---- Chapter 6 "vivian, hear me out, please? I know I was wrong for rearranging your walk-in wardrobe without your permission. But Rachel's pregnant now. Shouldn't you prioritize her in everything? "Thanks to your stubbornness, the company lost a significant investment. But that's fine. I'll forgive you if you convince your grandfather to continue the collaboration with me." Before I could even give Marcus a piece of my mind, he sent me another text. "I'm at your house. Let's talk for a bit." How did Marcus find this place? A few seconds later, I turned off my screen and headed downstairs. After all, I would feel better if I could tell Marcus off in person. As soon as I opened the front door, I noticed him crouching next to a tree. He instantly looked up at the sound of the door, and his eyes lit up. "Vivian!" He jogged toward me and grabbed my ---- hand. "I knew you loved me too much to even abandon me." I didn't break free of his grip. I wanted to see how thick-skinned he could get. "Hear me out." Marcus sounded cautious as he met my gaze. "I did nothing wrong. I didn't cheat on you, nor did I ever betray you. Rachel's baby isn't mine. "Nothing ever happened between us, and I never did anything inappropriate with Rachel. I only took care of her because Barry's my brother. After all, she's pregnant with his only child... "Vivian, you know I love you the most. When I was down with a high fever, you even got mea protective charm. "You definitely still love me. Now that we've cleared up all the misunderstandings, let's get back together, shall we?" The protective charm? I sneered to myself. Ayear ago, Marcus contracted an unknown virus. ---- He was down with a high fever for a week, and even the doctors were at a loss for what to do. Ina moment of desperation, I happened to learn about a newly built shrine. Visitors said their wishes came true after visiting the place. Theld onto a sliver of hope and headed for the shrine. According to its rules, anyone seeking a protective charm had to climb 100 steps to reach the place, kneeling on each step to pray. No one was allowed to help me, and I couldn't quit halfway. Although I had lived a pampered life before, I gritted my teeth as I slowly set out on my journey. By the time I reached the 100th step, my clothes were completely drenched in sweat. My legs were trembling, and I felt dizzy. Once I got the protective charm, I couldn't take it anymore. I was so weak that I fainted on the spot. The only thing I had in mind was to hold onto the protective charm tightly and take it home with me.