Chapter 303
Chapter 303
Outside the villa.
Evadne got into Jareth’s luxury car.
“Evadne, it’s rare that you’d want to spend time alone with me.”
Jareth’s eyes, always carrying a flirtatious allure, were filled with mirth as he looked at the beauty beside him. “I’m feeling on top of the world right now, but I’m afraid Thad would blow a fuse if he knew we were having a private chat here. He’s still unwell, you know.”
“If it wasn’t for Marilla, do you think I’d want to share the same air with you?”
Evadne crossed her shapely legs, folded her arms, and spoke in a voice as cold as ice, “So, Mr. Jareth, have you had too much of the rich and decadent, and now you’ve set your sights on that innocent little girl, Marilla?”
Hearing Marilla’s name, Jareth felt a shiver of anticipation, a tingling sensation spreading throughout his body. His voice trembled slightly, “Evadne, you know what happened between me and Marilla.”
“About you and Marilla? Hm, I don’t understand.” Evadne’s rose–colored lips curled in cold sarcasm.
“Evadne, there’s no point in hiding anything now.”
Jareth took a deep breath, his heart pounding. He began to speak, each word heavy with sincerity, “I’ve fallen for Marilla. I want to be with her.”
“Is she the how many girls you’ve fallen for this year?” Evadne’s scornful smile deepened, her disdain for him evident.
“She’s the one I love the most!”
“The one you love the most among all those you ‘love‘?”
“Evadne! I’m serious about Marilla!”
Jareth’s handsome face reddened with urgency. He turned to look at her, his gaze intense, “I admit that I used to be quite a playboy, and I’ve been with quite a few women. But it’s always been about taking what we need from each other. Once that’s done, we part ways. I’ve never truly cared about any of them. But Marilla is different. I’m in love. Evadne, every cell in my body is in love with her!”
“So, you’ve extended your claws towards your best friend’s sister.“.
Evadne found his words laughable. “And Marilla is a type you’ve never encountered before. You must find it especially exciting. Men always love a challenge and always crave novelty. Once you’ve had your fill of Marilla, you’ll despise her more than any woman. Once the novelty wears off and she can’t satisfy your vanity like a regular girl, Marilla will become a discarded rag.”
“A rag? I can’t wait to cherish her every moment! She’s the apple of my eye! Evadne, don’t you have any faith in me?” Jareth’s voice cracked with frustration.
“I’d sooner believe a pig could climb a tree than believe you’d settle down.” Evadne rolled her eyes.
“Damn, why can’t a playboy settle down? Even a thousand–year–old tortoise needs to come ashore!”
Jareth’s expression was serious, his eyes filled with burning intensity. “Evadne, I know you care about Marilla as if she were your own sister. But please believe me, I swear on my life. I love Marilla, more sincerely than I’ve ever loved anyone. I want to be with her, to have a future with her!”
“Alright, then I have a question for you.”
Evadne suddenly stopped mocking him and asked in a very serious tone “If your family members oppose your relationship with Marilla, and vows to disinherit you from the Fairhaven Group if you marry Marilla and you will lose everything from the Fairhaven Group. Your mother will disown you and your family will never know peace because of this. Would you still choose to be with Marilla? Would you?”
Jareth’s eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched tight. “Perhaps I can’t have the whole Fairhaven Group right now, and maybe the risks you mentioned do exist. But I’ve made up my mind about Marilla. I will do everything I can to protect her, and I won’t let anyone bully her, including the people from the Abernathy Group!”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Evadne’s lips curled in a cold smile, disappointment in her eyes. “The only way you can protect her is to marry her, to make her your legitimate wife. Otherwise, your so–called protection is, in some ways, harming her!”
Marry her!
Evadne’s words echoed in Jareth’s mind, his jawline tightened, and he was caught off guard.
Seeing his stunned silence, Evadne laughed, “When you boldly declared you wanted to marry me, you were full of courage. Now, when I ask if you would dare to marry Marilla, why are you speechless? Or, in your eyes, Mr. Jareth, the least significant miss in the Abernathy family, Marilla, is not worth bringing home as your wife. Her greatest value is to be your secret treasure, your hidden canary, right?”
“Evadne!” Jareth’s chest roiled with anger, his face red. This was the first time he had ever had a heated argument with Evadne.
