*MARCELO*
I have my schedule memorized by me because I am someone who rarely forgets things.After I left the styling,I attended an international conference.
There,I sternly rebuked each participant.
I was a man of few words, my reprimands were often non-verbal.
My stare alone left many wondering what they'd done wrong. They were utterly baffled. Jason visited KM Group to see me.
He sighed. "Marcelo, are you in a foul mood these days? Your executives are all complaining to me, accusing you of being heartless."
Their complaints weren't entirely serious, I was sure.
They just knew of Jason’s close ties to me and hoped he might uncover if they had inadvertently offended me, leading to my aloofness.
I glanced up, uninterested. "Don't you have better things to do?"
"Yeah." Jason settled in a chair across from me. "Well, I need to enjoy the perks of being a boss. I guess you don't relate to that kind of pleasure."
*RENEE*Upon hearing words, I paused, momentarily taken aback. Then, it dawned on me that he was referring to me nearly losing my temper in front of Catherine just now.I haven’t yet decided how to respond.In that earlier encounter, whatever I might have said would have been to my disadvantage. The focus had shifted to me, an outsider, accused of usurping Catherine’s life.Catherine, as the legitimate Hudson heiress, naturally held the upper hand.Marcelo stepping in had been a reprieve for me.And now he wanted me to teach Catherine a lesson.I smiled.He was on my side.It was quite touching because I’ve never really had anyone on my side before.I looked at him and murmured quietly, "Thank you."I was also grateful he hadn't publicly embarrassed me that night at Dove Island club before so many eyes.It was surprising that he actually had some good in him.***********************MARCELO*I merely snorted in response.Thanking me?Her gratitude seemed like an afterthought to me.I o
**********"Does Andrew’s predicament please you?" he asked, assuming she'd be upset.Renee’s eyes spakled with delight.Seeing her ex-fiancé in distress brought her undeniable joy.The final item was unveiled, a set of diamond bracelets.The allure was immediate, eclipsing the previous items in desirability.Wealthy bidders prepared to vie for it, possibly as a lavish gift.Marcelo, without hesitation, raised his paddle. "Two billion."His bid cast a hush over the crowd."What the fuck? Two billion right off the bat? Did he even leave room for others to bid?" Someone whispered, "Who is that man? The one next to Renee!""I don't have a clue! But such extravagance... he's richer than Andrew!""That's Marcelo King,isn’t it?"“Impossible! Marcelo isn't favored in the King family and doesn't have that much money. Plus, Andrew didn't even greet him when he got here.That man can not be the same Marcelo that is supposedly an outcast in the King family.”As the auction wrapped up, the winning
************Ten minutes later.Renee sat in the back of the Maybach, her hands placed demurely on her knees, resembling a child caught in a misdeed."So, Mrs. King, was that your idea of a discussion?" Marcelo’s fingers drummed on the armrest.Renee, rolling her eyes, muttered, "Didn’t you leave?""I returned to fetch my wife," retorted Marcelo.But Renee was skeptical.She shot him a doubtful look, unconvinced by his pretext.In their sham marriage, trust was a luxury, and she suspected his true motive was to keep her away from Andrew."Well, I intended to have a constructive conversation with Catherine," She explained, redirecting the conversation and justifying her actions. "However, she was uncooperative, so I had to resort to that."Marcelo knew Renee was a woman of strong will and that intrigued him a lot.Catherine always ended up overpowered in Renee’s presence.Yet now, Renee portrayed herself as having no other option, sounding almost wronged.She was such a mischievous lia
In the study, Luke concluded his report and added a cautionary note. "Mr. King, at tonight's auction, several acquaintances spotted you. And your extravagant spending may draw attention from the King household."Marcelo seemed unconcerned. "Am I not allowed to use my money?"Luke hastened to correct himself, "Of course, you are."But it was unusual for Marcelo to be so lavish with his wealth.Marcelo’s decision to bring Renee to the auction was bound to stir controversy, yet he did not care. The thought that these fools hadn't suspected him for years amused Marcelo. It was high time they sensed some peril.They couldn’t forever see him as a loser.After all, only a quarry that reacts to danger truly intrigues a predator.A knock interrupted them, followed by Renee’s voice. "Marcelo, can I come in?"At Marcelo’s nod,Luke opened the door."Mrs..." He paused, momentarily taken aback, then quickly averted his gaze.Renee, just out of the bath, her beauty unadorned, stood there with damp h
