CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46- SHAMELESS!

Lilian bit her lip, considering Morrison’s suggestion, and finally nodded in agreement.

"All right. I’ll ask him out for a meal one of these days and talk to him."

As a younger sister, Lilian genuinely hoped that Bert could be happy. Moreover, in her view, Bert’s age was already a factor—he was thirty-six, about to turn thirty-seven.

Morrison hadn’t yet told Lilian about Catherine, because Bert’s ambiguous attitude had left Morrison completely unsure of what Bert was thinking. One moment he would say he had no connection with Catherine, the next rumors would surface during matchmaking that he already had a girlfriend—whose surname was Channing.

Morrison decided it would be best to send his own wife to gather information first, rather than risk Bert causing him trouble.

After dinner, Morrison and Karl stayed the night at the old family house. In Karl’s room, Marylin relaxed, lying on top of Karl, and with some envy said,

"Your family atmosphere is so nice—lively and cheerful. It’s nothing like my house, just me and my parents, the three of us."

Marylin’s parents only had her as a daughter, and their personalities were honest and quiet, not the kind to liven up a gathering. So even during family reunions, their time together was limited to eating and casual conversation—no one actively tried to make everyone laugh or be cheerful.

Honestly, after experiencing the liveliness of the Mos family, Marylin found her own family atmosphere a little dull.

Linda’s personality was cheerful, frank, and humorous. Perhaps because of her, both Morrison and Karl had inherited a lively, playful streak—Morrison in a subtle, sneaky way, and Karl in an overtly lively manner.

In short, whenever the Mos family gathered together, laughter and cheerfulness never ceased.

Sometimes Marylin thought that if one day she and Karl didn’t end up together, she would miss this lively atmosphere of the Mos household.

Karl stroked her long hair and smiled,

"The liveliness is first because there are many of us. In our family, we have two kids. Your parents only have you as a daughter."

When the topic of children came up, Karl suddenly flipped her onto his body, grinning as he suggested,

"Even when we’re old, life will still be this lively."

The position was too intimate, and the conversation about children felt equally suggestive. Marylin raised her hand and poked Karl’s shoulder.

"Darling, you seem to be thinking a little too far ahead."

They were still in the dating stage, and to already talk about children and even their life when old—it seemed premature.

Karl, however, didn’t see it that way. His sincere eyes looked at her,

"Am I thinking too much?"

"Don’t you want to marry me and have children?"

His question was candid and direct, and Marylin was momentarily caught off guard.

Honestly, since being with him, she had fantasized about their future, but perhaps because their relationship had developed so quickly, she felt uncertain about what lay ahead.

The only thing she could be sure of was that, at this stage of their relationship, she truly loved him.

As for the future—who could say for certain?

Maybe after getting her, he would grow tired of her within a few days—who knew? She didn’t even understand why she had suddenly become so insecure, constantly imagining that one day he would be the first to walk away.

Perhaps it was just as people often said: the deeper the love, the easier it was to become anxious and fearful.

That was exactly Marylin’s current state of mind—she had the courage for a lightning-fast romance, but not the courage for a lifetime.

So Karl’s question completely stunned her. She let out a dry little laugh, shifted her gaze, and avoided giving a direct answer.

How could Karl not notice her evasiveness? His eyes were sincere and steady on her.

"Marylin, no matter what you think of me, I want to marry you, have children with you, and walk through this entire life with you..."

Even though Marylin had grown used to Karl’s sweet words anytime and anywhere, she was still moved by this promise of "a whole lifetime."

There wasn’t a woman in the world who didn’t like hearing promises of forever—even if such words were cliché, they were still comforting.

Her heart softened, and his warm lips pressed down on hers.

"These days we’ve been together... so far, is there anything you’re dissatisfied with?"

Karl asked as he kissed her gently, slowly.

"Including in bed—what exactly are you unhappy with? Is that why you’ve never thought about forever with me?"

Marylin’s face instantly turned red. She had originally thought he was a gentle, refined young man, but once their relationship had crossed that line, he often left her blushing uncontrollably. She pushed against him in flustered annoyance, trying to halt his wandering hands.

