CHAPTER 34: CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART
Where is she? Marcus creased his brow as soon as he was done cooking.
He arrived at the house passed seven in the evening and immediately started cooking. Dinner might be late if he will take a shower first.
Joy was painted all over his face as soon as he was done setting the table. Then he went upstairs to check on the woman but to his surprise, their bedroom was empty. Where did she go? Did she go out? He was thinking while trekking the stairs going down.
"Leah, have you seen Jade?" He asked the lady who was about to enter the staff's room."I think I saw her entered the library, sir. Let me go and call her.""No. It's okay. I'll go." He stopped the lady who was about to run. "You should go and rest early since you have an exam tomorrow."
The lady servant widened her eyes in disbelief."S-sir, h-how did you know?""I only have two helpers in the house. I think it's proper to know what they're up to outside the house." He smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not against it." He was about to leave the startled lady when he remembered something.
"By the way, you don't have to worry about your tuition fees, it's all paid.""Eh?" She couldn't believe her ears. Does that mean it will be deducted from her monthly salary? She sighed in defeat. Well, what else could it be.
Marcus seemed to have understood her concern therefore he chuckled lightly."Don't worry, I'm not gonna deduct it to your salary. But you should thank Jade for bringing it up to me." He smiled before leaving the daze young lady.
Yes. It was Jade who brought Leah's concern to him. She said she often saw Leah secretly studying in a corner when she was done with her work. When she asked Susan, the old woman said the young lady was taking a modular class but she was afraid to inform her masters about her studies so she tried so hard to keep it from them.
Jade could have just paid for her tuition fees if she wanted to but it would be proper to notify Marcus about it since it was him who hired them from the beginning.
Her proposal to sponsor the young lady didn't become a problem since Marcus immediately agreed as long as she won't forget about her work.
That may be the reason why Jade sometimes help out with the house cleaning.
"Thank you." Leah muttered sincerely. She thought her bosses wouldn't approve her studies but guess she was wrong.
Marcus was smiling as he walked inside the library. Thinking about the time when Jade told her about Leah, she tried so hard to convinced him without knowing that Marcus already know about the lady's modular school. He was never against it in the first place, in fact, he already told Sonny to arranged the young lady's full scholarship.
She even tried to act cutely just to convinced him!
He looked for her everywhere until he saw a shadow standing in a corner. But that should be an off-limit area!
Seeing that the woman was holding his treasured frame, his blood boiled in anger.
"What do you think you're doing?!" He bawled.
To the woman's surprise, she accidentally dropped the frame on the floor.
Sounds of shattered glasses filled the room.
"M-marcus! I… I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" She knelt down and tried to pick up the shattered glasses. Her fear must have numbed her physical emotion for a second since she didn't notice the cuts on her leg.
"Ahhh!" She squeaked when a piece of glass cut her left palm. "S-sorry! I'll buy a new one, I'm sorry." She kowtowed once again when she saw his grimly face.
"G E T O U T." His tone was as cold as ice.
"M-marcu---"
"I said, get out!"
She could feel the man's intense madness therefore she slowly stood up. And with a guilty face, she walked out the room.
She couldn't breathe properly until she left the library. When she looked at the man's eyes, it was pretty scary and she shivered in fear. She tried to control her trembling knees until she was outside the room.
She paused for a second and glanced at the closed door. What's with that ugly frame? She thought within. What's so special about it that he didn't hesitate to flare up? She pouted and stomped her way to their bedroom.
Only when she entered the shower room did she noticed that she has cuts on her legs.
'Ahh!' She whined in pain as the soap touched her cuts.
As soon as she was done taking a bath, she wore her robe and went out. She was about to open the medicine box when the door flung open.
She froze and gulped unexpectedly. Marcus!
She met his piercing gaze but she immediately looked away. But after a moment of silence, she gathered her courage and stood up.
"I'm…sorry. I didn't mean to----"
She paused when she saw the man walking towards her.
The man bended and open the drawer and took out the medicine box.
"Sit." "E-eh?""I said, sit down."
She was confused for a few seconds but when she finally saw the medicine box in his hands, she nodded in understanding and took her sit at the end of the man's bed. The man knelt on the floor, held her hand and stared at the area that was grazed by the broken glass a while a back.
Yeah. He saw her cuts therefore he was a bit annoyed when they were at the library. The fact that she didn't care about the wounds on her leg and palm upset him so much. Although the frame was important to him but seeing the blood trickled on her skin pained him within.
What's wrong with him?
He was putting some healing ointment on her cuts when the woman broke the awkward silence.
"M-marcus, about the frame, I didn't mean to destroy it. I'll try to find a frame that looked like it—"
"You cannot find anything like that even if you search the whole world." He nonchalantly replied. This time, his face seemed to soften up a bit.
Does that mean he is not mad anymore?
"Did you personally designed it?""Ehm." The man groaned in response."I'm sorry."
She lowered her head sadly. Did someone give it to him? Someone so dear to him that he will go to such length to preserve it? Now she's envious of whoever that person is.
"Sorry, I yelled at you."
She widened her eyes in disbelief. Did she just hear him apologized? For real? Did he bang his head somewhere?
Wait! The great master truly apologized to her! She should record it! She chuckled within her.
"That painting was the only thing left to commemorate my childhood friend.""He painted it?""No. I did.""Your childhood friend? A rabbit?"
A rabbit?! Marcus suddenly chuckled hysterically. "Did I say something funny?" The woman raised her brow confused."You had just reminded me of her. She also said the same thing when she saw it. She mocked my artwork as well but when she discovered that it was her image, she went berserk."
She? Childhood friend? Maybe he meant his childhood sweetheart.
"What happened to her?" The woman asked when she saw how he glowered after laughing for a few seconds. She must really be his childhood sweetheart.
"She's dead. She and her whole family.''"I'm sorry…" She muttered sadly. Dang it, she shouldn't have asked such a sensitive topic. "I'm good.""Though I guess one cannot have it all." She chuckled mockingly.
"What do you mean?" The man lifted his gaze onto the woman. "Did you just insult me?""Of course no! I won't dare do that. Though I would suggest you keep yourself from painting again." She cackled tauntingly.
"Tsk! your one to talk!" He stood up and hissed but motioned the woman to get up."Are we going somewhere?" "Get up. Let's have dinner together." Then he left.
Dinner together? She smiled cutely. Sounds brilliant! She immediately stood up and chase the man.
This would be the very first time they will having together. Sweet!