Upon entering, the aroma of a prepared meal greeted him.

A momentary pause of surprise struck Marcus. Hastening to the kitchen, he instinctively called for Melissa, only to discover it was a Fowler household servant, not Melissa.

The servant offered a smile. "Your mother was concerned you might skip meals, so she instructed me to prepare a delectable dish for you. She even taught me how to make these lamb chops, cooked with red wine."

Lamb chop...

Thoughts involuntarily drifted to the time when he accompanied Melissa to grocery shopping at the supermarket.

On that day, he spent the only 300 dollars Melissa had.

She seemed distressed.

Unaware of Marcus' thoughts, the servant rubbed her hands, set the dish on the table, and quietly departed.

Removing his coat, Marcus seated himself at the table.

His gaze lingered on the Lamb chop. Surprisingly surpassing Melissa's culinary skills, yet his appetite remained absent. Retrieving his phone, Marcus dialed a number in silence.

Unfortunately, Melissa's phone persisted in its powered-off state.

Marcus angrily tossed his phone onto the table and abstained from eating anything.

A week passed, and still, he couldn't locate her.

After taking a shower, he found himself in the guest room, where their last intimate encounter had transpired.

Typically, their encounters didn't unfold in the guest room.

That night, there were signs of his displeasure, but Melissa didn't pick up on them. Despite feeling hurt during their intimate encounter, she made an effort to please him and ensure his comfort.

A bitter smile played on Marcus' lips.

Leaning against the bed's headboard, Marcus caressed the pillow, detecting a lingering trace of her scent.

Resting on the bedside table, beneath the ring-containing box, lay a receipt left by Melissa at the pharmacy. It documented her purchase of morning-after pills, and as per the clerk, she even consumed one within the store.

Did she harbor resentment as she ingested the contraceptive?