"Huh?" Eunice stared at him with eyes wide open. She wasn't sure if she heard had him right.
"I'll have it downstairs." Marcus announced once again more clearly this time. Finally able to break free, Eunice composed herself and turned to the door. "Put something on then. You might catch a cold." She picked up the tray of food and then quickly rushed out of the room. Marcus chuckled and casually threw on a shirt and headed downstairs...
Downstairs...
Eunice sipped her porridge quietly, occasionally throwing glances at the man right beside her on the dinner table. Finally, she mustered up courage and spoke; "Why do you insist on not eating anything at all? I'm sure you know too much caffeine can cause you to get seriously ill. Mom already has a lot on her plate, so please don't add to her worries." Amidst all her ranting, Marcus just stared at her face with an amused expression. Eunice, realising he wasn't even taking her seriously, she glared at him and cleaned up the table as soon as they were both done eating.
"What's that for?" Marcus asked when she appeared with a large box into the living room. "Well, since you've resorted to drinking instead of eating... I'm taking away your entire collection of alcohols and wines today." She walked past him and set the box on the counter of the mini bar. With ease, she opened up the cabinet, which contained his entire collection of expensive wines and spirits, including other alcoholic beverages. Literally meaning everything in that cabinet had to go. She boldly began to take them out one by one, placing them carefully into the box. One glass could amount to her entire net worth at the moment so she was incredibly gentle. She slowly turned around to check if Marcus was mad. He was instead silently staring at her with both arms crossed. An unfathomable expression on his face.
Since he didn't seem to oppose the idea, she continued going. Her height had started to betray her, so she stood on a small stool to reach the furthest of the beverages. The last of the drinks was extremely far and hard to reach, even with the elevation from the stool. She stretched her arms and reached as far as she could, causing the stool to almost tip over. She quickly steadied herself before Marcus could intervene. The stool wobbled slightly.
"Careful!" he scolded her. He walked over and stood right behind her just in case. When she finally grabbed the drink, she dragged it out and held it carefully in both hands. The drink looked very familiar. It was a very rare and expensive brand of aged wine, so expensive that it was actually auctioned of for millions a few years ago.
She had remembered begging Marcus, who was then her husband for a taste. And just after three glasses, she was completely knocked out drunk. That day, he carried her back to the bedroom, washed her, and then...
...
Realising that she had been staring at the drink for an abnormally long time, she rapidly spun round in embarrassment. Forgetting she was still on the stool, she completely lost her balance. Before she could feel her body hit the ground, she had been enveloped in a pair of large hard arms.
Eunice closed her eyes shut and hugged the bottle to her chest, waiting for the impact and pain, but she had been safely caught by Marcus.
"I thought I told you to be careful." His deep hoarse voice was laced with a tinge of anger. He set her down gently and helped her steady herself. After regaining her composure, she hastily stepped away, putting some distance between them. "I'm so -...thank you." She fumbled about her words. Eunice carefully laid the bottle of wine in the box, completing her mission.
"I should get going since it's quite late." She lifted the heavy box with some difficulty but managed to hold it up. "I'll walk you to your car." he offered sincerely.
And risk the media seeing them both together at night for that matter? As if! She immediately shook her head. "No, I'll be fine on my own. Please remember to eat and exercise regularly. Mom is really worried about you , and so is Agatha." With this, she left the apartment.
Eunice sat in the car with complex thoughts and emotions running through her head. "Oh gosh, I just had to fall right then." She face palmed in her head and continued to chide herself for being so embarrassing.
Why did she even go up to the apartment in the first place? What was she thinking barging into his room like that? The image of him shirtless flashed in her head again, turning her completely red. "Argh!" She felt so embarrassed. She took a deep breath and started the car continuously chanting ; "I did it for Mom!" In her head, ignoring the still and far voice asking her if she was so sure. She needed to get home as soon as possible, take a hot shower, and get some sleep. She drove the car away from the Estates.
Unlike Eunice, a certain someone did not have the urge to sleep in the least. Marcus lay on the bed with a complete lack of sleep. His thoughts kept on drifting to the moment Eunice slipped and fell directly into his arms. The feel of her soft skin and the tickle of her hair on his arm as well as the silly way she opened one eye, then the next when she realised she was safe. He went downstairs to get a drink before remembering Eunice had taken all the alcoholic beverages along with her. He chuckled and opted for a glass of milk instead. For his Mom's and Eunice's sakes, he would at least quit his habitual drinking.
Hours later, Agatha's old phone rang , she picked up the cell and wispered, "Mission one accomplished, Madam!" and shut the phone off before heading to bed herself.