They all but forgot about the watch.The moment her fingers brushed Marcelo’sskin, Reneerecoiled as if she had received an electric shock.She hesitated to touch him again, especially after sensing his..intensity.Renee had once explored adult content with Sarah, but theory and practice were worlds apart! "Marcelo, I'm grateful for what you did for Nana, so I'll honor our agreement. I..."Her words abruptly stopped as she caught Marcelo’s suddenly cold, emotionless gaze. "Agreement?" The word seemed to grind between his teeth.Confused by his sudden shift in mood,Renee didn't understand his displeasure.“Back at the club on Dove Island, remember?" she reminded, thinking he had forgotten.Staring at her, Marcelo’s handsome face turned serious, realizing she was here to fulfill their agreement, not out of desire.He wanted to continue. After all, Renee was legally his wife.But... his pride wouldn't let him.Since when did he need a promise to bring a woman to his bed?Marcelo sat up a
That afternoon, Renee’s phone rang with news from the hospital.The hospital staff informed her that Naomi had been discharged.Renee expressed her gratitude and, still worried about Naomi, considered making plans to visit the Hudsons. However, her thoughts were interrupted by a call from Grace.Grace invited her to dinner at the Hudsons' house.A dinner invitation out of the blue?Renee sensed there might be more to this than a simple meal with the Hudson family.After more than a month away,Renee returned to the Hudson family villa. It felt like a place she once knew well, yet now it seemed alien.Everything and everyone had changed.A maid escorted Renee inside."Can you believe it? Nana made a killing from this illness!" Grace was gleefully counting money in the living room, toggling between a calculator and jotting down notes. "Look at this one, only twenty thousand. Stingy, right? And this person sent so much nourishment. I'll send it up to your room later,Catherine.""Thanks, M
"Are you accusing me of theft?" Renee was struck by the absurdity of the accusation.Before she could even continue, Catherine had already rummaged through the kraft-paper box and retrieved the fragile sapphire brooch.Catherine’s voice rose in anger. "This is the piece! Caught in the act, yet you deny it? Renee, you promised to take only what belonged to you. Why did you take my brooch?"A few onlookers began to whisper among themselves."Is that Renee over there?""And the one confronting her, isn't she from the Hudson family?""Accusations of theft? This will certainly be intriguing!"Renee recognized those familiar faces of affluence and realized Catherine’s outrageous behavior was a deliberate spectacle.Catherine was using the onlookers as pawns in her scheme to brand Renee as greedy and dishonest. Catherine’s intent was clear. She wanted to smear Renee’s reputation.“Catherine to set the record straight, this brooch is mine. You saw me place it in the box," Renee countered, ast
In the end, the fallout from the failed high-end furniture contract left Rocco working through the night at his company. He returned home only the next morning, visibly drained."Dad!"Catherine rushed to support him.Grace expressed her concern as well. "Honey, what happened?""The contract... it's gone," Rocco replied, his gaze fixed vacantly on the ceiling as he lay on the sofa.Despite his efforts, including a generous five-percent concession, the other party wouldn't budge. Rocco had been confident about securing this contract, having already set up subsequent deals. Now, the loss of the exclusive agency rights meant compensating downstream partners and facing a significant stock price drop."How could this happen..." Catherine whispered to herself.The implications for this were clear. Without the company's success, her lifestyle, filled with designer clothes and luxury items, would be in jeopardy."Could it be Marcelo’s influence?" she wondered aloud."Marcelo?" Rocco bolted upr
