Just as she was about to give up, she noticed that a door leading from the bedroom to a small balcony


    outside was open.


    Loraine pushed it open, and immediately, she was hit by a strong smell of alcohol.


    Empty bottles of wine were scattered all over the floor, and on a rocking chair nearbyy Marco, his


    gaze empty and fixed on the distance, his face devoid of any emotion and exuding an aura of


    destion and coldness.


    Loraine’s heart ached and anger red up within her at the sight of all these. She quickly strode over to


    snatch the wine bottle from his hand, and threw it to the ground. It shattered with a loud bang, finally


    catching Marco’s attention. He turned to look at her, his face nk.


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    Immediately, the words of reproach Loraine had wanted to throw at him froze in her throat. Instead, she


    leaned over, touched his forehead with her hand, and said softly, “Stop drinking. It’s not good for your


    health.”


    Marco gazed at her for a while before letting out a bitter, self-deprecating chuckle.


    “You saw the trending story online, didn’t you?”


    His voice sounded rough and hoarse.


    In response, Loraine nodded silently. Whether the news was true or false was irrelevant to her at this


    moment. All she cared about was the man in front of her.


    Marco smiled wryly.


    “Though I’ve Long been disappointed in the Bryant family, I never imagined that they would ever stoop


    so low and expose this matter for their own selfish gain,” he said bitterly.


    Loraine was shocked. “You mean it was someone from the Bryant family that leaked this information?


    How dare they do such a thing?”


    Time For Thi


    Now, the Bryant Group relied entirely on Marco for support. Even if he truly was an illegitimate child,


    the Bryant family had to keep this secret hidden for their own good. How could they take the initiative to


    expose it?


    Loraine couldn’t understand the reason of exposing.


    A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y


    Marco let out a bitterugh. “It’s unlike my grandmother to act this way, but Marina and her mother are


    different. They would go to any lengths to work in their favor.”


    Loraine silently berated them and gazed upon Marco’s drained countenance, her heart aching more


    intensely.


    If not for his concern with his so-called family, Marco, being image-conscious, wouldn’t have hidden


    away in solitude, drowning his sorrows in alcohol.


    She offered him sce by gently patting his shoulder, causing Marco’s eyes to shimmer. His voice


    raspy, he confessed, “Loraine, I regret not revealing this to you earlier… I was overly concerned about


    how you’d perceive me, and I didn’t want you to think less of me.”


    Caught off guard, Loraine took a moment before softly asserting, “Your identity doesn’t define you, and


    it’s you as a person that matters to me, not your standing.”


    Otherwise, she wouldn’t have kept her true self hidden and be part of the Bryant family.


    On hearing this, a spark lit up Marco’s otherwise deste eyes, and he felt a rush of warmth. Unable to


    contain himself, he wrapped Loraine in aforting hug.


    Her closeness only fueled his longing for her. Marco allowed himself to be vulnerable before his


    beloved, closing his eyes to the world around him.