The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus) novel Chapter 388

As Charles spoke, his eyes reddened. He had initially wanted to help Marcus, but when he thought about the future after he was gone—Marcus would be living alone in the Holden residence—his heart grew heavy with sadness.

His voice faltered, his eyes shimmering with tears. "Cassie is a heartless person. Not only has she never supported Marcus, but she's always secretly scheming against—."

"Grandpa, you'll live a long life," Marcus interrupted, cutting off Charles' words.

Charles mentioning Cassie, but never his own parents, made Marcus' expression darken for a split second. But he quickly masked it, returning to his usual calm demeanor.

Natalie, standing nearby, could clearly see the shift in their emotions. For a moment, her heart ached with sympathy.

The situation with Marcus' parents had always bothered her. She had planned to visit them at Scarlet Hill and find out why they had left their son to be raised by Charles.

The memory of Marcus sitting alone at the Helianese restaurant, looking alone and defeated, often lingered in her mind.

She was the type of person who could sometimes soften up, and no matter what had happened between her and Marcus, she had already made up her mind to help him.

She didn't like feeling indebted to anyone. Helping Marcus would be her way of repaying him for the favor of having her enter the Book Sanctum.

"Marcus, if I'm no longer here, you need to take care of yourself. Make sure to eat on time, sleep well, and get regular checkups every year," Charles' voice cracked again.

"Even though I nag you about finding a girlfriend, don't rush into anything. When it comes to love, we should aim for quality, not quantity.

"You need to treat women well; don't play with their feelings. No abuse, no insults. You need to respect their thoughts and decisions. Don't be a chauvinist. If a woman agrees to marry you, you must protect and love her. If you argue, learn to apologize first.

"Love is important in creating a good family and a good home. Don't just listen to your logic and be practical about it."

Charles' tone grew more serious. "You should give in during arguments and apologize to your wife first."

Marcus said nothing, looking calm and obedient.

Charles patted his shoulder and spoke again, his voice quiet, "Marcus, I can't be with you forever."

Marcus' eyes immediately reddened his voice barely above a whisper. "Grandpa, I don't want to hear you say that."

"It's the circle of life. As long as I can see you get married, have children, and be loved, I'll have no regrets."

Charles smiled softly, turning his gaze to Natalie. "Nattie, you too, when you look for a boyfriend, be sure to be careful. There are too many men with malicious intentions out there."

"Some guys are nice to you when you are dating, but they change completely after you get married. You're too nice, Nattie, don't let anyone take advantage of you."

Natalie, who had been moved by the bond between the grandfather and grandson, was startled by Charles' sudden words directed at her. She didn't know how to respond.

"Also, Nattie, don't reject those who want to get close to you just because of past misunderstandings. Sometimes, you don't know what you have until you give it a try."

Natalie was momentarily speechless. Charles' mood switched so quickly, from being sorrowful to being humorous, it gave her a whiplash.