<b>Chapter </b><b>324 </b>
At this moment, Edith<b>, </b>towering beside her mother, was dressed to kill, looking every bit like a princess.
The pitiful image she disyed earlier in front of Jareth, shedding crocodile tears and apologizing profusely, was nowhere to be seen now. She red at Mari with a sinister look, as if she wanted nothing more than to pounce on her and tear her throat out!
“Mom, let me introduce you.”
Edith kept a false smile on her face as she locked eyes with Mari, “This is the person I mentioned to you, Ms. Mari, my junior high school ssmate. Now, she’s my brother’s girlfriend. Funny how things turn out, right? It’s like we’re one big, happy family.”
When Edith said the word “girlfriend“, Mari’s heart felt as if it had been pierced by a sharp needle. She blushed furiously, lowering her head in embarrassment.
Overwhelmed by a sense of inferiority<b>, </b>she instinctively wanted to pull her hand away from Jareth’s warm grip.
However, Jareth seemed to hear her unspoken wish and stubbornly refused to let <b>go</b>.
“Edith, have you said enough?” The man’s eyes darkened, and his voice carried a hint of anger.
Relying on her mother’s support, Edithughed brazenly, “Jareth, what did I say wrong? Why are you so angry? Or is it that you only dare to pamper Ms. Mari outside, but are afraid to bring her home to meet Mom? Because deep down, you also despise her for being sick, and you know she’s not worthy of bing thedy of the Fairhaven family, right?“;
“Edith, shut up!” Jareth couldn’t stand anyone insulting his beloved, and his anger red, making his eyes bloodshot!
Lily, standing behind them, clenched her fists tightly..
“Jareth, look at how angry you are.”
Edith chuckled, “If I didn’t hit a nerve, would you be this angry?<i>” </i>
“I don’t have time to argue with you.”
Jareth, being the mature man that <b>he </b>was, couldn’t possibly argue with his sister in front of their mother. Suppressing his anger, he said in a low voice, “Marillá, Lily, let’s go.”
Hold on.”
At this point, the icy Mrs. Fairhaven suddenly spoke up.
Jareth paused mid–step, gripping the cold hand in his even tighter.
Mrs. Fairhaven didn’t say anything, just walked up to the couple with a slight, inscrutable smile on her face.
And it was this smile that made Jareth temporarily lower his guard.
However, as soon as she approached Mari, Mrs. Fairhaven’s eyes turned cold and fierce, and she suddenly raised her hand,
p!
“Uhm!” Mari’s head jerked to the side, her cheek stinging with pain. Tears filled her eyes from the humiliation.
“Mom! What are you doing<b>?</b><b>” </b>
Jareth stared in disbelief, his eyes bloodshot with rage. His fury was threatening to overwhelm his reason!
Lily bit her l*p in anger, but she didn’t dare say anything. After all, she was just <b>a </b>subordinate in the Fairhaven Group.
“Do you think you’re worthy of being with my son?”
Mrs. Fairhaven ignored Jareth’s rage and stared coldly at the silent, weeping Mari<b>, </b><b>“</b>Don’t think that because you’re thedy of the Abernathy family, I will tolerate you dating my son. I wasn’t even satisfied with your sister Glynnis, how could I possibly let you, a mentally ill woman, be thedy of the Fairhaven family? You might as well give <b>up</b>!”
“Mom! I won’t allow you to hurt Mari any further<b>, </b>don’t say another word!”
Jareth stepped in front of Mari, his eyes full of rage and resentment. His fists were clenched tight, as if he was ready to fight, “if you still want me to recognize you as my mother!”
Edith was taken aback and covered her mouth.
She thought that bringing their mother into the situation would be her trump card. Everyone in Elmsworth knew that her big brother was a dutiful son who listened to their mother above anyone else.
She didn’t expect that, for the sake of Mari, her brother was willing to turn against their mother! How could this be?
“Jareth, you would disown me for this mentally ill girl?” Mrs. Fairhaven’s chest heaved with emotion, her eyes filled with heartache.
