Jade, suddenly lost her usual energy, lying weakly in Marcus's arms, murmuring words he couldn't quite make out. She had forgotten her mission to demand an explanation, forgotten to teach him a lesson. She simply lay against him, absorbing his warmth and his scent.
Marcus was fighting a losing battle against his own body. Jade's developing form was pressed against him, and the urge to groan was almost overwhelming, but his rational mind screamed that he absolutely could not. He fumbled, trying to find leverage to stand up, but his hand encountered another warm, full sensation.
He had touched her again. He looked back and realized that in his panicked fumbling, his large hand had landed squarely on the full, firm breast of Crystal, the woman lying beside him.
Crystal's ample chest offered a different kind of sensation: soft, full, yet resilient. Because Marcus had already torn her outer garment, her chest was exposed, save for a light blue bra, which seemed to tremble slightly, a silent temptation. His hand covered one of the mounds.
His mouth instantly went dry, and his breathing hitched. He felt a terrifying, magnetic pull to explore, and against his better judgment, he found himself gently stroking it, a rush of intense, forbidden pleasure flooding his senses.
Crystal, the usually composed woman, had been completely overwhelmed by the intense, unexpected encounter. Her body was throbbing, sending waves of pleasure through her that left her weak and limp. She could only lie helplessly on the carpet, eyes tightly closed, trying to process the confusing, wonderful sensation. She had no strength, no ability to think clearly, and thus, no defense, allowing Marcus to take liberties with her.
"Mmm…"
There it was again. Crystal felt a wave of comfort coming from her breast, a tingling sensation that intoxicated her.
She knew Marcus. He was that kind of person. Only he could be so brazen with her, leaving her powerless to resist, unable to maintain her composure, unable to be proud, and unable to fight back.
At this moment, Jade was nestled in his arms, her body exposed. His hand was exploring her smooth skin. Crystal, beside him, was also in his grasp, her body being intimately touched by him. The intense, inappropriate pleasure was like a siren call, a moment of pure, selfish male desire. Marcus felt himself sinking into the abyss.
Suddenly, looking at Crystal's exquisite profile, a familiar feeling arose in his heart. Crystal bore a slight resemblance to Serena. Thinking of Serena, and then of the two cousins; both family, and remembering the painful, messy breakup, and now acting so shamelessly with her relatives.
'How could I? How can I face Serena?' A voice of self-reproach, sharp and clear, rang in his mind, pulling him back from the boundless desire. 'This is wrong. They deserve better.'
"Jade… Crystal…"
Marcus used every ounce of his willpower to suppress the desire, stopped his inappropriate actions, and gently called out to the two women.
"Marcus, you're awful. You just bully people."
Jade suddenly lost the feeling of warmth. Marcus had stopped touching her, and the hard object that had been pressing against her lower body, which had made her uncomfortable yet desperately curious, was suddenly gone. A wave of disappointment washed over her. She opened her eyes and saw Marcus looking apologetically at her and her sister. She couldn't help but lash out.
But what was she scolding him for? For what he had just done, or for stopping now? She couldn't tell, only feeling a boundless sense of loss.
"Crystal, I am so sorry."
Crystal felt the hand on her breast disappear, and a gentle voice sounded in her ear. She opened her eyes and saw Marcus looking at her with genuine regret.
Crystal was still weak. She had been so easily taken advantage of by this man. The composure she had maintained for years had been shattered by him. Tears of shame and confusion rolled down her cheeks. Could she be so weak? If this man thought so little of her, how could she ever face anyone?
Crystal's mind was in turmoil. She tried to stand up but was still too weak. The dampness she felt made her even more uncomfortable. She managed to kneel on the carpet, using her hands to cover her chest, which was exposed after her top was torn and had been violated by Marcus. The tears wouldn't stop falling.
"Crystal, I'm truly sorry. I lost my head. Please, try not to dwell on this."
Seeing Crystal's distress; no longer cold or proud, just vulnerable, Marcus felt a crushing wave of guilt. He quickly picked up the towel from the carpet and covered Jade's body. He expressed his deep regret to the exposed Crystal.
"Marcus, you only ever hurt us sisters."
Jade, now covered and thinking more clearly, saw her heartbroken sister. She complained about Marcus, then turned to Crystal and quietly comforted her.
"Crystal…"
'Damn it.' Marcus couldn't stand to see a woman cry, and it was all his fault. He didn't know how to handle the situation. Seeing Crystal's torn garment, he walked into the room, found one of his own oversized sweatshirts, and brought it out to hand to Crystal.
Crystal ignored him. Jade glared, took the sweatshirt, and helped her sister into the bathroom. The sound of running water indicated Crystal was taking a shower.
'God, what a disaster.' Marcus was frustrated with himself.
"Marcus, you're a total jerk."
Jade emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed in a pair of borrowed clothes, and immediately started questioning him.
"…" Marcus had no defense.
"Marcus, you broke up with Serena, and now you've done this to me and Crystal. What are you going to do to fix this?"
Jade walked toward him as she spoke.
"Jade, why did you two come here?" Marcus couldn't answer her question, so he changed the subject.
"It's all because of you. Marcus, why did you break up with Serena? You're so heartless. Do you know she cries at home every day?"
As Jade spoke, she walked up to Marcus, took his hand, and looked at him nervously, full of expectation.
"Marcus, why did you break up with her? Are you really like she said; fickle, no longer loving her, and now interested in Lily?"
"Jade, you don't understand. That's all in the past."
Seeing Jade's anxious expression, Marcus spoke the words against his heart, feeling helpless to explain the real, complicated reason.
"No, that's not true, Marcus, I believe in you. The first time I met you, I knew you were a good guy. I believe that you still love Serena and haven't changed your mind. When you truly love someone, you don't just stop, right? Just like how I feel about you. I've never doubted it; I'll never change my mind."
"Marcus, is there some kind of problem? Something you can't talk about? Serena and I will help you."
Jade spoke anxiously, her voice thick with emotion.
'Yes, I love Serena. I will never change my mind.' Marcus's breakup with Serena was due to a massive, external difficulty, but facing Jade's earnest questioning, he was powerless to explain. He just stood there, silent.