Love Began with the First Meeting

Chapter 545 Departure From The Past And Longing For The Future (Part Six)

Edgar nodded his head as one last goodbye and escorted Jennifer towards their table.

Their dinner was supposed to be a happy moment for their family but it was slightly ruined by their run- in with Edgar and Jennifer. Even Mark could sense that something was wrong. He looked hesitantly at Brian and then at Molly who had already turned numb due to the tension. Brian noticed Mark's uneasiness—something that Brian was trying to avoid for Mark to feel in the first place. So he tried his best to divert Mark's attention from what had just happened by bringing up topics after topics so that Mark would forget the whole thing. Molly was also distracted by the conversation- her face gradually lighting up as the night went on.

"Papa Brian, can I sleep with you tonight?" Mark suddenly asked of Brian, his eyes were almost begging as he looked at Brian while they were driving on the way home.

"Okay," Brian answered simply, not even looking back at Mark.

This was enough to light up Mark's eyes and paint a big smile on his face, "This is the best day ever!" he cried excitedly.

Molly sat in silence in the back seat, listening to their conversation. She somehow felt jealous at their closeness. She hated to admit it but she couldn't ignore it. She felt as if she was estranged from her own son. 'It's been barely a month since I left him with Brian and how quickly they've grown close. It's like I didn't spend the last four years with him, ' she whined in her mind.

Brian could see that Molly was pouting in the backseat; he smiled at that sight. 'If Mark is all you care about, that's fine, I love taking care of Mark. Because I know that as long as Mark is here, you won't ever leave. And dealing with Mark is fine. I don't own XK Intelligence Agency for nothing—I know how things work. Always use your enemy's weakness against him. And yours was pretty obvious and it's sitting right here next to me.

I have no choice but to use him especially if it means I get to keep you around, ' Brian thought to himself.

When they got home, Molly helped Mark with his bath right away. When they were finished, they saw Brian standing against the window talking on the phone as they headed out of the bathroom. "That's great. When I return from QY Island, I'll dispatch him to A city,"

he said before immediately hanging up.

"I…" Molly stammered, embarrassed, "I'm going downstairs to get milk for Mark. Can you watch him first?" she asked hesitantly.

Brian nodded his head and held out his arms to pick Mark up. He put him gently on the bed and covered a blanket over him. Molly was just passing by when she heard Brian talking softly, "Every night before you go to sleep, I'm allowing you to ask me one question. So think hard and choose the question you want an answer to the most."

"But I have so many in mind and I want answers for all of them right away!" Mark retorted. Molly could tell from his voice how disappointed he was.

"Then figure it out," Brian said dismissively.

For a while, no one said anything—Mark didn't answer. She could imagine Mark grimacing in disappointment right now.

She quietly walked down the stairs drowning out their conversation as she walked further. Yet even as she was already in the kitchen, she still kept her ears up for any clips of conversation she could hear. Molly's mind was racing. She was trying to compare Brian and Spark and their respective relationships to Mark. While they were both nothing but loving towards Mark—they differ in that Spark just succumbed to Mark's every whim while Brian was a bit more on the disciplining side. Spark would do

everything as long as it pleased Mark. Brian, meanwhile, would make Mark choose, teach him restraint, and discipline him all the while in a loving manner still. Molly thought that what Brian was doing was more of a real father would do.

She turned the stove on and put a pot of milk on it. Ever since Mark started living here, Brian decided to get his milk from Netherlands to make sure that Mark had the best milk out there.

Molly's mind wandered off as she watched the milk simmer. She thought of Spark and how painful it was for them to end their relationship just like that. And more so, it was a four-year marriage that Molly wanted out of, a marriage that meant so much to Spark. She met him when she was at her lowest and he helped her get back on her feet. He gave her home, took care of Mark, and stayed by her side even if he knew that Molly would never see him as more than a dear friend. There was no way Molly could ever pay him back for all those years. She felt herself so cruel and merciless. She disgusted herself, yet she felt that she had to do it, not only for Mark, but also for him. She could not allow herself to ignore his feeling toward her and keep him hanging on any longer. He had to look away and see the world, seek for the happy life and a girl whom really worth valuing. And as for Mark, she felt it was her responsibility to have Mark raised under his real father now that Brian was so nice to him. 'One always have to sacrifice something if one want to achieve something, ' she hardened her heart and thought resolutely.

When the milk was ready, Molly poured it into three glasses. She took one upstairs for Mark. As she climbed the stairs, she could already hear Mark's faint bubbly laughter. Her heart smiled at the sound of that. She had dreamt of his laugh so many times she had already lost count. She was so happy that Mark wasn't the shy boy he was anymore instead he was an outgoing bright little boy who was full of life. At that moment, Molly realized that Mark's happiness was most important to her and that was all that mattered even if she herself was already suffering.

"Papa Brian, good night! Mommy, good night!" Mark said drowsily when he had finished the milk. He was about to fall into a deep sleep when Brian stooped down and kissed him softly on the forehead, "Good night, son," Brian said softly. Molly melted at the sight of Brian being so sweet and caring.

When Mark was finally asleep, Brian dimmed the lights and closed the door gently as he and Molly got out of the room. They walked silently to their bedroom.

"Let me warm the milk for you," Molly was dreading this moment—something she knew would happen when Mark finally fell asleep. This moment was the fact that she and Brian would be alone. She didn't even look at him when she spoke. This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

Brian looked at her, his eyes twinkling, "I have to do something first, you can put it in my study while I shower," he said easily.

Molly felt a wave of relief as he spoke. She pursed her lips and nodded.

Brian knowingly smiled when he saw how uneasy Molly was. He lingered for a moment just staring into Molly's eyes before he went off to the bathroom. Molly automatically turned her face in shyness. After a few moments, the sound of a shower could be heard. Molly snapped out of her daze and hurried downstairs to warm the milk.

After she had warmed the milk, she took the glass to Brian's study and put it on the table. She returned to their bedroom with her own glass. Brian still hadn't stepped out of the shower. The glassy wall of the bathroom showed a shadow of Brian's muscular body. Molly blushed at this sight so much so that she actually froze holding a tighter grasp on her glass of milk.