Chapter 129
Cassie sleepily opened her eyes. “Are you awake?”
She glanced at Marcus, then lazily closed her eyes, her hand curling around his neck as she gently ran her fingers through
his hair.
“Can
you
still draw?” Marcus asked softly in her ear.
“The original sketches for After School were all done by me,” Cassie replied, feeling completely at ease with Marcus. She felt free to express her feelings, whether angry, boastful, or proud, without any reservations.
“That’s amazing,” Marcus genuinely complimented her.
In fact, when they first met, Marcus had already realized that a girl so small could talk about writing game programs was something extraordinary. He never expected Cassie to be this talented.
She had independently completed a game, and her scores on her SATS were almost perfect. She was like an endless treasure trove of talent.
Cassie opened her eyes and said, “I’m glad you see how amazing I am. Marcus, if we end up together in the future, I’ll be your strength, not a weakness that holds you back.”
She thought,‘Once upon a time… I was the burden that held him back. There was no way I would let that happen again.’
Marcus looked at Cassie with tenderness, then playfully rubbed his nose against hers. “Whether you want to be my strength or my weakness, you’ll always be free with me.”
Cassie chuckled at his words, then leaned in and kissed him again, playfully touching his ear. “It’s getting dark; I should head home.”
Marcus’s joy visibly dimmed. “let me go with you…” he pouted, starting to act a bit spoiled.
“Let’s talk about it aft
your trial period is over,” Cassie replied as she slowly sat up.
Marcus helplessly reached out to help her fix her hair. “In the next few days, when can we find time? I want to take you to see your surprise.”
“Hmm…” Cassie thought for a moment, “I’ll text you once I get home. I’m not sure yet.”
“Okay.” Marcus nodded.
Cassie suddenly seemed to remember something important and said, “Oh right, I almost forgot the big deal. You take off your shirt.”
Marcus froze for a moment, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes.
Even that brief hesitation didn’t escape Cassie’s notice, and she immediately laughed, “What kind of nonsense are you thinking about? I just want to check your injury!”
Marcus could only respond with silence.
“Come on, Marcus, I’m still young. Some things, just think about them and leave it at that,” Cassie said, reaching to help him unbutton his shirt.
Marcus lowered his gaze. “I understand that clearly.”
He had actually planned to stay away until all the dangers surrounding him were eliminated and until she finished her
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Chapter 129
studies before approaching–ber again. But he hadn’t anticipated that fate would push her right to his doorstep. Initially, he had a lot of worries and hesitations, but eventually, he decided to cut through the chaos and keep her by his side.
Cassie smiled and gently ruffled his hair. As she undid his shirt, her smile faded when she saw the bandage on his injury.
“You’re just going to let Susan and Hugh off the hook like this? They’re getting away too easily,” Cassie said through gritted
teeth.
“It’s fine,” Marcus took her hand in his. “Letting them live without anything is worse than killing them directly.”
Cassie looked into his eyes. “As long as you know what you’re doing, especially with Susan. She’d better realize my strength and not come near me again. If she does, I won’t hold back!”
Marcus nodded with a smile. “Got it.”
“You should get some rest too. I’ll check in and call you later.” Cassie touched his ear fondly. “I’ll head out now.”
“Okay,” Marcus nodded, then pulled Cassie in for a tight hug, kissing her softly near her ear.
After Cassie left, Marcusdingered in the apartment for a while. The place was filled with reminders of her, and he felt safer here than he did at home.
Just now, Cassie had mentioned Susan twice. Marcus knew just how despicable Susan and her husband were, but he had made a promise to never push his family into a corner. Still… that promise only held if his family didn’t have their sights set on Cassie. Otherwise…
Cassie hadn’t planned to stay so long. Unexpectedly, she dozed off. When she arrived home, she found the study light still on, signaling that her grandpa was back. “How long has Grandpa been home?” Cassie asked quietly as she changed her shoes.
“He got home before six and wanted to celebrate with you,” Louisa replied in a hushed tone. “He’s been waiting for you, and he wouldn’t let us call you. He’s probably mad now!”
Cassie stuck out her tongue.
“Who have you been out with? Why are you home so late?” Heston’s voice came from the living room.
Cassie quickly slipped off her slippers and ran over. “Grandpa, why didn’t you tell me you were back so early? If I had known, I would have come straight home instead of hanging out!”
