“It’s not a big problem, but if it’s not dealt with soon, we’ll face technical problems in the later phase. Besides, something is off with the structure of the base. What do you guys have in the underground? Is it a garage or a warehouse?” Marcus asked.
I was a little bewildered by his question. “There’s nothing underneath. Why?”
He frowned. “Normally, there will have something built underneath with this kind of structure.”
He seemed to have realized something as he kept quiet and pondered for a moment. However, he did not ask further as he looked at me and asked, “Do you want to grab lunch together?”
I shook my head. “No, thanks. I…”
He arched his eyebrow and cut me off, “So, you plan to avoid me forever? We are business partners after all. It’s totally fine to have a meal with business partners, right?”
With his personality, I knew that if I continued to find excuses, he would also continue trying to talk me out of it. Therefore, I complied. “Okay. I know we can grab something to eat behind here. It’s nothing much, but it can fill our stomachs. I still have a lot to do in the afternoon, so I don’t want to waste time going to restaurants that are far away from here.”
He nodded with a smile. “Sure.”
The on-site canteen was one of the temporary facilities built for the convenience of the employees here. It was not big, but it was sufficient for us. The hotel was too far away from the base as it took about an hour for a round trip. It would be better to let everyone rest during the break time instead of traveling on the road.
Thus, Armond decided to build this facility and hired a chef to prepare meals for all of us. It was quite convenient.
The canteen was almost full when we reached there. I found us a place to sit and saw Marcus bringing me a glass of juice. “It’s freshly squeezed.”
I nodded and thanked him.
After we got our meals, we ate quietly and did not chat much.
We still had some time left after finishing our lunch, and I initially thought about resting in my office until the break time ended. However, he suggested, “You should be familiar with this place by now. Why don’t you take me around the site as a walk after our meals?”
I pursed my lips. “Why don’t you go ahead by yourself? We only have fruit plantations nearby.” With that, I turned around and headed to my office.
But he grabbed my arm and stopped me. I frowned and raised my voice. “Let go of me!”
He paid no heed and said, “I know you don’t want to see me or spend time with me. However, as your business partner, Ms. Stovall, can I request you to take me for a tour here as a survey?”
“You’re just using work as an excuse!” I flung his arm away in irritation. “Let’s go.”
What we had nearby the base was just pear trees. Most of the pears had ripened, and the fruit farmers were harvesting them to sell them in the market.
After walking for a while, Marcus said, “You don’t have to treat me like this, Scarlett. I never have the intention of destroying your life. Is it possible for us to be friends again?”
I stopped and turned to look at him. “Do you think that we can get along now?”
He gazed at me with a sincere look. “I know that you don’t want me to bother you because you’re worried that I might affect your relationship with Ashton. And I also understood that you don’t love me. You don’t need to repeat yourself; I get it.”
I pressed my lips together and did not say anything because what he said was right.
Then, he continued, “Actually, I really want you to be happy. I initially thought that with Ashton’s cold attitude, it was impossible for him to make you happy. That was why I wanted to be one who gives you happiness instead. But from what I can see now, he is not as bad as I thought he would be. If so, why can’t I give both of you, my blessings? So, I’ve thought it through and decided to stay by your side as a friend. As long as you’re happy with your life, I won’t pester you anymore.”
Taken aback by his words, I looked at him and faltered. “You…”
He gave me a sad smile. “So, can you promise me not to keep your distance? Scarlett, I’ve lost so many of my loved ones. I don’t want to lose you too. No matter how terrible I am, my care for you is sincere. Since I can’t be your life partner to protect you, can you at least treat me like a brother? Please don’t treat me like a stranger and ignore my existence.”
My heart ached as I listened to his confession. Looking at him, I nodded and replied, “I’m sorry, Marcus. I owe you my life. Whatever you want me to do, I can do it for you. The only thing I can’t do is to be with you. Even after all the things we had gone through, he still loves me and protects me. It’s such a blessing to have Ashton as my husband. Thank you for loving me, Marcus. But I’m not worthy of your love. There are people who need you more than me. Camelia should have given birth, and she is a good girl. Since you’ve married her, you need to be responsible to her and the baby.”
He nodded and smiled bitterly, seemingly ready to let go of the past. “I know. Since I can’t give happiness to the one whom I love the most, it’s better to give it to the ones who need it. This is for the best.”
