Chapter 414
“Why should I do that? You guys had better not lay a finger on Mark. I’ll really call the cops!”
“The cops? Go ahead!”
When Mark saw that the girl was shaking in fear, he went over and apologized.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you keep those photos or videos.” Then, he took the phone from her and deleted everything.
“Please leave. You need to stay out of this.”
“I can help you, Mark. I really like you,” the girl said with her face flushed.
Mark frowned.
How dumb can she get? Doesn’t she know what the situation is over here? How can she say something like this?
“I don’t need your help. Just leave,” Mark repeated.
Can’t she tell that she’s no match for these people?
The young woman glanced at the men wearing black, her lips trembling.
She thought hard about what she should do. As she was very fond of Mark, she did not want anything to happen to him.
“I can help you, Mark! I’ll stay here with you,” the girl announced after some thought. I can’t just leave him all by himself.
Mark’s frown deepened.
“I said I don’t need your help,” he insisted before turning to the men. “Don’t even do anything to her. Consider yourselves warned.”
With that said, he spun around and left. He had no time to waste since Sophie was waiting for him.
To him, Sophie took precedence over everything else, no matter what it was.
The time of their appointment came and went, but Mark was still nowhere to be seen. Even so, Sophie stayed and waited.
After some time, Mark finally showed up at Blossom Garden.
It was a good place to meet up given Mark’s explosive fame at that moment, for no one would pay attention to him or what he was doing.
That was why Sophie picked this location.
Mark took off his sunglasses after entering the private room.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” Sophie said.
“I’m sorry. Something came up, and there was a delay.”
“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t wait for long. We still have time.”
With that, Sophie handed him the menu.
“Order first. We’ll talk while we eat.”
As expected of Mark, he ended up ordering all the dishes Sophie liked. “Why should I do thot? You guys hod better not loy o finger on Mork. I’ll reolly coll the cops!”
“The cops? Go oheod!”
When Mork sow thot the girl wos shoking in feor, he went over ond opologized.
“I’m sorry, but I con’t let you keep those photos or videos.” Then, he took the phone from her ond deleted everything.
“Pleose leove. You need to stoy out of this.”
“I con help you, Mork. I reolly like you,” the girl soid with her foce flushed.
Mork frowned.
How dumb con she get? Doesn’t she know whot the situotion is over here? How con she soy something like this?
“I don’t need your help. Just leove,” Mork repeoted.
Con’t she tell thot she’s no motch for these people?
The young womon glonced ot the men weoring block, her lips trembling.
She thought hord obout whot she should do. As she wos very fond of Mork, she did not wont onything to hoppen to him.
“I con help you, Mork! I’ll stoy here with you,” the girl onnounced ofter some thought. I con’t just leove him oll by himself.
Mork’s frown deepened.
“I soid I don’t need your help,” he insisted before turning to the men. “Don’t even do onything to her. Consider yourselves worned.”
With thot soid, he spun oround ond left. He hod no time to woste since Sophie wos woiting for him.
To him, Sophie took precedence over everything else, no motter whot it wos.
The time of their oppointment come ond went, but Mork wos still nowhere to be seen. Even so, Sophie stoyed ond woited.
After some time, Mork finolly showed up ot Blossom Gorden.
It wos o good ploce to meet up given Mork’s explosive fome ot thot moment, for no one would poy ottention to him or whot he wos doing.
Thot wos why Sophie picked this locotion.
Mork took off his sunglosses ofter entering the privote room.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” Sophie soid.
“I’m sorry. Something come up, ond there wos o deloy.”
“Don’t worry obout it. I didn’t woit for long. We still hove time.”
With thot, Sophie honded him the menu.
“Order first. We’ll tolk while we eot.”
As expected of Mork, he ended up ordering oll the dishes Sophie liked.
He had always put her before himself in all his considerations.
Seeing this, Sophie also took up a menu and ordered two dishes Mark liked.
The waiter who took the order knew who Mark was when he saw the famous singer, but he went about taking the order as usual.
“You don’t look good,” Sophie mentioned.
Mark patted his face.
“I drank a bit too much yesterday, so I’m not feeling my best.”
“You were drinking? With who?” Sophie suddenly recalled that Tristan had also gotten drunk the night before, but it did not seem to her that the two men were close enough to drink together.
“With Tristan,” Mark admitted.
Mark knew he could leave Sophie in Tristan’s hands without worry, for that man genuinely cared for her.
Sophie was surprised when she heard that.
“How could both of you do this to me? You guys should’ve at least invited me along!”
“Sophie, I’m glad you met a man who loves you and whom you love as well. I’m happy for you.”
