she was a woman, with a petite frame that only made her look more delicate inparison. Mason, of course, had no idea.
But Timothy had noticed the subtle, ambiguous interactions between Marcus and her. Timothy knew Marcus, although engaged to Emma in name, had never liked her.
Marrying a man who didn''t love her would only lead to a lifetime of misery.
Even though Emma wasn''t his biological sister, Timothy still saw her as someone who had grown up cherished and spoiled by her brothers. If Marcus didn''t love Emma but seemed to care for Nathaniel, Timothy couldn''t allow anyone to touch the person Marcus favored.
"Mr. Langley, let me show you around," Timothy said.
"Mason, go check on Emma and ask her toe down quickly," he added without looking back.
"Sure thing, Timothy." Mason left. Timothy turned back to Natalie, offering a faint smile. "This way, Mr. Langley."
"Thank you," Natalie said quietly.
She gave Timothy only a brief nce before averting her gaze. He was undeniably handsome, his features sharp and refined, but his eyes were cold as they regarded her.
"Mason''s a sports academy student-outgoing and a bit rough around the edges. If he offended you, Mr. Langley, I apologize on his behalf."
Timothy led her toward the estate''s back garden. "How about horseback riding? There''s a stable just ahead." "That won''t be necessary," Natalie replied curtly.
She wasn''t the type to get close to people. The only reason she agreed to Timothy''s suggestion was the faint possibility that he might be her brother.
Having grown up without parental love or siblings, Natalie couldn''t help but feel a pang of longing when she saw Emma with her family. The warmth in their interactions and the unhidden affection her brothers had for Emma stirred a quiet ache in her heart.
They walked in silence for a while before Timothy finally broke it. "May I ask how you and Marcus met?"
"If you''re curious, Timothy, why not ask me directly?"
The voice, deep and authoritative, came from behind. Marcus emerged, his silhouette illuminated by the sunlight as he strode toward Natalie.
Emma hurried after him, clutching the hem of her dress. "Marcus, wait for me!"
But Marcus ignored her, extending a hand toward Natalie. "We''re leaving."
Natalie pped his hand away without hesitation, nodding briefly at the Walker siblings before briskly putting distance between herself and Marcus.
Marcus sighed, letting his hand fall to his side. "He''s in a mood. I''ll go cheer him up."
Without another word, Marcus walked away, chasing after Natalie''s retreating figure.
Emma stood frozen, her mind spinning. After a long pause, she turned to Timothy. "Timothy, is Marcus...?"
"Exactly what you''re thinking," Timothy replied with a sigh, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "Emma, have you considered choosing someone who truly loves you?"
"No, I won''t." Emma bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears.
She had loved Marcus for so many years. She was his fiancée. Even if he liked men, she wasn''t willing to give up.
"But Marcus has already asked Dad to annul the engagement," Timothy said heavily. The message he had received earlier from their father confirmed it. Marcus'' private conversation had been about breaking off the
engagement.
"Marcus doesn''t get to decide that," Emma said firmly. She blinked back her tears and forced a smile. "Timothy, the Holdens won''t ept a man."
"I''m confident."
"But didn''t you see how Marcus and that boy interacted earlier?"
"They didn''t do anything inappropriate," Emma replied.
"And that''s exactly why it''s even more ambiguous," Timothy said.
She took a step closer to Timothy, her gaze locking with his. "Timothy, have you ever truly loved someone? Loved them so much it seeped into your bones? So much that every little thing they did was etched into your memory, staying with you no matter how hard you tried to forget?"
Her eyes glistened with tears, yet she smiled faintly, as if trying to hold on to herposure.
"Even if you knew they didn''t love you, you couldn''t help but love them. Even knowing it was like a moth flying into a me, you couldn''t stop yourself."