<b>Chapter </b><b>54 </b><b>Sharing </b><b>my </b><b>bed </b>
In the <b>end</b><b>, </b>the fallout from the failed high–end furniture contract eff Ro working through the night at hispany. He returned home only the next morning, visibly drained.
“Dad!“Catherine rushed to support him.
Grace expressed her concern as well. “Honey, what happened?”
“The contract… it’s gone,” Ro replied, his gaze fixed vacantly on the ceiling as hey on the sofa.
Despite his efforts, including a generous five percent concession, the other party wouldn’t budge. Ro had been confident about securing this contract, having already set up subsequent deals. Now, the loss of the exclusive agency rights meantpensating downstream partners and facing a significant stock price drop.
“How could this happen…” Catherine whispered to herself.
The implications for this were clear. Without thepany’s sess, her lifestyle, filled with designer clothes and luxury items, would be in jeopardy.
“Could it be Marcelo’s influence?” she wondered aloud.
“Marcelo?” Ro bolted upright at the mention of the name.
Grace, pale–faced, was quick to dismiss the idea. “Impossible! The King family is under Andrew and his father’s control now. Marcelo has no influence. And that manufacturer isn’t linked to the King family. You’re overthinking it, Ro.”
Catherine stayed quiet, her eyes downcast.
If Marcelo were merely an abandoned man, how could he casually spend three billion? Even Andrew’s family had began to specte about Marcelo’s hidden resources.
But Catherine kept her thoughts to herself. She wasn’t ready to acknowledge that she had lost to Renee, a woman of substance, to a man of considerable power and wealth. Nor did she want to reignite Ro and Grace’s interest in Renee, which could diminish the attention and affection she received in the family.
Two dayster<b>, </b>the auction house delivered the precious jewelry to Marcelo’s house.
Renee carefully ced the jewelry set in the collection room in the basement.
As she emerged, a maid greeted her. “Mrs. King, Mr. King wishes to see you in the garage.”
Renee nodded and followed her to the garage.
It was her first time there, and the sight of it left her in awe.
She was greeted by an array of limited–edition sports cars and luxury vehicles from renowned brands, including the esteemed Bugatti La Voiture Noire, Pagani Zonda HP Barchette, and Maybach Exelero. It was evident that Marcelo had a preference for Rolls–Royce<b>, </b>owning models like the Phantom, Boat Tail, and Sweptail.
Each car gleamed under the lights, ready for the road, unlike the typical collector who might keep them as mere showpieces. From the functional garage space and burnt marks on the tires, it was evident that these cars were all used but not abused.
“Why have so many cars if you’re supposed to be disabled?” Renee asked, knowing that many men in their circle collected cars as a hobby.
Marcelo was no different.
“Just a pastime,” He answered casually.
Renee exhaled softly.
<b>Chapter </b><b>54 </b><b>Sharing </b><b>my </b>bes
*<b>+</b><b>25 </b><b>BONUS </b>
<b>Clearly</b><b>, </b><b>she </b>had yet to grasp the extent of his wealth.
Her eyes then caught sight of a Koenigsegg, one of only three in the world. This was the car Andrew had desperately wanted, willing to <b>pay </b><b>1.0 </b>billion before embarrassingly defaulting and inciering a hefty fine.
Andrew was keen to purchase that car, thinking he might impress Marcelo once. Yet, he never anticipated that Marcelo already <b>had </b>one.
“God…” Renee’sughter slowly filled the room.
Her chuckles were soft and warm, her eyes shining brightly.
Marcelo observed her and inquired, “What do you think?<b>” </b>
“About what?” Renee kept smiling. “The car? Oh, it’s pretty impressive.”
The Koenigsegg boasted a subtle luxury with its silver paint, sleek design, top performance, and stunning lines.
“Have you got your driver’s license yet?” he prodded.
“I’ve had it for ages,” she replied casually.
“Then this is yours,” Marcelo said, retrieving a set of keys from a ss cab and tossing them to her.
In her hand, she now held the key to the exclusive Koenigsegg.
“I already own cars,” she rified. In just the underground garage of Venus Bar, she had three sports cars.
Marcelo didn’t ask about her other cars. Instead, he queried, “Is any better than this?<b>” </b>
“Not really.” She shrugged. With that kind of money, she’d rather invest in something else.
“So, you’ll keep it,” Marcelo concluded.
She understood his implication. Her cars won’t superior, so refusing seemed unreasonable.
She wanted to argue.
But deep down<b>, </b>she knew arguing with Marcelo
SP
futile.
Approaching her, he gently touched her cheek, his face close to hers. “It’s merely a gift for my wife. Don’t overthink it.”
It would seem petty to refuse a gift from her husband.
A warmth spread through Renee’s heart as she looked into Marceld’s eyes.
Lately, he calls her… His wife.
She remembered his words from before.
“I am the only family you have.”
He even considers her as family now.
She was touched.
Later, in the guest study, Renee turned on the deskmp and scrutinized the silver ne pendant. Its patterns and inscription were faint due to oxidation.
Initially, Catherine believed it signified her status in the Hudson family. But the truth was different. This ne was Renee’s! Nana told her that <b>Grace </b>had taken the ne from her neck when she was a child because Catherine, the spoilt brat said she
‘wanted it.
Catherine had always wanted everything Renee owned but she n it was the other
way round.
After studying it for hours without sess, Renee took several photos and sent them to a contact. “Can you trace this ne’s origin?” she asked.
Nearing eleven o’clock, Renee yawned, ready to head to her room
Shock greeted her as she opened the door. Her bed was barren, draped only in a dust cover, and her bathroom toiletries vanished.
