Chapter 1009
Marcus was standing with his back to her, tall and straight as a rod
He was probably saying something Brennen was also talking, but she couldnât hear anything All she could feel was the tension building up around them because of their standoff.
Every second of her wait felt like pure agony. In an attempt to chill out a bit, Cornelia decided to chat up Ayden, âAydenâ¦
Ayden responded in a calm tone, âWhatâs up?â
Cornelia asked, âCould you maybe stick with him? He wonât let me be there, but he didnât say you couldnât. Could youâ¦?â
Ayden assured her, âPresident Hartley is a tough cookie. Brennenâs got nothing on him. Youâve got nothing to worry about.â
It was not that she doubted Marcusâ strength, but she was worned that Brennen would use family ties to hurt Marcus. Marcus might seem cold as ice on the surface, but deep down he was actually quite sensitive. When faced with the truly heartless Brennen, even if Marcus came out on top, it could still wound his soul
But she didnât know how to express all this to Ayden, so all she could do was wait in silence, hoping Marcus could settle the score with Brennen ASAP
Cornelia waited anxiously. About half an hour later, Marcus finally turned around and walked toward her. Cornelia rushed up to him, grabbing his hand.
In such hot weather, his hand was as cold as ice. She rubbed his hand, âWhy are your hands so cold? What did he say to you?â
Marcus scoffed, âWhat else could he say? Heâs just trying to get something he wants from me
He didnât want to go into detail, and Cornelia didnât push it, âLetâs get out of here.â
From the moment she stepped in, Cornelia felt there was something off about this place. It gave her the creeps.
âAlright, letâs head home Marcus led her out, hand in hand, with Ayden following behind.
â
As they were about to step out, Brennenâs voice echoed from behind âMarcus, the Hartley Group is the fruit of the Hartley familyâs blood, sweat, and tears over generations, not your personal business empire. You should give your siblings their fair share, or I wonât hesitate to bring down the whole Hartley Group and leave us all with nothingâ
Marcus kept walking, not even turning around to acknowledge Brennenâs threat.
Cornelia gripped Marcus hand tighter, looking up at him. His face was expressionless, and she couldnât read his thoughts. She didnât know what she could do for him, and all she could do was hold his hand, giving him some warmth, letting him know she was always there.
Soon, they left this place.
Ayden drove while Marcus and Cornelia sat in the back.
Marcus closed his eyes, resting in the back seat, not even acknowledging Cornelia. She wanted to ask what Brennen had said to him. She almost opened her mouth a few times, but in the end, she couldnât bring herself to do it.
The car drove for a while. He kept his eyes closed, then spoke up, âDo you want to know what Brennen said to me?â
Cornelia nodded, âCan you tell me?â
Suddenly, Marcus opened his eyes. The sharp look in his eyes vanished the moment he saw her worried face.
He reached out, cradling the back of her head, pulling her towards him swiftly, and planted a kiss on her lips.
His kiss was passionate and intense, like a predator on the hunt. Corneliaâs lips were numbed by it, but she didnât shy away, instead, she tried to match his pace.
God knew how long it lasted, Corneliaâs lips were about to lose all feeling when he finally let her go.
Cornelia blushed, lightly biting her lip.