He finally understood why Thaddeus had vomited blood.
Was it because she had infuriated him?
“Enough, there’s no point in arguing. I respect all true love, but I don’t want Marilla to suffer because of you.”
Evadne thought of her little sister who had suffered so much in the Abernathy family, her eyes misting over, “She’s already having a hard time. I don’t want to make things worse for her Jareth, your world is too complicated for Marilla. It might be too much for her to bear. Think about what I’ve said.”
After arranging for Thaddeus to be admitted to the hospital, Jareth returned home, exhausted.
Home
That was what he now called the villa where he and Marilla spent their private moments.
While he had a mother and a sister, ever since his father passed away, his mother had become gloomy and often went abroad for treatments. His sister studied abroad. The grand Fairhaven mansion was always quiet and lonely, without a trace of joy.
His few days with Marilla had made him feel comfortable, relaxed, and warm.
He even greedily wished that these days could last forever.
“How’s Marilla?” Jareth asked as soon as he saw Lily upon entering.
Lily frowned with concern and sighed, “Ms. Glynnis is in the room. I’ve been trying to put her to sleep, but she seems to be greatly shocked and can’t sleep at all. It’s heartbreaking to see”
16.29
Upon hearing this, Jareth felt a lump in his throat filled with guilt. He slowly ascended the stairs, “I’ll go and sit with her.”
“Mr. Jareth, what are you planning to do about Miss Edith?” Lily hesitated for a moment before asking.
‘Lily, do you ever think I’m utterly ineffective?” Jareth asked, his back towards her, his voice heavy.
Lily was taken aback.
She had been by Mr. Jareth’s side for ten years, and he was always willful, nobly proud. But he had never shown this lack of confidence, this desolation.
“Mr. Jareth, in my heart, you’ve always been a godlike figure. Why would you say such a thing?”
“But I can’t manage my own sister, and I’ve let Marilla suffer. Tell what to do, Lily, honestly, I don’t know what to do.”
Jareth thought of the ferocious look on Edith’s face when she bullied Marilla, and a sense of heartbreaking defeat surged in his chest. “At most, I can send Edith back to Aetheria, but will that solve the problem?”
“Mr. Jareth, take it slow. As long as you don’t give up on Ms. Glynnis, even if Miss Edith doesn’t like it, she’ll eventually accept the reality.”
Jareth arrived at the door of the room, collected himself, and pushed the door open.
“Marilla? I’m back.”
The quiet bedroom was only lit by a single bedside lamp.
Marilla sat alone on the bed, her body curled up, her head buried in her knees, unmoving.
Jareth took off his black fur coat and put it on the sofa, afraid of making her cold. He then gently walked to the bed and sat down.
Marilla, does it still hurt?” His large hand covered her head, gently stroking her soft hair.
The girl shook her head slightly.
“Then, shall we go to sleep?” Jareth asked in a particularly carefree manner.
After asking, he began to regret it.
Damn, it seemed like all he thought about was sleeping with her! He clearly didn’t mean it that way!
“I am not sleepy.”
Marilla finally spoke weakly, “I want to be alone for a while.”
“Then, I’ll sit with you.”
Jareth’s hand slid down, caressing her warm neck with a tenderness that was nearly overflowing from his eyes. “If you don’t sleep, I won’t sleep. If you find me annoying, I’ll keep quiet and just sit here with you. What if you get thirsty or hungry later? You should always have a handy little servant by your side to pour tea and water for you, right?” “What if I don’t sleep all night?”
“I’ll stay with you all night.”
“You don’t have to. You should go to sleep.” Marilla didn’t raise her head, her soft voice was urging him.
A bitter taste welled up from Jareth’s heart, his breath hitched. “Alright, if you don’t want me here, I’ll leave.”
As he said this and moved to leave, Marilla suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm, her grip tightening and her breathing becoming heavier.
“Marilla?” Jareth’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Don’t go. Jareth, don’t leave!”
Marilla slowly lifted her head, her trembling lips and cute little face were all tear–streaked, “I lied. I was wrong. I want you to stay with me, Jareth, I want you by my side!”
Jareth’s throat was filled with a sour bitterness, he gently wiped away her tears, “I’m not going anywhere, I was just teasing you.”
Marilla knelt on the bed, looking at him with tears in her eyes, like a pitiful yet enticing little kitten.
