With that, he beat a hasty retreat, swiftly exiting the room. Carl, stationed at the doorway, followed suit,


    leaving Loraine and Marco in an awkward standoff.


    Left in a state of unease, Loraine was unsure how to proceed.


    Now, it was up to her to confront Marco once again.


    Indeed, Loraine found herself nursing a tinge of remorse for her biting words to Marco previously. In


    truth, their rtionship was presently devoid of any romantic undertones.


    She should not have cared about Marco’s private connections and preferences.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Conversely, Marco had arrived just in time with the rare blood type


    Aldo needed. He had even reached out to a scientific team, procuring a surgical robot, significantly


    assisting her. Besides, his brave rescue of Rowan meant the Torres family was considerably in his


    debt.


    Could she really harbor resentment towards him?


    When Loraine made the decision to attend the meeting that day, she was determined to confront Marco


    withposure and self-possession.


    Ang’s Library


    However, once confronted with his presence, she realized that maintaining such emotional detachment


    was beyond her capabilities.


    Despite her attempts to convince herself that her association with


    Marco was immaterial, their past moments of mutual help and the blurred lines of their rtionship


    swirled in her mind at his sight.


    Her nerves refused to settle in his presence. Keely persistently stood as the wall between them.


    Keely’s deeds were undeniably more malicious than what the Bryant family members had perpetrated,


    and the stain of her crimes seemed indelible.


    And now, Keely, who hadmitted such a grave error, was out of prison, enjoying herself overseas,


    and was audaciously nning to return and unt her liberty in Loraine’s face.


    The mere thought of it ignited Loraine’s anger.


    Lost in her reverie, Loraine remained seated despite her icy countenance, not abruptly leaving the


    meeting.


    In response, Marco’s gaze softened as he looked at her, a spark of optimism flickering in his eyes.


    “Loraine, what are you thinking about for now?”


    Marco rose from his chair and ambled towards Loraine. He then knelt and locked his eyes with hers.


    Suddenly, a shadow loomed before Loraine. As she regained her focus, she found herself confined


    between her chair and Marco.


    His gaze was intense, piercing her.


    “Loraine, can we have a discussion?”