When the veggies were all rinsed out, the two guys exited the kitchen, leaving Katherine inside cooking
by herself.
Seeing Hector standing in the living room, Kyle asked him to sit down, as if he owned the place.
Without a trace of guest manners, Kyle even had the gall to ask Hector what kind of tea he wanted. “I
spotted some scented tea in the kitchen. Do you want some? I’ll make two cups.”
“Sure,” answered Hector comfortably.
Kyle went to the kitchen gleefully.
Sitting down opposite Hector, Marshall gave him a quick once-over and said, “I heard that you helped
pay for Kathy’s ring. How much was it? I’ll wire you the amount right now.”
Hector had expected it from Marshall. Smiling slightly, he replied ambivalently, “There must be a
misunderstanding here, Mr. Grant. I gave her the ring as a gift. Did she not tell you why I gifted her that
ring?”
“What are you trying to imply?” said Marshall coldly.
Hector checked out the kitchen, where Kyle was happily buzzing around Katherine for some reason
and wouldn’t come back for a while. Thus, Hector spoke.
“I know your divorce has been finalized and I know that you’re only staying together to quell the
possible gossips around your marriage. Kathy has told me all about it.”
Marshall’s face darkened completely. “She really told you everything, huh?”
Hector smiled lovingly. “Kathy has never looked down on me because of my status. That’s enough to
tell me that she’s not the same kind of person as yourself, Mr. Grant.”
Marshall knew what he meant. If Katherine were to talk to Hector about everything, naturally she would
have told him how she was willfully disregarded in the Grant household because of her own status. The
Grants despised her for her low upbringing, but she never cared about anyone else being born into a
low or high social class. Judging from this aspect, she and Marshall had very different values indeed.
Pursing his lips, Marshall smiled briefly. “You seem to be very confident in yourself, Mr. Bennett. That’s
good. Keep on with it.”
As he finished speaking, he stood up and headed towards the kitchen, out of which came Kyle with the
teas he just made. Thinking Marshall was there to help him, Kyle asked, “Now, this one’s for you. Kathy
said that you’re a fussy son of a bitch and always demand this designated cup, so there you go.”
Ignoring him, Marshall went straight for Katherine, who was still busy cooking. Marshall walked over
and looped his arms around Katherine’s waist, holding her from behind.
Kyle wailed with gritted teeth when he saw it happen. “Again? Will you guys ever stop it? Seriously, are
you trying to drive us away?”
Fuming, Kyle turned around and headed into the living room, where Hector, having seen what Marshall
was doing, kept a carefully neutral face.
Katherine was startled. Turning her head to glare at Marshall, she asked with a low voice, “What are
you doing?”
Scowling slightly, Marshall stared at Katherine in silence.
Katherine struggled for a bit as she demanded, “Get out! I’m making dinner and it’s kinda smoky in
here.”
“I don’t care,” said Marshall as he raised a hand to gently caressed Katherine’s face.
Katherine hadn’t the slightest idea why Marshall decided to lose it at that very moment, but she didn’t
want to make a scene. Hector knew about her arrangement with Marshall, but Kyle didn’t, so she had
to act.
Katherine gave Marshall a look. “Do you have to go this far with the whole pretense in front of Kyle?
Stop it.”
Pinching at her chin, Marshall demanded, “Turn off the stove.”
And so Katherine did, not knowing what Marshall was up to.
With the stove turned off, Marshall suddenly turned Katherine around with a bit of force, and before she
could figure out what was going on, he leaned over and kissed her. His actions were kind of rough and
his kisses kind of hard, while he grabbed Katherine’s arms, holding her in place.
Almost goggling her eyes out, Katherine made a noise, while Kyle started howling in the living room.
Covering his own eyes with one hand, he proceeded to cover Hector’s with the other. “Don’t stare.
That’s some NSFW nonsense that will corrupt our young minds.”
Ducking his hand, Hector looked into the kitchen at the good-looking couple. Humming coldly, Hector
remarked, “Angry, are we?”
Not knowing whom the remarked was directed to, Kyle assumed Hector was talking about him.
Jumping up and down with his back against the kitchen, he yelled, “Yup, I am angry. Angry at Marshall
for provoking us with all his damn PDAs with the wifey.”
Without a word, Hector looked away from the kitchen and into the front yard.
Katherine, unable to push Marshall away, decided to stamp on his feet. But Marshall didn’t mind at all,
only letting go of Katherine after biting her lips lightly.
Taking a careful glance at the living room, Katherine asked with a low volume, “What do you think
you’re doing? Are you completely insane? There are people here.”
Marshall reached for Katherine’s lips and gave them a tender dab. “Insane, yes.”
He had a sarcastic smile on his face, not directed at Katherine, but at himself.
Combing her hair, he said, “Be a good actress, will you? Remember our pact.”
Katherine pouted. But they were at home! Were they supposed to act at home? Their pact was about
what they would do in front of a whole crowd. And somehow she was expected to act as long as a
single human was present now?
Well, she was devaluing fast as an actress.
Marshall left the kitchen after standing with her for a while, and the first person he spotted was Hector,
who was leaning against the sofa and decidedly not looking at him.
Kyle, on the other hand, was pointing at him furiously. “Wait till I get myself a girl and we’ll kiss our lips
off right before your eyes. I got plenty of girls to choose from, I’m telling ya.”
Sneering, Marshall went to sit down beside him. “That doesn’t concern me one way or another.”
Speechless, Kyle blinked. That was kind of true. It wouldn’t be any of Marshall’s business even if he
slept with a woman. Marshall wouldn’t be jealous of his girls when he already got one for himself.
That realization made Kyle’s head hurt. Walking over to clutch Hector’s arm, he moaned, “That got me
wounded, Hex. A shot through the heart this time, and I don’t think I can heal anytime soon. What
should I do?”
Turning his gaze at Kyle after a while, Hector’s tone was light. “If you want to displease him, find
someone he cares about.”
Pausing, Kyle looked up at Hector and clicked his tongue. “He only seems to care about Katherine.
What, am I supposed to go groveling at Katherine? I don’t want to be a member of her harem.”
Hector had meant his words for Marshall, and Marshall understood that full well. With an almost non-
existent smile, Marshall wiped his lips with one hand. The message was clear.
Staring at him, Hector had a calm expression, too. He really didn’t mind.
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