Chapter 585:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

“Did you think I’d be unfaithful while I was away? Do I look like I’ve been fooling around?” Marcelo’s questions carried more than teasing. There was something deeper beneath them—a commitment that went beyond the physical. The way he reached for her the moment he returned seemed to erase any doubts before they could take shape.

Renee couldn’t help thinking his intensity was also making a point—maybe even a playful retaliation for her blocking him on WhatsApp.

Curled up in bed afterward, her breathing gradually slowed until it settled into the steady rhythm of sleep.

Marcelo watched her with a tenderness that didn’t match his usual coldness. He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, tucked her in to make sure she was comfortable, then turned on the bedroom ventilation so she could sleep well.

Just as he was about to head to his study, a message from one of his employees caught his attention.

It was about Renee and Kristopher having dinner—one where Kristopher had even gone out of his way to cook the main course.

Marcelo’s mood shifted instantly.

𝘙𝘦a𝖽 𝖿𝗋ee n𝗈𝗏e𝗅s 𝗼ո g𝖺l𝗻оv𝖾𝗅𝘀.𝖼оm

He hadn’t ordered anyone to monitor Renee. His attention had been on Kristopher, because he suspected the man’s intentions.

But the report of such an intimate gesture unsettled him.

Marcelo knelt beside the bed and gently touched Renee’s face, his thoughts tangled.

It wasn’t new to him that people might be drawn to Renee. But Kristopher’s sudden reappearance—and his closeness to her—made Marcelo question his motives.

Was it truly friendship, or did Kristopher have feelings for Renee as well?

Marcelo’s mind raced, and his impression of Kristopher soured even further.

“Stop… stop…” Renee murmured in her sleep, reacting to Marcelo’s touch.

She frowned, discomfort showing even as she slept, and burrowed deeper beneath the quilt.

Marcelo froze, caught off guard. All he could do was watch her in silent surprise.

When Renee finally woke, the first thing she saw was daylight filtering through the curtains.

Instinctively, she reached for the spot beside her.

It was empty.

Marcelo was already up.

Renee took her time getting up. Eventually, she wandered into the living room and was met with the sight of an open window and the faint haze of lingering smoke, as if someone had been trying to air the place out.

Marcelo was sitting on the sofa with a cigarette held loosely between his fingers. He was always good at hiding what he felt, so Renee couldn’t tell what was going on in his head.

But the cluster of cigarette butts in the ashtray on the tea table told a different story.

“Ahem!” The heavy smell of smoke triggered a coughing fit.

Almost instinctively, Marcelo stubbed out his cigarette the moment he heard her.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked. He sounded mildly surprised to see her up before nine.

“Marcelo, are you okay?” Renee walked over and sat beside him, concern plain on her face. “Is it about Ms. King? Is that bothering you?”

“Everything’s fine,” Marcelo said, forcing a casual tone. Then he asked, “Why were you out so late last night?”

“Oh.” Renee hesitated for the briefest moment. “I picked up some work in the afternoon and ended up having dinner with a friend.”

A flicker of guilt crept into her voice on the word “friend.”

She knew she was dodging the truth. Marcelo had been wary of Kristopher, yet she had still chosen to keep that meeting to herself.

Marcelo gave a small nod, his expression unreadable. “Go freshen up. I’ll have breakfast delivered.”

“Okay,” Renee replied, heading toward the bathroom and leaving Marcelo alone with his thoughts.

He remembered what Levy had told him the night before.

.

.

.