The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming

Chapter 187 Seeing His Other Side

When Marcus rested his chin on Natalie's shoulder, he didn't move again.

Annoyed, Natalie reached up and yanked his hair back hard. "Marcus, get off me."

"You didn't... get drugged again, did you?" she asked sharply. It was the only explanation she could think of for why he was acting like this.

"No," he murmured, his deep, raspy voice tinged with exhaustion. "No one drugged me."

But something had upset him—that much was true. Not that he'd admit it. Their relationship wasn't close enough for him to share every little detail.

He wanted to hold her purely because of the alcohol. He was chasing that fleeting memory of the crimson red scarf she'd worn once and the comforting scent she always carried.

As he held her, taking in her soothing fragrance, the unease and irritation swirling in his chest began to calm. But Natalie wasn't letting up. Her grip on his hair was relentless, as if she were about to yank it all out.

Marcus finally grabbed her wrist, his strong hand prying her fingers free with ease.

"Ms. Walker, I apologize."

"Get off," she snapped, her tone as blunt as ever. "Mr. Holden, we're not close enough for this kind of behavior."

That earned a low chuckle from Marcus. He slowly sat up, but his piercing black eyes never left her face, watching her with an intensity that made her skin prickle.

Natalie frowned, her frustration clear on her delicate features. "You said you had something to tell me about Mrs. Langley Senior. That's the only reason I came downstairs. I'm exhausted and need to rest. I don't have time to deal with your drunken antics."

Marcus wasn't offended. Instead, he simply stared at her, his sharp gaze taking in the flush of irritation on her otherwise pale face.

Natalie looked so much like Charlotte in her youth-it was uncanny.

urgent phone call and left before the conversation could

estranged mother to call him afterward, saying that now that the Walker family had found their biological

wasn't good enough for him, but

laughable. His entire life seemed inextricably tied to the Walker family's daughters, no matter how hard he tried

hand in front of his

fine," he replied, leaning back into the couch and

this situation remained. His parents,

what could they do? This marriage was out of the

murmured, his eyes closing as his body relaxed.

"Should I grab a mirror so you can see what you look like right now?" "That won't be necessary," Marcus replied with a faint

a single tear

this is new. In her entire life, she'd never seen a grown

Holden, what's got you so upset? Go

parents-did that count as something sad? But

a living blood bank for the Langley But once her biological

grown up in his family's home, but his parents had handed him off to

spent their lives traveling the country,

visit, phone call, or even a video chat. And now, the one time they did reach out,

the first time, Marcus

who had

or Natalie. He didn't realize

he felt was a crushing weight on his

studied him in silence. His perfectly tailored suit was now wrinkled, and his sharp,

something almood

was

His normally immaculate hair disheveled, and his

for a man who always carried