Uttering these words, he found himself momentarily lost in thought.

Oblivious to his reverie, Elva continued inspecting baby items with Rena. However, Rena, glancing up at Marcus, advised in a gentle tone, “Head upstairs for some rest. I'll Let you know when dinner's ready.”

Acknowledging it with a nod, Marcus ascended the staircase.

Fatigued yet alert, he positioned himself by the window, indulging in yet another cigarette.

A soft knock reverberated through the door.

Elva entered through the partially open door, bearing an envelope.

Teasingly, she whispered, “Marcus, even though you're away from Duefron, someone still sent you a love letter."

Continuing, she remarked, “We're in 2022, and it's amusing people still resort to letter-writing."

With a profound gaze, Marcus requested that she hand over the letter.

"Dad wanted you to have it. It arrived in the mail last week," Elva explained. Elva still wanted to explore the baby products, so she hurried away after expressing her thoughts. After all, it wasn't surprising that her charming brother had secret admirers.

Tightening his lips, Marcus nonchalantly opened the envelope.

Enclosed within was a check amounting to eight hundred thousand dollars.

Upon seeing this series of numbers, Marcus felt a chill run through his entire body. He examined it closely. Even though Melissa wasn't the one who issued the draft, he was certain she had sent it to him.

Astonishingly, the letter bore a Duefron address.

It seemed... Melissa had returned to Duefron!

Marcus had spent a considerable amount of time scrutinizing the draft, and his eyes were beginning to ache from the strain.

The soft, ethereal glow of the lamp cast a vague light upon his handsome face.

With a sigh of resignation, Marcus sank into the sofa by the window, resting his head against its back. In this melancholic moment, memories that had long been sealed away began to resurface in his mind.

Images of all the kindness he had once shown Melissa and all the harm he had inflicted upon her flooded his thoughts.

He had hoped that a year's time would allow people to release their grip on the past and forge ahead.