Renee turned to the maid for answers.
Chad, observing this, smiled and said, “Mrs. King, we’ve moved your things to Mr. King’s room. You’re sharing with him now, aren’t you?”
Renee then realized why Chad had smiled so oddly that morning.
He knew she’d spent the night in Marcelo’s room!
Now, her belongings were also in Marcelo’s room!
Did this mean she was to sleep there from now on?
I… It’s not like that… He…” Renee stumbled over her words, halting mid–sentence.
She couldn’t admit that despite being married to Marcelo, sharing a roomst night was unintentional, could she?
Standing at Marcelo door, Renee worried she might be
sent
away.
After a moment’s pause, she decided to visit the study first.
The door was ajar. Inside, Marcelo was on a call.
Renee waited patiently at the doorway until he finished, then said, ‘Um<b>, </b>my things are now in your room.”
Marcelo was already aware.
Would Chad have acted without his consent?
“Mrs. King, does it bother you to share my bedroom?” Marcelo looked up, inquiring.
“Marcelo, is it so hard to speak kindly?” Renee fixed her gaze firmly on Marcelo’s eyes.
She needed to know if it was his decision to let her use the master bedroom.
His face remained expressionless, his demeanor indicating this was his usual way ofmunicating.
Frustrated, Renee returned to the master bedroom<b>, </b>unwilling to engage in further argument.
The room was expansive, spanning over a hundred square meters, and it featured a king–size bed. Noticing men’s toiletries next to her own skincare products, Renee paused, momentarily lost in thought.
Two months into their marriage, the reality of it finally started to sink in.
The intrusion into her personal space felt bizarre, a foreign sensation.
After brushing her teeth, Renee carefully ced her toothbrush back, ensuring it didn’t touch Marcelo’s.
“You only use your mouth for eating, yet you still brush your teeth<b>” </b>she muttered harshly, eyeing his toothbrush.
Before she could finish<b>, </b>she sensed a piercing gaze.
“Ah<b>!</b>”
Startled, Renee saw Marcelo standing at the bathroom door. “When did you get here? Why didn’t you make a sound? You frightened me.”
With Marcelo’s entrance, the spacious bathroom felt suddenly constricted.
He spoke slowly. “Besides eating…”
As he advanced towards her, Renee, caught in his intense gaze, gripped the marble washstand, her breath catching.
He stopped right in front of her.
In the next moment, his hand firmly grasped her chin, tilting her face upward.
His lips brushed hers lightly, cool yet assertive.
Renee’s eyes widened in surprise.
After a while, Marcelo released her, wiping away a droplet from her mouth.
“I can also kiss very well. You know that, right?“he finished his sentence.
Dumbfounded, Renee remained rooted to the spot.
Her mind was swirling with questions about the kiss. If the onest night
actions, what did this kiss signify?
was due to Marcelo’s sudden interest sparked by her
Exiting the bathroom<b>, </b>she was still grappling with these thoughts, yet she couldn’t deny ack of repulsion towards Marcelo’s
kiss.
The bathroom door clicked shut behind her.
Marcelo, left alone, surveyed the sudden influx of women’s items in the bathroom with a slight frown.
She had so many items just for grooming?
He wondered if she could even distinguish between all those bottles and jars, let alone use them all.
Then his gaze fell on Renee’s toothpaste, one cranberry–vored, and another rose–scented.
He was baffled by the concept of vored toothpaste, let alone why she needed two types,
After a brief pause, Marcelo snapped a photo of the toothpastes with his phone, sending it to Chad along with a message: “Get toothpastes for Renee based on these.”
In the master bedroom’s vast walk–in closet,
Renee’s clothes were arranged on the left side.
As she reached for her outfit for the next day, she noticed a cab filled with new women’s clothing.
The assortment included various brands and styles, all untagged and in her size.
Renee was taken aback.
“You don’t like them?“His cool voice interrupted her thoughts.
“They are all… for me?” As the words left her lips, Renee realized the absurdity of her question.
Who else would the clothes be for, if not her? Surely Marcelo wasn’t going to wear this.
“When did you get these?” she inquired.
Marcelo, retrieving clothes from his side of the closet, replied nonchntly, “A while back.”
Renee’s eyes identallynded on the ck boxer shorts he held prompting memories <b>of </b>the previous night. She quickly averted her gaze, feeling awkward.
Without another word, she thanked him and hurried out of the closet, her eyes cast downwards, Watching her hastened departure, Marcelo’s eyebrows lifted slightly, a hint of curiosity in his expression.
The sound of running water filled the bathroom.
Lying on the expansive bed, Renee’s mind was restless.
She had believed that her marriage with Marcelo was merely a facade, not extending to sharing a bed.
Soon, the water ceased, and the bathroom door creaked open, revealing Marcelo emerging from the steam.
“Why aren’t you dressed?” Renee bolted upright, her eyes wide at the sight of Marcelo, his skin dotted with water droplets.
d only in boxer shorts, his damp hair dripped water onto his chest and abs. He casually brushed the water off his skin.
“I should have mentioned,” He stated, “I usually sleep naked.”
Renee’s mouth fell agape, her shock at his blunt confession evident.
Clutching the nket, she retorted, “You didn’t do thatst night.”
He approached the bed, querying with a hint of challenge, “Mrs. King, are you sure about that?”
Renee hesitated.
The previous night was an exception, not the norm.
Feeling overwhelmed, Renee proposed, “Perhaps… you could get used to pajamas?”
While she was trying to adjust to sharing a bed, the idea of him sleeping unclothed was too much.
“No,” he declined tly, picking up a hair dryer.
The dryer buzzed for a few seconds before abruptly stopping.