"There’s nothing I’m unhappy with!"

"So that means you’re very satisfied, hmm?"

His hand—at some point—had taken hold of her, and his voice dropped a few tones lower.

"I don’t have much experience in bed, so I’ve always been afraid you’d be disappointed. But now that I hear this, I feel much better."

Marylin: "..."

She had said she was satisfied with everything about him, but why did he have to single out the part about bed!?

Shameless!

She opened her mouth, about to protest, when his lips came down on hers again, the kiss laced with his slowly roughening breath. When he finally released her, Marylin’s breathing was just as unsteady, her soft gasps caught in the cradle of his palm.

Karl studied her reaction with deep satisfaction, leaned forward to kiss her flushed lips again, and coaxed softly, almost seductively,

"Since there’s nothing you’re unhappy with... I think we can start talking about marriage."

Marylin was still lost in the dizzying kiss he had just given her when he suddenly shifted the topic to marriage. She couldn’t react in time. And he was truly cunning—before she could recover, he kissed her again, making her thoughts scatter even further.

"Is that okay, Marylin?"

He coaxed her softly, voice low and tempting.

"Another day, we can let our parents meet and discuss the wedding."

"Karl, you—"

Marylin tried to bite back the rising waves of heat and glared at him in protest. But his lips brushed against her earlobe, and she couldn’t stop herself from letting out a soft moan.

"Is it okay, Marylin?"

He continued to plead wickedly.

Marylin finally surrendered.

"...Okay..."

He really was too cunning—forcing her to give in while they were in bed!

Since they were in the Mos residence, the two of them kept their movements restrained. When everything was over, they lay tangled together, breathing hard and trying to steady themselves.

Marylin spoke weakly,

"I’m going on a business trip next week."

Karl casually asked,

"Where?"

"Manchester."

"Manchester?"

Karl immediately lost his composure. Everyone knew what Manchester meant for Marylin.

She had done her master’s there, worked there, and been hurt there.

Even though her ex had never shown up again after being rejected the last time, that didn’t mean Karl could let his guard down. And now Marylin was going to Manchester—his territory. Karl would’ve been lying if he said he wasn’t worried.

He sat up sharply, frowning as he glared at her.

"Can’t you not go?"

Marylin shot him an annoyed look.

"This is my first business trip since joining the company, and it’s important. Do you think I can not go?"

Karl didn’t respond for a long moment, only continued staring at her indignantly. Marylin looked back at him with an equally helpless expression, which made him huff, turn over, and lie with his back to her.

Marylin crawled over, draping herself on him with a teasing smile.

"Are you seriously sulking?"

His silence and tense jaw gave him away immediately—yes, he was angry.

"I don’t understand. Why are you upset about me going to Manchester?"

Of course Marylin did know, but she deliberately teased him.

She thought it was funny—he’d always been confident and unbothered, yet he was worried about her going to the city where that jerk lived? As if she would ever have anything to do with that man ever again, especially now that she had Karl.

Her pretending ignorance only made Karl angrier. He turned back to glare at her.

"You seriously don’t know why I’m upset?"

Marylin’s smile grew even more dazzling.

"I really don’t. Why don’t you tell me?"

Karl gritted his teeth and suddenly flipped her over, pinning her beneath him.

"If it were me, I’d never go on a business trip to that city. Didn’t it hurt you enough the first time? Aren’t you afraid of being reminded of it?"

Marylin sighed helplessly.

"It was a person who hurt me, not the city. I can’t avoid Manchester for the rest of my life, can I?"

Of course Karl understood that. But the moment he heard she was going to Manchester, he really had lost his rationality for a moment, acting purely out of the instinct not to let her go.

He loved her too much—so he cared too much—and that made him fearful of losing her.

Marylin took the initiative to wrap her slender arms around his neck, speaking softly and seriously,

"Don’t be mad. I already have an outstanding man like you—how could I ever go back to that jerk? I don’t even want to look at him. My eyes are only on you..."

It was the first time Marylin had ever said something like that to Karl.