Marcelo woke up the following morning with Renee in his arms.He sighed in content as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.She was still asleep.His cellphone rang and he quickly reached for it not wanting to wake Renee up.It was Luke.“We have a problem,sir.Paul has passed away.”Luke informed him.Marcelo grimaced and slowly got out of the bed,careful not to wake Renee.As soon as he walked out of the bedroom,he said.“Talk to me.”“The hidden cameras caught Gary bringing him coffee,he drank it and it led to his death.He also said some incriminating words that meant he poisoned the coffee if we were to use it in court.But there’s more.He sent his men out there to look for a perfect chance to kidnap Renee.”And that made Marcelo’s fingers clenched around his cellphone.This was the last straw!For so many years,he had thought his father’s death was just an accident but after the accident that claimed his brother’s life as well.He became certain that someone wanted to eliminate his who
I know.I could feel every bit of it.“I love you.”He said again and leaned over to kiss me.His kiss was deep, slow and sensual.He moved one of his hand down and guided the tip of his shaft inside me.And I came immediately,my own body taking me by surprise.A wave of sensual electricity jolted me from my core.My body shuddered from my toes to the top of my head and the contractions in the core of my body filled me with incredible pleasure.After it was all over,I opened my eyes,I saw Marcelo looking down at me with a grin.“You came already?”He teased.”That was just the tip.”I blushed a deep red.I haven’t come this fast before since I started having sex with him but tonight I was incredibly turned on more than ever,by his words, by the way he kissed me,by the way he touched me so just the slightest bit of his cock was enough to send me over the edge.I pouted.”I…I love you so much,that’s why.”He stared at me for a while as if processing what he had just heard.I placed my hand o
As soon as Marcelo walked into the house that day,Renee ran up to him and hugged him.He smiled as he stroke her hair.“Did you watch the press conference?”She nodded.“I’m sorry that I didn’t inform you about announcing our marriage to the public first…I…”She lifted up her head to stare at his face.“I’m not upset.I’m glad that everyone knows I’m your wife.”Marcelo beamed at her.”And I am glad that everyone knows that this incredible woman is mine.”She smiled,broadly.“I was thinking,maybe we could have a wedding ceremony.”He suggested.She bit her lower lip.”I’d like to walk down the aisle to you.”He leaned down and kissed her deeply.“I’m curious about something.”She suddenly let out.“About what?”He asked.“Were you disappointed or happy when Wyatt confirmed I wasn’t pregnant?”“Disappointed.”He replied,honestly.“Really?”“Yeah. I always thought I didn’t want marriage or children but Renee,I want everything with you.I want to experience everything only with you.”Renee giggl
That night,Gary couldn’t sleep.He paced to and fro thinking about the fact that Marcelo just keeps surprising them recently.Firstly,from thinking he was a disabled loser to finding out he owned the most powerful company in the country.And now,he wasn’t disabled!That nephew of his deceived him!Back then,that accident was meant to kill both Sebastian and Marcelo.But Marcelo had survived.Gary had wanted to make another attempt on his life but finding out that he was disabled made him feel that there was no need.Now,looking back,he felt enraged.Marcelo had deceived him!Marcelo had made him think that he was a disabled loser while he secretly made moves.Gary felt like tearing down the whole house.He needed to go see his father.They needed to talk about how to eliminate Marcelo once and for all!They couldn’t let Marcelo get more powerful than this.As Gary went up to Paul’s study, he was about to knock when he heard Paul’s voice.“I am not getting any younger.And it pains me to r
My love?Those words reeled through her head and she slowly pulled away from him and stared into his eyes.It wasn’t the first time he was calling her that but it made her heart ache as she wondered if he knew what that meant.“Do you even know what that means?”She asked,her voice hoarse from crying so much.Marcelo was confused.“What are you talking about?”“You shouldn’t call me your love.People don’t just randomly call people that.”She turned away from him as tears threatened again.“Renee,I’m not randomly calling you that.I called you that because…”“Why did you help her?”He blinked,surprised by her question again.“Help who?”“Stop playing dumb already.”She yelled as she stood up to her feet.“Do you know how hard she tried to ruin me?!She was aiming at ruining my career and I did my best,getting the jewelries and…and running around making sure everything went smoothly,do you have any idea how tired I was when I played the piano.Even if I was looking composed,doing so much that
