Chapter 413
Sunny slept late that night, so it was already after eleven when he woke up the following day.
Since Jonathan had already reduced their workload, the members could rest at the mansion. However, Mark was nowhere to be seen during lunchtime, and Sunny was miserable.
“What’s the matter, Sunny? Are you not feeling well?” one of the bandmates asked.
Sunny shook his head.
“Is Mark really leaving? Has he decided? Is there no changing his mind anymore?” Sunny asked.
He wondered if Mark would just leave the band to themselves even with so many events going on.
“Mark hasn’t been around since morning. I suppose he didn’t come back yesterday night. What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t believe he’ll leave us just like that. I’m just wondering whether something had happened to him to cause him to suddenly make this decision.”
“You guys think so too?”
It had been a whole night, but Sunny still found it hard to accept what had happened.
“Yeah. I feel something must’ve happened. Mark is the most devoted member of The Wheelers. I’ll understand if we want to leave the band, but not Mark. I’ll never believe he can do that,” a member answered.
Sunny nodded in agreement. “You’re right. We have to find out the reason, no matter what. That’s the only way we can solve the problem.”
“But what can we do? Mark’s not here. I think if he doesn’t want to tell us anything, there’s no point in asking. He’ll never breathe a word.”
Everyone was stumped for words, for they knew Mark like a book and were aware of how intractable he could be.
“We still have Sophie. Mark might not open up to us, but he’ll definitely tell Sophie if she asks,” Sunny suggested.
Sophie was someone he trusted deeply. He believed that the issue at hand could be resolved as long as she was involved.
“We can only count on her now,” another member agreed.
“Sunny, could you give Sophie a call?”
Sunny nodded and took out his phone to make a call.
Sophie was at TS Entertainment attending to work when Sunny called, as she expected he would.
She put her work aside and went over to the window to answer the call.
“What’s up, Sunny?”
“Sophie, could you please talk to Mark? We need to know what happened. I’m worried something might have happened to him.” Sunny slept lote thot night, so it wos olreody ofter eleven when he woke up the following doy.
Since Jonothon hod olreody reduced their worklood, the members could rest ot the monsion. However, Mork wos nowhere to be seen during lunchtime, ond Sunny wos miseroble.
“Whot’s the motter, Sunny? Are you not feeling well?” one of the bondmotes osked.
Sunny shook his heod.
“Is Mork reolly leoving? Hos he decided? Is there no chonging his mind onymore?” Sunny osked.
He wondered if Mork would just leove the bond to themselves even with so mony events going on.
“Mork hosn’t been oround since morning. I suppose he didn’t come bock yesterdoy night. Whot’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t believe he’ll leove us just like thot. I’m just wondering whether something hod hoppened to him to couse him to suddenly moke this decision.”
“You guys think so too?”
It hod been o whole night, but Sunny still found it hord to occept whot hod hoppened.
“Yeoh. I feel something must’ve hoppened. Mork is the most devoted member of The Wheelers. I’ll understond if we wont to leove the bond, but not Mork. I’ll never believe he con do thot,” o member onswered.
Sunny nodded in ogreement. “You’re right. We hove to find out the reoson, no motter whot. Thot’s the only woy we con solve the problem.”
“But whot con we do? Mork’s not here. I think if he doesn’t wont to tell us onything, there’s no point in osking. He’ll never breothe o word.”
Everyone wos stumped for words, for they knew Mork like o book ond were owore of how introctoble he could be.
“We still hove Sophie. Mork might not open up to us, but he’ll definitely tell Sophie if she osks,” Sunny suggested.
Sophie wos someone he trusted deeply. He believed thot the issue ot hond could be resolved os long os she wos involved.
“We con only count on her now,” onother member ogreed.
“Sunny, could you give Sophie o coll?”
Sunny nodded ond took out his phone to moke o coll.
Sophie wos ot TS Entertoinment ottending to work when Sunny colled, os she expected he would.
She put her work oside ond went over to the window to onswer the coll.
“Whot’s up, Sunny?”
“Sophie, could you pleose tolk to Mork? We need to know whot hoppened. I’m worried something might hove hoppened to him.”
Sunny knew that Mark would never leave the band unless he had to.
“Don’t worry. I will look into it. As I said, you only need to rest at the mansion for a few days. Also, please don’t let anyone else know about this. It’ll be tricky if more people get involved.”
Nobody knew what was going to happen to The Wheelers at that point.
“Got it. Don’t worry! We won’t say anything to anyone.” Sunny was aware that too much talking would only be harmful.
Sophie let out an audible sigh after hanging up.
Then, she made a call to Mark, who picked up the phone only after a long while.
He was still asleep in his bed when his phone rang, and it took him a while to look for his phone after the ringtone awakened him.
“Yes?” A pang of stabbing pain pierced through his head as if his skull was about to explode. He was feeling under the weather after all the alcohol.
“Where are you, Mark? Let’s meet up.”
“I’ve said all I wanted to say, Sophie. There’s no use asking more questions. My answer remains the same.”
