Laura was crying uncontrobly, struggling to back away. But Marcus clung to her hand and wouldn''t release his grip.


    "I''m your son," Marcus said deliberately. "Since I was little, I''ve always wanted to meet you, Mom. As soon as I entered Scarlet Hill Residence, I recognized you and Dad.


    "There were so many things about me disyed on the walls. Surely, there were photos as well, right? But you both had already removed them beforehand."


    Laura was taken aback. It took her a while to gather her thoughts.


    "You knew right from the start, didn''t you?" she asked.


    Marcus nodded, "Yes, I realized it as soon as I arrived. But since you chose not to acknowledge me, I went along with it and acted like I didn''t know. After that, when you asked Elim to tell me to leave, I understood you didn''t want to see me.


    "No matter what, you are my mother, and I will always be your son. You carried me lovingly for ten months and went through the intense pain of childbirth. I could never dislike or fear you."


    Tears streamed down Laura''s face as her voice quivered with emotion.


    "Do you resent me for telling you not to call off the engagement when I called you before?" she asked, her voice breaking. "I spoke harshly then, and regretted it the moment I hung up. I can''t control myself when this illness res up. Marcus, I''m truly sorry. I shouldn''t have been so tough on you."


    Laura began to cry once more. Marcus hugged her gently and reassured her, "It''s not contagious. Don''t be scared."


    "Let go of me. Let me go," Laura said, struggling in his arms. "You, let me go."


    Despite knowing it wasn''t contagious, fear gripped her. The illness was unpredictable, and she worried that one day, by some unforeseen circumstance, it might be contagious.


    What would she do then? She could endure the suffering herself, but she couldn''t bear the thought of her family experiencing such pain.


    "Marcus, let go of your mother," Wesley interjected, arriving just in time.


    He had changed into his usual home attire and hurried forward to gently separate Laura from Marcus'' embrace.


    "Laura, don''t cry," Wesleyforted her before addressing Marcus. "Marcus, please try to understand your mother. This illness has worn her down so much that she doesn''t feel like herself anymore. She''s terrified that we might suffer the same fate, which is why she''s been keeping her distance."


    "We''ve always loved you," he continued. "Marcus, go downstairs with Dr. Elim first. After I help your mother calm down, we''ll join you."


    "Okay," Marcus replied, not bothering to argue. He hadn''t witnessed his mother''s current state, but he could imagine it.


    Charles had once remarked that Marcus embodied the finest qualities of his parents, and his resemnce to them was so strong that anyone could instantly tell he was their child.


    Now that Wesley had dropped his disguise, his true appearance was visible, and as expected, Marcus looked remarkably like him.


    Marcus nced at Natalie, took hold of her wrist, and guided her out of the room. Behind them, Laura''s stifled sobs and Wesley''s soothing voice as he consoled his wife echoed softly.


    When they reached the downstairsnding, they found Charles already seated on the couch. In the corner, Sheldon and Connie were once again huddled together, tears streaming down their faces.


    As soon as Connie spotted Natalie and Marcus approaching, she hurried over to Natalie, tears streaming down her face. "Dr. Elim..."


    "Dr. Elim, Mrs. Holden... she''s so unfortunate..." Connie''s words momentarily left Natalie at a loss for words.


    Connie had been living with the Holden family for some time and had fully absorbed their emotions.


    "Mr. Marcus is unfortunate too," Connie continued to cry. "And Mr. Holden Senior, he''s even more unfortunate. For all these years, Mr. Holden Senior had to look after Mr. Marcus while keeping the secret about Mr. Holden and Mrs. Holden..."


    "Alright, stop crying," Natalie said, offering Connie a tissue. "They''ve finally reunited. From now on, the family will be together again. Stop crying."


    "Dr. Elim..." Connie whimpered, stepping forward to embrace Natalie.


    To her surprise, Marcus pulled Natalie into his arms with a sudden tug.


    "Nat, take a walk with me," Marcus said, his voice slightly rough.


    He gripped Natalie''s hand firmly, clearly holding back his emotions.


    Natalie nodded and walked with Marcus outside. Once Scarlet Hill Residence was


    out of their view, Marcus wrapped his arms around her.


    "Nat," Marcus said, his voice quivering. "I''m really upset."


    "I understand," Natalie said softly, hugging him around the waist. "When we


    return, I''ll tell everyone you''re not just my assistant, but my boyfriend."


    "No," Marcus replied, shaking his head. "They trust you as you are now. If you change back, they might doubt you. I''m just feeling down and need @hug. A hug will make me feel better. Nat, I''m easy to please. Just reassure me a little, and I''ll be fine."


    "Alright, I''llfort you." Natalie softly patted Marcus'' back, one gentle pat at a


    time, as if calming a child.


    Natalie added, "Marcus, don''t worry.


    I promise to do everything I can to


    cure your mother. If I can''t manage


    it on my own, I''ll bring in additional help. Don''t worry. I have a mentor who is even more skilled. To put it dramatically, Mr. Langton can tackle any illness.


    "Don''t feel sad. You''ve finally reunited with your parents, and that''s something to be happy about."


    Natalie was truly pleased to see that Marcus'' parents loved him as well. She had imagined many scenarios before, but never considered that Marcus'' mother might have contracted a peculiar illness, forcing her to leave home and him.


    "I''ve seen your mother, and she''s not in a good condition. I understand why she might not want to see you. Please, don''t hold it against her."


    "Yeah, I understand her actions. I just feel bad for her." Marcus embraced Natalie tightly, wishing he could merge her into his own being.


    He continued, "Grandpa told me it was their decision to keep the truth from me. When I was younger, I didn''t understand much, so it wasn''t hard for Grandpa to keep me in the dark.


    "Initially, my parents assumed that, despite the peculiar nature of the illness, the Holden family''s resources and influence would help them find a cure. They likely believed it wouldn''t be long before they recovered and returned home.


    "But as the years passed, not only did my mother''s condition not improve, it actually worsened.


    Eventually, they feared the illneson et


    was incurable and were even more worried she might pass away suddenly. So they asked Grandpa to tell me they had gone on a trip.


    "They preferred that I resent them rather than be heartbroken by the truth. They thought getting over resentment would be easier than dealing with grief. But Nat, that''s not how it really is."