He adored her for who she was. The woman who called him "Uncle Mark" and could be both clingy and coy, yet ignore him when she was upset.

For him, it made perfect sense to love a woman like her.

Mark cherished Cecilia deeply. He treated her not just as his wife but also as a precious innocent little girl. Despite occasionally taking advantage of her in playful banter, he always gave in to her wishes and desires.

After their late-night snack, Cecilia noticed that Mark was quite tired, so she insisted on washing the dishes herself.

However, Mark didn't want her to get wet and quickly took over the task.

He was significantly older than Cecilia, and he felt the need to compensate for her in other ways. Mark doted on her immensely, believing that when she was with him, she should experience a better life than she had at the Fowler's house. If not, he considered himself an inadequate husband.

As the night passed, Cecilia now saw this place as her true home.

But not going back for the night meant she had to explain things to her family. Luckily,

Shelly came to her rescue, helping her sort things out.

In the middle of the night, Cecilia finished her phone call with her friend and returned to her bedroom.

Mark had already taken a shower and was now in a bathrobe as he lay against the headboard, seemingly asleep.

Seeing the tiredness on his face, Cecilia felt a pang of guilt. She decided to lie down beside him quietly, but he woke up as she lay down and gently pulled her into his arms.

He softly touched her waist and inquired, "You finished the phone call?”

Cecilia confirmed it, and he held her closer, their faces now inches apart.

Their rapid breaths and closeness seemed to stir their emotions.

He huskily whispered, “Shall we... do it?"

With those words, Mark opened the bedside drawer and placed a small box beside the pillow.

Without delay, he pressed her against the pillow and kissed her passionately.

Although Cecilia was not opposed to the idea, she worried about his fatigue. She didn't want him to waste any more energy pleasing her, so she wrapped her arms around his waist and lied, "I'm on my period right now."

Mark was momentarily taken aback. but then playfully rubbed his nose against hers and chuckled.

He realized she wasn't serious about it. There wasn't any smell of blood at all.

Cecilia, feeling a bit embarrassed, held onto his hair and whispered, “Let's just cuddle and talk. We don't have to do it."