Chapter 8 He Took Her Home Natalie froze when her eyes met the man's deep gaze . Marcus ? Why him ? 38 Finished The corners of his narrow eyes lifted ever so slightly , and under the dim light , his phoenix eyes were unreadable . Natalie recalled the scene at The Collins residence just moments ago , and a tightness gripped her chest . She didn't know how to respond . " From here , it's at least an hour's walk down , " Marcus said , his voice low and hoarse . " Don't tell me you're planning to hike all the way to the base ? " If she hadn't run into him , that really had been her plan . After all , Jackson wouldn't come after her - much less drive her home . " Thank you , Uncle Marcus ." As soon as Natalie got into the car , another wave of dizziness hit her . She barely managed to grab the door handle in time to keep herself from collapsing . The pounding headache was unbearable . " What did you just call me ? " As soon as she sat down , his deep voice sounded again . Natalie turned to look at him , and when their eyes met , a wild idea sprang into her mind . Marcus had never married - and had never been caught in any kind of scandal . If she wanted to climb her way up , her own strength alone wouldn't be enough ... But just as that reckless thought emerged , the dizziness surged again , this time with alarming force . The next second , her body slumped sideways , completely out of her control . Marcus instinctively raised a hand to support her shoulder . A faint scent of violets drifted into her nose . 1/5 19:31 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 8 He Took Her Home It smelled so familiar - she'd definitely caught that scent somewhere before . From the moment he first saw her , he'd had a strange sense of déjà vu . 38 Finished But today was clearly their first meeting . " Ms. Foster ? Ms. Foster ... " Looking down at the woman in his arms , Marcus couldn't help furrowing his brows . They were so close that even through his suit , he could feel her rising body temperature . He reached out a long , elegant hand and placed it on her forehead. Fever . A bad one . After pulling his hand back , he grabbed his phone and called his assistant . " Have a doctor meet me at Sonata Bay . " " Yes , Mr. Collins . " Half an hour later , at Sonata Bay . James arrived with a family doctor and went straight upstairs . Outside the master bedroom stood a tall figure . James had assumed it was his boss who wasn't feeling well . But once he stepped into the room , he saw that it was a woman . Mr. Collins was known for being a bit of a clean freak . Aside from letting Fiona come in to tidy up , he never allowed anyone else inside the master bedroom - especially not a woman . Standing to the side , James couldn't help sizing up the woman in bed . Who exactly was she ? After taking the medicine , Natalie's condition started to improve . She woke up about thirty minutes later . Blinking open her drowsy eyes , she stared blankly at the unfamiliar room . The entire space was decorated in shades of black , white , and gray - even the blackout curtains were pitch black . 2/5 19:31 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 8 He Took Her Home Scenes from before she passed out flashed through her mind . She had gotten into Marcus's car ... Could this be his house ? She threw off the covers and sat up , but her body still felt unbearably hot . Forcing herself through the discomfort , she opened the door and stepped out . " Miss , you're awake ? " She was immediately met with a warm , gentle gaze . Probably the maid of the house . B 38 Finished Seeing her glancing around , Fiona pointed toward the end of the hallway . " Are you looking for Mr. Collins ? He's in the study ." Natalie gave a slight nod . She figured the person the maid referred to was Marcus . She walked slowly to the end of the corridor and reached out a delicate hand to knock . " Come in ," came his deep voice . Natalie opened the door and entered . Standing before the floor - to - ceiling window was a tall silhouette . Even from behind , she recognized him instantly . " Mr. Collins , why am I at your house ? " Marcus turned at the sound of her voice and met her worn - out expression . Without a change in expression , he walked past her . " You passed out the moment you got into my car . I didn't know your address , so I brought you here . My maid's already given you your medicine . " " Thank you , Mr. Collins ... " " What happened to Uncle Marcus ? " He circled around the large desk and pulled out a chair to sit down . Natalie blinked , caught off guard . " In the car , didn't you call me Uncle Marcus ? Since you're Jackson's wife and he hasn't signed 3/5 19:31 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 8 He Took Her Home : the divorce papers , it's only right that you call me that . " Finished Leaning back in the chair , Marcus's eyes narrowed slightly . His gaze was deep and unreadable . She'd called him that earlier on a whim , when a crazy idea flashed through her mind . But right now , she was too unwell to think things through . Just as Natalie was about to respond , a young voice called out from outside the study . " Daddy , is Uncle Marcus really home ? " Natalie's body froze . That was her son Aiden's voice . What was he doing here ? " He is . I just asked . " Then came Jackson's voice , sending a wave of panic down Natalie's spine . She'd just announced their divorce in public , and now - of all times - he and Aiden were here , catching her in Marcus's home ? Even if she jumped into the river , she wouldn't be able to wash this clean . To avoid any unnecessary drama or misunderstandings , Natalie quickly looked around for a place to hide . The space beneath the desk was the only option . " Mr. Collins , please don't let them know I'm here ... " Natalie rushed over and slipped to his side . When Marcus saw her glance under the desk , he immediately guessed what she was thinking . His lips lifted into a faint , amused smile . Things were getting more and more interesting .... He gave a slight nod , then pushed back the chair with her still in it to make room for her . The footsteps outside drew closer . Without another thought , Natalie bent down and crawled underneath . As Marcus pulled the chair back in , she caught a whiff of his faint cedar scent . 4/5 19:31 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 8 He Took Her Home The closeness took her by surprise . She reflexively backed away . But the sudden motion threw off her balance , and she tipped backward . She instinctively reached out - grabbing the pair of long legs right in front of her . Marcus looked down , and their eyes met . For a moment , it was as if time stood still . 38 ) Finished Then came a knock on the study door . Natalie quickly let go of his legs and crouched still beneath the desk . " Uncle Marcus . " Jackson entered with Aiden , finding Marcus alone inside . Marcus lazily lifted his eyes and replied without much interest , " It's late , Jackson . What brings you here ? " Natalie held her breath beneath the desk , listening intently . She heard Jackson say slowly , " Aiden's feeling better , so I was going to take him home . But everything happened so suddenly today - I didn't expect Natalie to cause such a scene and ruin the family dinner that was supposed to welcome you back . I wanted to come apologize in person ." Send Gifts 20 .. 615 Chapter