Heston shot her a glance. “Come here!”
Cassie cautiously walked over.
“Well done!” Heston suddenly burst out laughing and patted Cassie’s shoulder.
Cassie was taken aback. She thought, ‘I was in for a scolding after his serious tone!
“1300 points! You have the highest score! Do you know what that means?” My granddaughter is a genius!” Heston beamed with pride.
Cassie squinted and smiled: “It’s all thanks to your teaching, Grandpa.”
“Nonsense! When have I ever taught you how to study?” He chuckled again. “The school contacted me, and they’ll announce your status as the top scorer tomorrow!”
Cassie nodded. “The school told me too. I have to go back to take photos tomorrow afternoon.”
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“I will go with you!” He paused for a second, then added, “No, well all go as a family to celebrate! You are our family’s honor!”
“Dad, let her sit down. She must be tired after playing all day,” Lacas said with a smile.
“Come here! Tell me how you get to.score so high! Heston pulled Cassie to sit down, curiosity all over his face.
“I just studied hard,” Cassic replied carnestly,
Heston was taken aback, then burst into laughter. “Look at me! n so happy that I’m asking silly questions!”
Cassic couldn’t help but smile.
“Sweetheart, this is a gift from Dad,” Lucas said as he handed Cassic a box. “You’re about to go to college, and since it’s far from home, I got you a small apartment and a car.”
Cassie opened the box. The house key looked ordinary, but the car key glittered like gold, shining with prestige.
“Dad, a Maserati? Are you serious?” Cassie couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Your grandpa even wanted to bu
Lucas said with a chuckle.
you one of those flashy sports cars. He said all the other kids have one! But I stop him,”
Heston frowned when he heard that. “Just give her your gift. Why are you saying my gift is no good?”
After that, he thrust a set of car keys into Cassie’s hands. “If other kids have it, my granddaughter should have it too! You’re an adult now; what’s wrong with driving a sports car?”
Cassie looked at the car keys in her hand. She thought, ‘Alright if their gifts weren’t over the top, they wouldn’t be the Murphy family.’
“Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you, Dad! I love them!” Cassie said sweetly. “I’ll study hard and make sure the Murphy Group thrives even more under my leadership! I’ll buy you sports cars and big houses!”
Heston was smiling wide. “Alright! I’ll be waiting for you to take over!”
“Same goes for me. After all these years of being tied up with work, I haven’t had the chance to take your mom out for a nice trip!” Lucas added, looking a bit regretful.
“Is this what being a dad is about? All you do is think about dating! If you’d just get your act together, Cassie wouldn’t have to worry about taking over the business at such a young age!” Heston shook his head in disappointment.
Cassie lowered her gaze. She thought, ‘Those rich wives who were in the Williams Manor today would never have guessed that what they dared not say at home was the norm in the Murphy family, where they encouraged each other instead.
Heston had been thinking about retirement in recent years. Lucas was hopelessly in love, capable of running a business but only ever thinking about being with Anne.
If it weren’t for some health issues a few years back when Heston couldn’t manage the entire group alone, Lucas wouldn’t have stepped back into the role of director. He dreamed of life spent with Anne, whether that meant staying home or traveling the world together.
The three of them chatted for a long time until Cassie started to look a bit tired, and Heston finally let her head upstairs to sleep.
Once she was gone, Lucas poured a cup of coffee for Heston. “Anne told me that Cassie had the rich ladies at the Williams Manor fuming this morning.”
Heston asked, “Those same ones that keep making things tough for Anne?”
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“Yep.” Lucas nodded and smiled. “But so far, none of them have come whining to me.”
“Those women have only dared to bully Anne so far.” Heston snorted. “Cassie is the heir to the Murphy Group; half of the country will be in her hands. They wouldn’t dare to cross her.”
“You’re thinking about that, but I’m just glad that this kid is growing up. She can protect herself and look out for her family,” Lucas said, looking proud. Then he paused, “She’s showing her genius side, bright like the sun. She’s nothing like our Murphy family member.”
Heston’s expression hardened. “What are you talking about? Cassic will always be a Murphy family member, your daughter, and my granddaughter!” He slammed down his coffee cup, his face turning serious for the first time.
After that, he stood up and ignored Lucas, darkly making his way straight to his study.
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