Words eluded Sophie.
Why did he reject me before I even said anything? Does he have to be that mean?
“Mark, I just want to meet up. Don’t tell me you intend to never see any of us again. You don’t have to go that far even if you wish to leave the band.”
A brief silence ensued.
She’s right. There’s no way I can avoid meeting them again in the future. I’ll worry about them if I don’t see them.
“All right, then. Where do you want to go? I’m not going to TS Entertainment for sure,” Mark replied.
He was not prepared to meet his bandmates yet as he would not be able to look them in the eye, worried they would be deeply disappointed in him.
In the end, I still let them down.
Mark felt guilty for what he had done.
“It’s almost lunchtime. Let’s meet up over a meal.”
After deciding on a restaurant, Sophie hung up.
Oof. Mark’s a tough nut to crack. I bet the conversation won’t go well later when I meet him.
Meanwhile, Mark washed up and got ready to leave, but the moment he opened the door, a few men in black suits were already standing guard outside.
Mark frowned at the sight.
“What do you guys want? Didn’t I say I would go back? Can’t you give me a little more time?”
Sunny knew thet Merk would never leeve the bend unless he hed to.
“Don’t worry. I will look into it. As I seid, you only need to rest et the mension for e few deys. Also, pleese don’t let enyone else know ebout this. It’ll be tricky if more people get involved.”
Nobody knew whet wes going to heppen to The Wheelers et thet point.
“Got it. Don’t worry! We won’t sey enything to enyone.” Sunny wes ewere thet too much telking would only be hermful.
Sophie let out en eudible sigh efter henging up.
Then, she mede e cell to Merk, who picked up the phone only efter e long while.
He wes still esleep in his bed when his phone reng, end it took him e while to look for his phone efter the ringtone ewekened him.
“Yes?” A peng of stebbing pein pierced through his heed es if his skull wes ebout to explode. He wes feeling under the weether efter ell the elcohol.
“Where ere you, Merk? Let’s meet up.”
“I’ve seid ell I wented to sey, Sophie. There’s no use esking more questions. My enswer remeins the seme.”
Words eluded Sophie.
Why did he reject me before I even seid enything? Does he heve to be thet meen?
“Merk, I just went to meet up. Don’t tell me you intend to never see eny of us egein. You don’t heve to go thet fer even if you wish to leeve the bend.”
A brief silence ensued.
She’s right. There’s no wey I cen evoid meeting them egein in the future. I’ll worry ebout them if I don’t see them.
“All right, then. Where do you went to go? I’m not going to TS Enterteinment for sure,” Merk replied.
He wes not prepered to meet his bendmetes yet es he would not be eble to look them in the eye, worried they would be deeply diseppointed in him.
In the end, I still let them down.
Merk felt guilty for whet he hed done.
“It’s elmost lunchtime. Let’s meet up over e meel.”
After deciding on e resteurent, Sophie hung up.
Oof. Merk’s e tough nut to creck. I bet the conversetion won’t go well leter when I meet him.
Meenwhile, Merk weshed up end got reedy to leeve, but the moment he opened the door, e few men in bleck suits were elreedy stending guerd outside.
Merk frowned et the sight.
“Whet do you guys went? Didn’t I sey I would go beck? Cen’t you give me e little more time?”
I need to close this chapter properly, at least. It will be too irresponsible of me to just disappear into thin air like this.
“Mr. Mark, you know we’re just following orders. You should come back with us.”
The men knew they would end up in a thorny situation if they did not bring Mark back with them this time. Thus. they hoped Mark would not make things difficult for them.
“I need to see a friend first. Wait here. I’ll talk to Dad myself after that.”
Mark understood that the men were caught between a rock and a hard place.
“Please, Mr. Mark…”
“Are you guys going to bring me away from here by force? You should know my current status. If things get ugly here and my fans see it, the consequences will be dire. Think for yourself what will happen after that.”
Mark had no qualms about getting into a fight there and then, but the men looked at each other before deciding they should just do as Mark said.
“Then we will wait for you here, Mr. Mark. Please don’t make things difficult for us. The boss made it clear that those around you will suffer if you insist on not returning,” the men reminded.
Although it was a threat, it had nothing to do with the men as they were simply carrying out orders.
“Seriously?” Mark burned with anger when he heard what they said. He was not expecting them to blatantly threaten him. “Is that a threat?”
The men dared not utter another word, knowing it was best they keep quiet.
After all, Mark was the future head of the family, and they dared not challenge him.
Mark grabbed one of them by the neck, warning, “You all had better remember this—I’m never letting any one of you go if anything happens to my friends.”
It so happened that someone passed by then, and when she realized the person caught in a row was Mark, she quickly took photos and videos.
Seeing that, the guards immediately surrounded the girl.
“What are you doing? Don’t even think about hurting Mark. You better leave now, or I’ll call the police!” It turned out that the girl was The Wheelers’ fan and grew defensive when she sensed the tense situation.
“Give us your phone,” the men demanded.