“Mari is not mentally ill. She is the woman I love!”
Jareth took a step closer to Mrs. Fairhaven, his controlled voice trembling slightly, but it couldn’t hide his passionate feelings,“I love Mari, and I don’t want any other woman. If you insult her again, ory a finger on her again, then you don’t want me as your son anymore.”
*Jareth! Are you crazy? For this woman, just for this woman? You’re willing to give up your mother?”
Mrs. Fairhaven was practically faint from anger, she kept repeating herself, incapable of saying anything else.
Her always obedient son, just a few days without seeing him, and just for the sake of this silly girl, he had turned into a disobedient son!
*Jareth! You know mom has poor health, how could you make her so angry?<i>” </i>
Edith, supporting Mrs. Fairhaven<b>, </b>changed her tactics, “Jareth, how many women have you yed with from childhood till now<i>? </i>It’s like a never–ending cycle! You’re arguing with mom over Mari now, but it’s just because you’re still caught up in the novelty! Once you’ve had your fill, and you remember the words you said to mom today, when you’ve made mom sick, you’ll regret it for the rest of your <b>life</b><b>!</b><b>” </b>
Mari, who had been standing timidly behind Jareth, holding her teddy bear, recoiled a step back when she heard these words.
Her long, delicate eyshes fluttered as she looked at Jareth’s broad shoulders and strong back.
This man had given her a sense of security, but for some reason, her heart was filled with unease, confusion, and fear.
“Mom, from childhood till now, I’ve hever asked you for anything, nor have I made any demands. And you and Edith, whatever you want me to do, or whatever you want, I’ve always satisfied you unconditionally, helped you achieve it.”
Jareth’s voice was strained and hoarse, and he asked with a bitter smile, “I’ve lived for twenty–eight years, I don’t want anything, I just want Mari, can’t you agree?”
“No, I can’t.”
Before he could finish his sentence, Mrs. Fairhaven erupted at him, “Over my dead b*dy, you won’t be marrying her. You won’t let this dimwit step foot into the Fairhaven household!”
Jareth’s eyes were ame, “Mom!”
“You’re my only son, the hope of the entire Fairhaven Corporation! If you end up with a woman like her, how could I face your father after my death?”
Mrs. Fairhaven was losing control, her cultivatedposure nearly shattered. “How dare Elspeth and <b>that </b>scheming Glynnis to plot against Edith! Like mother, like daughter, the one you’ve chosen can’t be any good either, she’s just a wolf in sheep’s clothing!”
Edith, feigning concern, wasughing uproariously inside.
“Ma’am, you’ve been calling Ms. Mari a fool, but how could a fool deceive anyone? She’s more likely to be the one deceived.” Lily could no longer hold her tongue, coolly chiming in.
“What do you know? Shut up!” Edith pointed a sharp finger at Lily.
She had long been peeved by this woman who was always following her brother around, and now was the perfect opportunity <b>to </b>vent her spleen. “I don’t need any of you to tell me what Mari is like.”
Jareth took a deep breath, not wanting to argue any further, “No matter what you say or do, you won’t change my decision. I only want Mari.” Mrs. Fairhaven’s blood pressure skyrocketed.
“Mr. Jareth! Ms. Mari is gone!” Lily eximed, hurriedly scanning their surroundings for Mari.
“Mari, Mari?”
Jareth paled, his long strides carrying him swiftly away.
“Jareth has lost his mind!” Mrs. Fairhaven held her chest, gasping for breath.
*
“Mommy, the more he acts like this, the more we can’t just let it go!” Edith watched Jareth’s retreating back, her teeth gritting in frustration.
“He doesn’t even respect his own mother anymore, what more can we do?” Mrs. Fairhaven’s face was full of disappointment.
“What about Grandpa? Do you think he would ept such a granddaughter–inw?”
Edith’s eyes darkened, her schemes brewing for some time, “We just need an opportunity to show Grandpa that this woman is aplete fool, and he’ll surely intervene.”