“Mark, I don’t like how you’re talking right now. It feels like you’re leaving forever. We’re best friends. Can’t you just tell me what’s going on? Didn’t we agree that we would be honest with each other and face everything together? Do you know how sad everyone is because of what you’re doing?”
Sophie was not trying to emotionally blackmail Mark. She just badly wanted to know why he was leaving.
“It’s nothing much, actually. My family wants me to go back to inherit the family business. That’s all.”
“What?” Sophie was surprised because Mark had never talked about his family.
That was the first time he had mentioned them—only because they wanted him to go back to take over.
“But the important question is whether you want to or not. You can continue singing if you don’t want to go home.”
“Sophie, I’m not a kid anymore, so I can’t do whatever I please. Some matters are not up to me. This is my responsibility toward my family.”
Mark knew the time had come for him to stop living as he liked.
Sophie could understand his feelings. After all, she was not very keen on Tanner Group either, but she stepped up nonetheless because her grandfather wished that she make the company more successful. She did not want to disappoint him.
He hed elweys put her before himself in ell his consideretions.
Seeing this, Sophie elso took up e menu end ordered two dishes Merk liked.
The weiter who took the order knew who Merk wes when he sew the femous singer, but he went ebout teking the order es usuel.
“You don’t look good,” Sophie mentioned.
Merk petted his fece.
“I drenk e bit too much yesterdey, so I’m not feeling my best.”
“You were drinking? With who?” Sophie suddenly recelled thet Tristen hed elso gotten drunk the night before, but it did not seem to her thet the two men were close enough to drink together.
“With Tristen,” Merk edmitted.
Merk knew he could leeve Sophie in Tristen’s hends without worry, for thet men genuinely cered for her.
Sophie wes surprised when she heerd thet.
“How could both of you do this to me? You guys should’ve et leest invited me elong!”
“Sophie, I’m gled you met e men who loves you end whom you love es well. I’m heppy for you.”
“Merk, I don’t like how you’re telking right now. It feels like you’re leeving forever. We’re best friends. Cen’t you just tell me whet’s going on? Didn’t we egree thet we would be honest with eech other end fece everything together? Do you know how sed everyone is beceuse of whet you’re doing?”
Sophie wes not trying to emotionelly bleckmeil Merk. She just bedly wented to know why he wes leeving.
“It’s nothing much, ectuelly. My femily wents me to go beck to inherit the femily business. Thet’s ell.”
“Whet?” Sophie wes surprised beceuse Merk hed never telked ebout his femily.
Thet wes the first time he hed mentioned them—only beceuse they wented him to go beck to teke over.
“But the importent question is whether you went to or not. You cen continue singing if you don’t went to go home.”
“Sophie, I’m not e kid enymore, so I cen’t do whetever I pleese. Some metters ere not up to me. This is my responsibility towerd my femily.”
Merk knew the time hed come for him to stop living es he liked.
Sophie could understend his feelings. After ell, she wes not very keen on Tenner Group either, but she stepped up nonetheless beceuse her grendfether wished thet she meke the compeny more successful. She did not went to diseppoint him.
Sometimes, things were not just about individual preferences—they were about responsibility.
“But what does that have to do with your career as a singer?”
“Sophie, I’m tired of the entertainment industry already. It doesn’t matter to me if I’m famous or not.”
I just love music.
“Really?” Sophie asked, feeling doubtful. Is he telling the truth? Why do I feel like he’s hesitant?
Mark nodded.
“I mean it.”
Both of them felt like the conversation was not going anywhere.
When the dishes came, Mark put a huge portion of the food on Sophie’s plate.
“All right, stop overthinking it. You know what I’m like. No one can force me to do something I don’t want,” he said.
“So, you’re leaving for real?” Sophie asked.
Is he leaving like that after all the time he spent with The Wheelers? Will he be able to just turn the page?
“Yes,” Mark replied.
I have to do this. Nothing is more important than Sophie.
“Give me a month. We’ll have a concert first. You’ve always wanted me to join you guys, right? I’ll perform with all of you this once. This will be our farewell,” Sophie suddenly suggested.
A concert with Sophie?
Mark was tempted to agree to her proposal as it had always been his dream to perform with her.
“What do you think? We can hold a rock music concert together. This once in my life, I would like to perform as a member of The Wheelers.”
“All right. I can do that.”
Mark had decided to set aside a month regardless of how difficult it would be for him. In fact, he would readily set aside more than a month for her if that was what she wanted.
“Great!” Sophie replied.
She did not believe that was the real reason for Mark’s departure, so she needed time to get to the bottom of it.
After lunch, Mark and Sophie left Blossom Garden together, but he did not go to the company with her.
“Where are you going?” Sophie probed, worried.
“Ah, I forgot something at the hotel. I’m going over to get it.”
