"Whipping up some homemade meatballs?"

Melissa paused, and then replied softly, "Yeah."

His demeanor toward her suddenly softened, and she was fine with him getting along with Matthew, but she preferred if they could meet somewhere else. She didn't want Marcus to come directly to her house in the future.

The warmth of the house enveloped them.

Marcus removed his coat and assisted Matthew in taking off his padded jacket. He then settled against the sofa, attending to his work on his laptop, while Matthew sat beside him, engrossed in playing with building blocks.

He occasionally touched his son's head, gently patting it as one would pet a small animal.

But Matthew thoroughly enjoyed the gesture.

Melissa turned, her eyes glistening with emotion. Marcus wasn't the only inhabitant of this room haunted by memories of the past.

Matthew's presence softened Marcus' demeanor toward her. No more casual sneers. For Melissa, it felt like a welcome change.

Following dinner, Melissa retreated to the kitchen to tackle the dishes. Marcus trailed behind, shutting the door behind him.

Melissa shifted, her posture defensive.

Marcus placed a pack of cigarettes on the counter, extracting one and igniting it. Observing her profile, he said nonchalantly, “I need to talk to you."

“What about?"

With a cigarette in hand, Marcus took a long drag and exhaled the smoke before speaking. "We discussed this last time. This place is too cramped. Let's move into that villa."

Worried about potential misunderstandings, he added, “I can give you the villa. I'll let you know beforehand whenever I want to see Matthew. Plus, the villa is spacious, and it'll be more convenient for you."

He gestured towards the cramped kitchen and suggested, "For instance, if I need to talk to you about something, we can find a more suitable place to have our conversation instead of being stuck in the kitchen."

Her cheeks flushed.

Melissa bowed her head, focusing on the dishes. After a pause, she spoke up. “I'm planning to buy a larger house within six months. As for the villa, if you want to give it to Matthew, I won't oppose.

Let's wait until he's older, though."

Leaning on the fridge, Marcus questioned, “Are my possessions a burden to you? Yet you readily accept whatever Albert offers."