“Edith, will that really work? Your brother is so stubborn. I doubt even your grandpa can.”
“No, he won’t.”
Edith’s voice was adamant, her face cold, “Jareth’s entire journey has been to gain Grandpa’s approval, to honor his father, to earn the Fairhaven Corporation. If he offends Grandpa, he’ll lose everything. The corporation will end up in my uncle’s hands. Then won’t his father’s hopes for him be in vain?”
Jareth alerted the Fairhaven security team, and they spread out to search for Mari.
Under the pitch–ck night sky, the snow was falling softly, like a shower of white blossoms.
It should have been a beautiful winter scene, but Jareth couldn’t appreciate it. His only concern was Mari’s safety.
Eventually, he found her at the swings in the town park, sitting alone and lost in thought, his girl.
“Mari.”
<b>Jareth </b>gazed at the delicate figure a few steps away, her dark hair topped with white, her red coat also covered in frost<b>, </b>looking for all the world like a little snowman.
He thought, “Silly girl, how long have you been sitting in the snow?”
His heart ached unbearably, his eyes reddening as he approached her step by step.
“Mari, I’ve finally found you.”
Jareth knelt before her, hisrge hands, warm and wet with worry, covering her icy ones.
“How did you find me?” Mari asked, her eyes blinking in surprise.
“Mari, because our hearts are connected. No matter where you go, I will find you.”
Jareth’s voice was choked, his hand caressing <b>her </b>reddened cheek, his <b>heart </b>aching. “You won’t be getting rid of me so easily, silly girl.”
Mari lowered her longshes, remaining <b>silent</b>.
<b>“</b>It’s cold sitting here. Let’s go home,”
“I want to stay with Grandpa<b>, </b>Jareth<b>.</b><b>” </b>
Mari slowly pulled her hand from his, “I called Frank, Grandpa’s right–hand man. He’s sending someone to pick me up.”
“Mari, <b>don’t </b>you want me anymore<b>?</b><b>” </b>Jareth asked, his eyes wide and pleading.
Mari quickly shook her head, her l*ps pursing, “I don’t want to cause you trouble. I don’t want you to fight with your mom. Jareth, she’s <b>your </b>mother, you should listen to her.”
“But I only want to listen <b>to </b>you.” Jareth’s gaze was tender, brushing the snow off her shoulders.
He cupped her flushed face with his cool palm, knowing that <b>it </b>must be hurting, hoping this could alleviate some of the pain.
“Jareth, you should <b>go </b><b>home</b>, Frank will be here soon to pick me up.” Mari said, urging him to leave, despite the reluctance in her heart.
“Mari, I want to ask you something.”
Jareth swallowed, a smile on his face, but his eyes were reddening, filled with unshed tears, “Do you love me?”
Love.
Love?
Mari looked up, her pupils trembling slightly, her pink l*ps moving slowly, as if she had lost her voice, and for a long time, she couldn’t utter a word.
Jareth’s heart ached.
What was he thinking? Wasn’t it enough that he loved her?
He thought, “Jareth, you’re in love with a special girl. You shouldn’t pressure her like this..”
“Jareth.”
Mari called his name softly, then slowly raised her hands, gently, cautiously, covering the man’s broad hands.
“I love you, Jareth.”
She thought, “You’ve taken root in my heart a long time ago. Maybe it was when you k*ssed me for the first time. Maybe it was when I hid in my room, secretly sketching your portrait. Maybe it was when you stood by my side, time and time again, regardless of societal judgment. I don’t quite understand what love is, but I suppose, it must be this feeling I have for you. This must be love, right?”
Jareth was so moved that he was on the verge of tears, his heart pounding against his chest..
This man, who had spent half his life as a bachelor and seen countless faces, was for the first time experiencing what it felt like when a man’s spring has
In the midst of a snowy storm, the two lovers held each other tightly.
He wrapped her trembling b*dy in his coat, but it still didn’t seem enough.
He wished he could wrap her into his heart as well.