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.

biological daughter, Marcus had been present. But he'd pretended to take an urgent

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

so far as to say Emma wasn't good enough for

tied to the Walker family's daughters, no matter how

increasingly complicated, Natalie waved a hand in front of

he replied, leaning back into the couch

parents, who had ignored him for years, suddenly appeared in his

they do? This marriage was

eyes closing as his body relaxed. "Or... have

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

he spoke, a single tear rolled

an eyebrow. Well, this is new. In her entire life,

Go ahead, spill

by his parents-did that count as something sad? But why would he share that

birth and spent 20 years as nothing more than a living blood bank for the Langley But once her biological family found her, they showered her with affection. It was clear to anyone

up in his family's home, but his parents

the country, never sparing him a second

or even a video chat. And now, the one time they did reach out, it was to order him to marry

first time,

wondering who had

Natalie. He

felt was a crushing weight on his chest, making it hard

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

into something

was

His normally immaculate hair disheveled, and his lips were

side of him was surprising for a man