Memories Of The Night

After all, Marcellus just broke up with Katrina. He is drunk and fragile. If Irene takes care of him tonight, he might see her in a new light.

Claire is also an adult. She knows the possibilities and consequences of letting Irene stay and take care of Marcellus.

She has been rooting for Irene for a long time. This would be a good opportunity for them to develop their relations.h.i.+p. Hopefully, after tonight, Marcellus will finally end up with Irene.

With that in mind, Claire doesn"t feel guilty about manipulating Marcellus at all. She nods quickly in a.s.sent. "Thank you. I"m sorry to bother you like this," she says, hastily leaving to give them some privacy.

After Claire leaves, Irene makes her way to Marcellus"s room.

That night, Marcellus dreams that Katrina gets back together with him.

Katrina is beside him, holding him and kissing him. It feels so real that Marcellus can hardly tell that he is still dreaming.

All he knows is that he is happy and excited.

He embraces Katrina cautiously, not wanting to let go. He is afraid that she will disappear when he wakes up.

In his dream, Katrina is very affectionate. She takes the initiative to hug him and kiss him. Her soft chest presses up against his, making his mind go blank. He begins to get hot all over.

Her uncharacteristic initiative and enthusiasm seduce every cell of his body.

"Katrina, are you sure?" Marcellus asks with disbelief, and his voice pitches low. He never dared to do anything too forward for fear of pus.h.i.+ng her away.

She kisses his lips and responds to him with her actions.

After all, Marcellus is just a man. In the face of Katrina"s enthusiastic consent, he is powerless and loses control.

He knows it"s just a dream, but it"s a dream about having s.e.x with the love of his life.

During the course of their relations.h.i.+p, Katrina has always been hesitant and pa.s.sive with any sort of intimacy. Now that she"s so active in his dream, Marcellus can"t bring himself to care about how out of character her actions are.

Giving in to his desires, Marcellus rolls over on top of Katrina and presses her to the mattress.

In the morning, the warm sunlight pa.s.sing through the French windows fall on Marcellus"s face, slowly stirring him from his sleep.

Sitting up in bed, Marcellus rubs his pounding head with a wince. It takes some time for him to register that something is moving beside him.

Marcellus turns his head and sees a naked woman lying next to him. She is sleeping on her side, a peaceful look on her face. He can feel the warm puffs of her even breathing against his skin.

The sight makes Marcellus sick.

What happened? How did Miss Harrison end up in my bed? Marcellus thinks frantically. He looks down and finds that aside from his underwear, he is naked.

The woman doesn"t seem to be dressed either. Her shoulders and collarbones are exposed, with only the blanket providing her some semblance of decency.

Last night, he dreamed that Katrina got back together with him, and they made love with each other. But to see another woman in his bed.

Did I have s.e.x with Miss Harrison last night?

Just then, she arouses from her sleep. She doesn"t seem surprised to see Marcellus, greeting him with a relaxed smile, "Marcellus, you"re awake."

Marcellus demands urgently, "Why are you here? What are you doing in my bed?"

She explains patiently, "When you went missing last night, Aunt Brook asked me to accompany her to look for you. When we came back to your apartment, we found you drunk and wasted. She was so worried about you, so she let me stay and take care of you."

Marcellus suddenly turns gloomy.

Despite knowing that he was wasted last night, his mother left a young girl to take care of him. They obviously conspired with each other and decided to take advantage of the situation.

The realization makes Marcellus angry. "So you decided to climb into my bed? "

At the accusation, she bows her head in shame. "Last night, I was afraid that you would feel sick after drinking too much, so I came in to check on you. I didn"t expect you to take me into your arms the moment I approached. You refused to let me go, and I…

"Marcellus, you know I"m attracted to you. When you started kissing me last night, I couldn"t resist at all..." she trails off uncertainty.

Marcellus closes his eyes, a pained expression on his face.

He remembers getting himself drunk and wasted last night, but everything else is a blur. If what she says is true and he was the one who took advantage of her last night, he is the one who needs to apologize.

After all, girls are the ones who suffer during s.e.x.

Marcellus croaks hoa.r.s.ely, "I"m sorry."

"Marcellus, don"t say that. I want to be with you!" She shakes her head furiously, laughing self-deprecatingly.

"You probably think I"m easy and have no self-respect at all. I don"t know why I"m so attracted to you. I"ve never been short of pursuers before, but I was never attracted to any of them. Only after meeting you did I understand what it feels to get b.u.t.terflies in my stomach. I suddenly realized what it feels like to really like someone.

"Marcellus, the reason I was willing to stay and take care of you last is that it"s you. I"d give everything to you, even my body."

Marcellus feels indescribably upset with their underhanded schemes.

But it doesn"t change the fact that he slept with her.

The sight of the dark red stain on the white sheet makes him feel even worse. Whether he meant to or not, he still took away her innocence.

What else can he do?

Marcellus bows his head and falls into a long silence. Finally, he says in a hoa.r.s.e voice, "I will be responsible for you."

Since he is at fault, he has no reason not to take responsibility for his actions.

Although Marcellus does not love her or even like her, the woman he loves already has a boyfriend. He can"t be with Katrina anymore.

In the end, he is going to end up marrying a woman he doesn"t like. He might as well follow his mother"s wishes and take responsibility for the consequences of his actions.

At Marcellus"s words, the girl perks up, and her face fills with joy. "Marcellus, do you really want to do this? Do you really want to be with me?"

When Marcellus doesn"t voice a denial, she throws herself at him in delight.

"Marcellus, my name is Irene Harrison."

Marcellus doesn"t push her away. He feels a pang in his heart at the turn of events. He only learns Irene"s first name after taking away her innocence.

The irony makes him sick.