Chapter 46

Chapter46 Did Theodore Set A Time To Meet You

Marissa had just finished her prank, her tools still in hand,when a sharp car honk startled her.

She looked up.

Wow.It was the latest model of a Rolls-Royce.

Marc had switched cars. This wasn't the one he had driven to the hospital before.

"Rissa, did you drop something?" Marc stepped out of the car and spotted his sister crouching on the ground. Striding over with his long legs, he bent slightly and asked, "What are you looking for?"

He looked ready to help her search.

Marissa, keeping her composure, casually slid her tools under the car and straightened up as if nothing had happened. "I saw two ants fighting just now," she said smoothly. "I got curious, so l watched."

"Really?" Marc chuckled, clearly amused. He had never heard anything like that. Before he could say more, Marissa added calmly, "But you stepped on them, so they both perished in the end

That earned a laugh from Marc. Her deadpan explanation was strangely endearing. He lifted his.foot. "I'm so sorry."

One by one, the siblings climbed into the car.

As soon as the engine started, Marc began explaining why all the brothers had suddenly left the hospital.

Marissa listened quietly, her expression unreadable. Seeing his anxious face-worried she might have taken it the wrong way-made her heart warm slightly, though she barely showed it.

She simply nodded and said she understood.

Marc, as always, was busy. Even in the car,he was juggling work calls and messages. With Rayden's sudden accident, the company's affairs now fell to him,leaving him barely a moment to rest.

Marissa wasn't sitting around either.

Minutes later, her phone buzzed with a message from her subordinate-someone was investigating her.

Her first thought was Bryson.

The message confirmed it. Bryson was indeed looking into her.

She knew him well. His so-called kindness was just a carefully polished act. The brief encounter was enough to make his thoughts spiral, convincing him she still held a torch for him.

Marissa's brows drew together slightly. Then, as a thought struck her, she straightened abruptly. Was he suspecting something?

"What's wrong?" Marc noticed her sudden movement and paused his work, curiosity flickering across his face.

She had been deep in thought ever since they got into the car, and now her expression kept shifting.Marc's concern grew.

He turned to her and said sincerely, "Rissa, I'm your brother-your family by blood. If anything's bothering you, you need to tell me, okay?"

He knew it wasn't easy for Marissa to open up,let alone to see herself as a true member of the Curtis family. Honestly, even he found it a complicated adjustment.

Marc didn't expect her to pour out her heart immediately.

He only hoped that when problems arose, she would remember-she wasn't alone anymore.

"No matter what happens, we're all on your side-me,our parents, and our brothers."

Their special concern was reserved for her, their long-lost family.

Marissa was caught off guard by his sudden seriousness. Emotional talks weren't.her thing;she lived by logic, not sentiment.

Still, warmth flickered quietly in her chest. She nodded and said softly, "Thank you, Marc."

Marc reached out instinctively to pat her head but stopped halfway, realizing she was a grown woman now. That kind of gesture might feel childish.

With a quiet sigh-regret for the years they'd missed-he instead gave her a gentle tap on the back of her head. "No need to be so formal with me."

Marissa forced her body to stop avoiding the awkward touch. She had been sitting there calmly at first, but who would have imagined Marc would reach out?

She wanted to punch Marc almost instinctively when his hand came close. Even if he was her brother, she wasn't used to being that close to him. "Did Theodore set a time to meet you?" Marc asked, unaware of the storm brewing beneath her calm demeanor. He took out his phone, intending to exchange contact details with her.

Marissa's attention, however, had shifted to her phone. She had just been added to the family's private group chat,which had eight members.

Before shecould explore it, her phone pinged again and she was added to several huge group chats,each with over three hundred people.

Apparently, it had been a while since they'd welcomed a new member. The excitement was instant.

"Wow, a new member! And Marc invited her!"

"Marc,who is this?"

"Is she your girlfriend,Marc?"

Marissa muted those group chats on WhatsApp.

She hesitated for a moment, then decided not to reply to their questions.

"Why should I meet him?" she asked, her tone casual. Somehow, Marc picked up a subtle edge in her voice-perhaps irritation at the mention of

Theodore.

Knowing how reserved Theodore usually was,he thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"Theodore might look serious, but he's got a good heart," he said. "He's not the talkative type, but he's dependable. Way more reliable than those spoiled rich kids who live off their family wealth."

Only when he tried to compliment someone did Marc realize how few nice things he actually said about other men.

He wasn't used to it, but he gave it his best shot,hoping to make his sister see Theodore in a better light.

"In terms of looks alone," Marc added with a faint grin. "there aren't many in Ozreka who can outshine him."