“Jareth, hold me.”
Jareth’s eyes turned red, he could no longer suppress the love that was about to burst from him. He forcefully pulled her soft body into his arms.
He took a deep breath and held her tightly.
“I’m holding you.”
“Tighter.”
‘Mm. Jareth’s jaw rested on her neck, his thin lips brushing against her reddened earlobe. NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.
“Can you hold me even tighter?”
“Alright.”
Jareth tightened his arms once again, his large hand patting her trembling back, “I wish I could embed you into my body, Marilla, I really do.”
Under the light, the two figures held each other tightly, as if they were part of each other.
After holding each other for a while, Marilla finally became sleepy.
Jareth climbed into the bed, and they lay together, as natural as a newlywed couple deeply in love.
Marilla rested her head on the man’s sturdy arm, her small face buried in his chest. After sobbing a few times, she closed her eyes.
“Marilla, can I ask you a question?” Jareth held her shoulders, gently stroking her arm.
“Mm, okay.”
“Do you like me?” The moment Jareth asked, his heart pounded loudly.
‘Mm, of course I do”
“Not that kind of like, the other kind.”
Jareth coughed lightly, his cheeks slightly hot, “Like, the way you feel about Thaddeus and your sister– in-law.” Marilla’s clear eyes flickered, her small hand grasping the delicate button on his black shirt and playing with it.
16-20
“I don’t know.”
Jareth sighed quietly, a bitter smile on his face, “Alright, let’s go to sleep.”
“But, I like being with you. When you are out, I can’t do anything well, I just worry about you, waiting for you to come back Being with you, every day seems so short, seeing you makes me so happy.” Marilla spoke softly, her eyes half–closed.
Jareth’s breathing became heavy, his palm holding her shoulder was sweaty.
“One day, you came back late, came into the room to see me, I pretended to be asleep, but I was awake the entire time.”
When Jareth heard this, his heart tightened.
That night, he had gone out with Lily to deal with two people in the group who had always been against him, his uncle’s followers.
All he left for her was a cheerful and passionate image.
His darkness, cruelty, and ruthlessness, he would never let her see.
Marilla pursed her lips, “That day, you had a heavy smell of blood on you and there was a wound on your hand. When you touched my forehead, I could feel it.” With that, she took his hand, pulling off his leather glove.
Though the wounds on his knuckles and fingertips had scabbed over, the scars remained.
“Jareth, I’m scared that you’re doing dangerous things out there. I’m scared something dangerous will happen to you. I’m so scared.”
Marilla’s heart clenched painfully as she gently kissed his wounds, “I don’t understand, I don’t know, is this what you mean by “like“?”
Jareth’s heart pounded violently, unable to contain his feelings any longer, he flipped Marilla underneath him.
“Mmm.” Marilla let out a soft sound, but she wasn’t overly alarmed.
In her twenty–two years of life, she had never been close to any man.
Jareth was her first man, and she was gradually accepting him. It seemed that he was the only one she could accept.
“Marilla, don’t tease me. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself.”
Jareth gazed down at the blushing girl beneath him, her skin as tender as a peach blossom. His eyes were filled with desire, his breath hot and ragged, barely concealing his need to possess her entirely.
“Jareth, are you going to kiss me?”
Marilla wrapped her arms obediently around his neck, her lips slightly puckered, “I’m ready!”
“No.”
Jareth’s eyes glowed red, the heat in his lower abdomen stirring, “It might be more intimate than a kiss. The kind of intimacy that turns you from a girl into a woman.”
The last time in the hospital, he had kissed her for a long time, but he had refrained from going further.
That time, he had taken two hour–long cold showers when he returned home, nearly falling sick from the strain!
He wasn’t sure he could resist the temptation if it happened again. After all, not only was he a normal man, but he also had a rather high libido!
“I don’t know.” Marilla blinked, her deer–like eyes shimmering with confusion.
Jareth held back as long as he could, finally letting out a resigned sigh and nuzzling into her neck.
Still unsatisfied, he kissed and suckled at her skin, leaving a trail of love bites.
“That tickles!” Marilla giggled, squirming underneath him.
“You might be ticklish, but I’m about to burst.”
Jareth reluctantly rolled back onto his side, pulling her close and murmuring, “Marilla, I’ll wait for you to fully accept me.”