Chapter 6 The Truth Behind

• The suggestion was for Marcus to genuinely recognize his strengths and avoid having an inflated sense of self-worth.
• Upon listening to this, Steven, which was unusual, chose not to challenge Patrick. Instead, he let out a quiet laugh, his eyes sparkling with derision.
• In that instant, Marcus gradually opened his eyes, the pen in his grip gliding elegantly across the blank note.
• Quickly ripping off the page, he gestured toward Julian with his hand.
• Recognizing the cue, Julian stepped forward and led Marcus out of the Farley Mansion.
• During the whole ordeal, Marcus didn't look at anyone else again.
• As he walked away, several individuals leaned in to closely inspect the note that Marcus had left on the table.
• It contained just a few words—"I'll marry her."
• "Marry?" Steven's eyes widened in anger. "He really thinks he can get married? Who does he think he is?!"
• On the other hand, Lany laughed, clearly in high spirits.
• With Alina's assistance, he gradually stood up and earnestly told her, "Come with me to the secret room to choose a few items, then send them to the Summers as engagement gifts. Since that girl is still in college, let's invite her over for dinner at our place this Saturday. I'll also ask Marcie to come, so they can get to know each other better."
• Alina smiled and nodded. "I'm not sure how to pick out collectibles, but I can visit the jewelry shop to get some sets of jewelry for Ms. Summer's engagement. I actually arranged to play cards with Mrs. Summer yesterday, so I can handle inviting Ms. Summer."
• "Achoo!"
• Meanwhile, Stella, wearing pajamas, was dabbing her nose with a tissue.
• A faint scent of body wash lingered in the air, and her long, thick black hair had already been blow-dried. Her delicate, pale face showed a hint of redness only at the tip of her nose and around her eyes, clearly indicating that she had caught a cold from the heavy rain earlier.
• "Let me check if you have a fever."
• Cindy Jacob took an electronic thermometer and placed it on her daughter's forehead. Before long, the digital display showed 101.5 Fahrenheit. She couldn't help but feel worried. "Lie down and rest, drink plenty of water, and I'll get you some medicine to reduce the fever."
• Stella wiped her nose with a tissue, pulled a small blanket over herself, and then noticed her father, Joseph Summer, entering with a bowl of something, saying with concern, "Drink this ginger soup."
• "No!" Stella yanked the blanket over her head, resisting and providing her reasoning. "Ginger soup is too spicy! I want to take cold medicine!"
• Under the blanket, she scrunched up her nose in defiance, but her ears were attentive, picking up the sounds outside.
• Joseph said, "Taking too many medications is not good for health. It's just a slight cold. Drink more water, stay warm, and a ginger soup will be fine."
• Cindy remarked, "She has a fever. She should take some medicine to reduce it."
• Joseph insisted, "First, she should have ginger soup, then take the medicine."
• Cindy retorted, "You know she hates eating things that taste bad! How can she possibly drink this ginger soup?"
• Joseph answered, "Just close your eyes and drink it! Taking too many antibiotics isn't healthy for her body."
• "It's all your fault! You insisted that our daughter stop the Farleys' car on the highway. That was so dangerous. Otherwise, our daughter wouldn't be sick!"
• "How was I to know it would start raining so heavily on the way?"
• The couple, Joseph and Cindy, argued continuously, their conversation edging toward a full-blown quarrel.
• Stella could no longer contain herself. She pulled the small blanket away and sat up with a frown, looking at them with pleading eyes.
• Her mind was racing. She didn't want to drink the ginger soup, nor did she want her parents to fight. The only solution was to change the topic. "I wonder if Mr. Marcus will suspect me. I've heard he has a bad temper and is hard to deal with. I met him today and found out he isn't mute—he even spoke to me."
• What surprised her the most was how unbothered he seemed by her teasing.
• Not only was he unfazed, but he also shared his own secrets, telling her that he was actually disabled in both legs and mute.
• This was something that still amazed her.
• Joseph set the ginger soup he was holding on his daughter's bedside table and chuckled lightly. "Remember six months ago in Hawthorn when you saved a man with weak legs?"
• There was a knowing look in her father's eyes, and Stella, quick to catch on, blinked her large, black, pearl-like eyes and suddenly exclaimed, "The person I saved was Mr. Marcus?"
• No way! How coincidental!
• Even she found it hard to believe!
• Joseph sat down beside Stella's bed and explained, "The dynamics among the wealthy can be quite complicated, especially when it comes to brothers vying for family power. The eldest and the second son of the Farley share the same mother and are very close. They intentionally tested the fourth son because they suspected his leg disability might be a fake. That's why they took him to Hawthorn, away from Old Mr. Farley's sight, and purposely made him fall into the water."
• Stella nodded in understanding and continued, "People tend to instinctively try to save themselves in life-threatening situations, so the key is to observe whether the fourth son's leg disability is real by seeing if he attempts to save himself after falling into the water."
• He gently tapped his daughter's cute nose and smiled with pride. "Exactly. It was just a coincidence that you happened to witness him fall into the water and managed to save him. I only recently discovered that the person you rescued was Mr. Marcus because his aide, Julian, has been searching for you for the last six months. A few days ago, he found our old house in Hawthorn. That's how I learned that you had saved Mr. Marcus."