After Sheldon left to handle his task, Charles stood at the doorway for a while longer. It wasn''t until the cold wind began to bite at him that he finally turned and went back inside the guesthouse.


    Marcus, meanwhile, headed to the pharmacy where Laura was resting. At this hour, she was already asleep. It was Connie who came out when she heard the noise.


    "Mr. Holden, you''re here."


    "Yeah. Thank you for all you''ve dely." Marcus knew Connie was Natalie''s assistant. She had cared for Charles before and was now looking after Laura. He treated her with sincere respect and gratitude.


    "There''s no need to thank me, Mr. Holden. I''m getting paid." Connie saw it as a job and didn''t consider it too burdensome. After all, plenty of people worked hard in this world for no pay.


    "Mr. Holden, you should get some rest. Laura''s sleep is important. After taking her medicine and receiving acupuncture, she needs rest to heal properly. Even if you stay here until morning, I''m not going to wake her up."


    Marcus chuckled at Connie''s bluntness. "Alright, thank you. I''ll get some rest."


    "Ms. Sterling, if you want a gift, tell Ethan. Consider it a bonus for taking care of my mother. Is that okay?"


    Connie thought for a moment. "I''ll have to ask Ms. Walker."


    "Nat will agree. Don''t worry, just ask Ethan boldly."


    "Well, alright!" Connie smiled happily. Even since Natalie started dating Marcus, Connie no longer had to put up any pretenses at The Herbalist''s Sanctuary.


    She was genuinely pleased. After updating Marcus a bit more on Laura''s condition, she headed back to rest.


    Marcus stood outside the pharmacy for a while before returning to the guesthouse. But he didn''t sleep that night. He was waiting for Natalie to return with the others-until two in the morning.


    During that time, Marcus dealt with Holden Group matters and took two calls- one from Samuel, and one from Jonathan.


    Samuel, apanied by Sierra, had arrived in Amberton and sessfully met Jonathan.


    A DNA test confirmed that Jonathan and Sierra were indeed father and daughter. Jonathan broke down in tears when he found out, hugging Sierra tightly.


    Melissa, whose health and emotions had been fragile for years, immediately showed signs of improvement.


    After Samuel and Sierra got some rest and adjusted to the time difference, Jonathan expressed his wish to hold a formal weing banquet-and the first person he wanted to invite was Marcus. After all, Marcus had been instrumental in reuniting the father and daughter.


    Besides that, Samuel also updated him on the situation with the Sinir family in Dithoria. After Ivan''s and Julia''s deaths, control of Sinir Group returned to Sophia with Marcus'' help.


    However, Sophia clearlycked the acumen for business, so Marcus had his own managers help run things behind the scenes.


    Samuel had spoken with Sophia, and she said she wanted to pursue her own dreams and was willing to hand thepany over to Samuel.


    But Samuel had his own businesses overseas and didn''t intend topete with her-especially now that Sierra had found her biological father, who was nning to hand over the Remington family legacy to her.


    After thinking it through, Samuel was seriously considering selling off his overseas ventures and settling in Amberton-possibly even marrying into the Remington family.


    Marcus listened quietly to everything Samuel said, replied with a calm "we''ll talk in person", then ended the call.


    As for Jonathan''s uing family banquet, Marcus would definitely attend.


    After all, Jonathan had given him the medicine to save Laura at a critical moment. Marcus had only helped reunite the family by chance and only happened to know Sierra.


    Inparison, Jonathan''s gesture had been far more significant.


    Marcus had already done more than enough for the Sinir family. He wouldn''t get involved in their internal affairs any longer.


    Attending the banquet was to show respect and gratitude toward Jonathan for what he had done.


    As Marcus was still thinking about the Remington family''s banquet, there was a knock at his door. He snapped out of his thoughts and got up to answer it.


    The door opened to reveal a bright smile on a familiar face.


    "I saw that your light was still on, so I knew you were waiting for me." Natalie grinned and handed him a smoothie. "I brought you this. I figured if you were asleep already, I''d


    just drink it myself. But I guessed


    you''d definitely be waiting."


    "I was. Thank you." Marcus took the smoothie, inserted the straw, and held it to


    Natalie''s lips. "First sip goes to you, Nat."


    She blinked,


    then took a sip. It was


    banana vored and lightly


    sweetened not very strong in


    taste-but she liked it for the add-ins;


    those soft, chewy bits blended in


    gave it a fun texture she couldn''t


    resist.


    After a sip, she wrapped her fingers around Marcus'' and pushed the cup toward him. "Your turn."


    Marcus took a drink, then offered it back to her. "Back to you."


    Natalie burst outughing. "I should''ve just bought two."


    "There''s no need. One cup is perfect." Marcus smiled. The weight that had been pressing on him all evening disappeared the moment she showed up.


    "Come in," he said, pulling her into the room.


    Natalie nced at the table, where aptop, phone, and several signed documents wereid out. Her brows furrowed slightly. "You stayed up working?"


    "I was waiting for you and got bored, so I just handled some things."


    "You didn''t have to wait up," she said softly, a hint of worry in her voice. "It''s not good for your health to stay up sote."


    "Nat, you stayed up too. You could''ve picked and chosen the patients you epted. You could''ve rested when you wanted to. But because of me, you''ve been running around nonstop.


    "You brought people here in the middle of the night. You''ve worked harder than I have. Nat, I worry about you too."


    Natalie didn''t respond. She just drank the rest of the smoothie with Marcus-sip by sip, one after the other.


    "Can we sleep now?" she asked after they finished.


    "Yeah. Let''s brush our teeth and wash up."


    Marcus picked her up in his arms and walked into the bathroom. "Nat, stay in my


    room tonight. You can take the bed, and I''ll sleep on the couch, okay?"


    Natalie shook her head. "No. Hector is waiting outside for me. I mean don''t mind sharing the bed. After all, I''ve already crossed the line once," she teased. "But Hector would worry."


    Then, she leaned in and kissed the corner of his lips. "You too. Remember what you promised my dad? That you wouldn''t cross the line before we got married. So, now what?"


    Marcus lowered his eyes and looked helplessly at the woman in his arms. "Yeah. My fault. But everything I said that night—I meant"


    Natalie smiled faintly, then motioned for him to set her down on the bathroom counter. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered, "Marcus, do you want to kiss?"


    The next moment, his lips covered hers.