“No, it wasn't me!"Catherine blurted out in a knee-jerk reaction. But as she realized the undeniable truth in the surveillance footage, she quickly shifted her story. "I just lost my balance. It was an accident. I didn't mean to hit the table!"Renee was unaware of Catherine’s presence near the champagne tower since she was out of her line of sight. Now, she was convinced that Catherine had intended the incident.Marcelo, however, was uninterested in Catherine’s excuses.“I'm giving you a chance to apologize," he said sternly. He pointed to another champagne tower and instructed Catherine, "Go stand there and pull the table yourself."His demand wasn't unreasonable. He wanted Catherine to understand the potential harm she had nearly caused Renee.“No, I can't!"Catherine refused, shaking her head in terror and shielding her face.She feared the glass could cut her, potentially scarring her face. She then tried to shift the blame to Renee. "You weren't even hurt. You can't do this to me
"A marriage alliance..." Vivian muttered, her voice trailing off.The news had caught her completely off guard.Catherine’s satisfied grin grew wider as she saw the shock etched on Vivian’s face.“Miss Lambert, do you still see yourself as the other woman? Are you ready to be outplayed by someone so cunning?"“Why are you telling me this?" Vivian quickly regained her composure. "You're with Andrew. We both understand his connection to Marcelo. If I marry into the King family, the Lamberts will support Marcelo. That can't be good for you."It didn't make sense for Catherine to be helping her.Catherine just shrugged. "I can't stand watching that Renee enjoy a good life. Isn't that reason enough?"************The birthday ceremony then began. Paul had two sons and a daughter. Today, his daughter was notably absent. She was the family's outcast, having married young and moved abroad with her husband. She had almost cut all ties with the Kings.Renee vaguely recalled that she had been cl
Renee watched Vivian with a knowing smile.Vivian, unable to utter the words, bit her silver teeth and continued to gaze at Marcelo, silently begging for his help.Considering her relationship with his brother, Marcelo reassured, "It's okay not to call her that."If his brother were still alive and married to Vivian, they would have referred to Vivian as "sister-in-law."Renee’s smile stiffened slightly, but it didn't matter to her. She didn't need Vivian’s acknowledgment as "sister-in-law," and the thought of it even disgusted her.She didn’t want Marcelo and Vivian to be seen as siblings.She wanted Vivian to have nothing to do with her husband.Was that too much to ask?Meanwhile,Jessica showed a keen interest in the piece Renee had composed and started discussing it with her.Finding the conversation uninteresting, Marcelo decided to step out to the balcony for a smoke. Seizing the opportunity, Vivian followed him.“Marcelo, are you angry with me for siding with your father today?"
Feeling a pit in her stomach,Renee was about to relinquish her hold when Marcelo spoke.“No, thank you." He refused Vivian directly.Marcelo waved in the direction of Damian, who was standing nearby. "Damian will keep you company.”Vivian and Damian were already acquainted.“Huh? Oh, sure. I'll take it from here,"Damian replied.He was startled at first, and then bewildered by the sudden task that was thrown in his face. But he didn't want Marcelo to leave Renee alone and go with another woman, so he agreed without a second thought.The smile froze on Vivian’s face, and her eyes darkened. She swallowed and quickly composed herself. "Well," she said, forcing another smile at Damian. "I'm afraid I will have to trouble you in the meantime."Damian paid no mind to her strained expression and carried on as he would with an old friend.“It's no trouble at all. We were just about to play dice, do you care to join us?Renee is quite good at it. Why don't you give it a try?"Damian offered.Wyat