Chapter 11 Your Tenderness Scares Me

• Mark showed up at some point and he spoke while striding over to where Eris was. She gazed at him in a daze because the man, who was now in front of her, felt like a stranger.
• The hostility in Georgia’s expression subsided when she saw Mark show up. “I am not pressuring you, but you are the only son of the Fuller Family. In the past, you refused to get married all because of Natasha, and it has taken so much effort—”
• “That’s enough, Mom. Stop bringing up the past in front of Eris.” Mark cut her off coldly upon hearing the name he deemed as a taboo.
• Georgia shot him a surprised look because she vaguely remembered Natasha.
• And so, Mark effectively changed the topic. After that, he sat down beside Eris and he reached out swiftly to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “I had no idea that you summoned us back home over the issue of a child. It is my wish not to have kids for now and I want to enjoy my time with her alone for a few more years. However, since you are urging us, then let’s have a child soon.”
• Mark’s scent shrouded Eris and truth be told, this was his first time being so close to her after so many years. He was so close to her that she could breathe in his light, minty fragrance. Besides, she could feel his warmth through his thin clothing too.
• Her heart started beating erratically. Even though she had been tortured and hurt by Mark countless times, the flames of her hope would always start burning at the slightest glance or casual action from him.
• Mark felt Eris’ body stiffen at his touch, so he looked down slightly, only to notice her deeply flushed ear lobes. An inexplicable gentle and moving emotion blossomed in his heart, and it gave rise to an urge for him to kiss her delicate ear lobe. However, he suppressed the urge almost instantly. After that, Mark looked away and he resumed his usual indifferent appearance.
• “Alright, then. That’s good to hear.” Georgia didn’t seem too suspicious. On the contrary, she smiled happily when she saw how intimate the couple’s interactions were.
• On the other hand, Aria, who was standing behind Georgia, snorted in disdain. “Who knows if that is the truth,” she commented contemptuously.
• Mark glanced at her steadily without replying to her.
• “Well, it is rare for Mark to return home and I have some matters to discuss with him. Come with me to the study upstairs.” Theodore glanced at Mark and he stood from his seat to walk up the second floor. The whole way, the former kept his hands behind his back.
• Mark patted Eris’ shoulders lightly as if reassuring her and after a while, he stood up to follow Theodore.
• Without Mark, the entire atmosphere in the living room felt strange and stiff all of a sudden. Immediately, Georgia stopped smiling and she regarded Eris scornfully. “Even though Mark has taken your side, it doesn’t mean I have no idea what’s going on. You can’t blame other women for taking your place if you cannot retain a man’s heart.”
• Eris forced a smile at her. Well, I know my relationship with him the best. In all honesty, Eris felt a ripple in her heart earlier due to Mark’s subtle actions, but her imaginations disappeared in a flash with the strike of reality. Besides, I am more bothered by the woman that Georgia mentioned—Natasha. I can tell that Mark really cares about her. Is she the reason Mark has been so cold and distant toward me for the past four years?
• “Tsk! Do you think Mark would have married her if she didn’t resemble Natasha? She is merely a substitute yet she doesn’t know her place.”