Chapter 151: Chapter 151- plenty of time ahead
Dave didn’t specify who was looking for her.
"Go see for yourself," he said.
"Could it be... Karl, that kid?"
Marylin was smart—she figured it out in an instant.
She let out a helpless laugh.
"What does this little guy want, really? Is he serious?"
Marylin had assumed that Karl’s declaration at the party was just a young man’s impulse—seeing a beautiful woman, hormones running wild, saying something rash. She could understand that.
But now the party was over, and he was still waiting outside, stubborn as ever. That was just... annoying.
She had been very clear with him—she wasn’t interested in this kind of young guy. She liked mature, steady men. Why couldn’t he just give up?
So she settled on saying,
"I’m not going out. Let him wait there. He’ll probably give up and leave soon enough."
She went back to chatting with Laurent and the others. Laurent wasn’t at their table, so she had no idea about Karl confessing to Marylin. Vivian eagerly recounted the story in full detail.
Laurent was first surprised—she hadn’t expected Karl to take a liking to Marylin, and to do it so boldly—but then she laughed.
"Karl’s actually a really good guy. Maybe you should give him a chance."
Marylin rejected the idea immediately.
"No way. He’s younger than me, you know?"
"Just a year younger. That’s hardly a gap," Laurent tried to reason.
But Marylin shot back,
"Have you forgotten about his playboy older brother, Morrison? Men from the Mos family probably all have that playboy gene deep down. I’m not taking that risk."
Laurent had nothing to say after that. Fate would take its course; best to let things be.
The four women chatted a little longer. Zoey had a flight to catch, so she left. Vivian offered to take her to the airport. Laurent, meanwhile, took her child home to rest. Marylin excused herself as well and headed back to the hotel.
She had temporarily booked a hotel for now, with the immediate priority being to find a place of her own.
But as soon as she stepped out of the lounge, she ran into Karl. Marylin froze. She had deliberately ignored him when he asked Dave to call her out, thinking he would lose patience and leave. Yet here he was, still waiting.
Laurent and Dave exchanged a glance, smiled, and said they were heading home to care for the child, leaving only Karl and Marylin in the hallway.
Marylin gave a seductive smile.
"boy, what’s up?"
Karl replied calmly,
"Nothing much. Just wanted to see you safely back."
Marylin let out a heavy sigh and decided to confront him again.
"You don’t need to be so diligent. I already told you, we’re not compatible. Don’t waste your effort."
Karl didn’t get annoyed.
"How do you know we’re not compatible if you haven’t even tried?"
Marylin didn’t know what to say to him. Her tone carried a sharp edge, almost like she was gritting her teeth.
"I’m a year older than you! Don’t you think that’s... uncomfortable?"
She couldn’t accept this age-gap thing between them. But Karl answered her question immediately, calmly and confidently.
"My mom is two years older than my dad, and they’ve been happily together their whole lives. Even though my dad is younger, he treats my mom so well—spoils her, indulges her in every way. I think I can do even better than that."
Marylin, "...."
Marylin had originally intended to use the age difference as an excuse to reject Karl, but she hadn’t expected him to bring up his own parents’ relationship—and how happy they were. A man who could pamper a woman his whole life? That was the kind of life any woman would secretly long for.
Caught off guard, she found herself momentarily speechless. Irritated, she shot him a glare.
"I don’t have any feelings for you, anyway!"
And then she lowered her head and walked away.
But Karl stepped right in front of her, blocking her path.
Marylin lifted her eyes to look at him. Up close, she realized this boy, who had seemed harmless from a distance, was far from it.
First, his height. Even in her heels, she had to tilt her head to meet his eyes. That kind of physical presence brought a subtle but undeniable pressure.
Second, she had never really looked closely before, or bothered to. Now, she noticed the glasses, the refined look—but under the lenses, his eyes weren’t as soft and harmless as she had assumed. Even with that gentle smile, there was a sharpness lurking inside.
Her heart skipped a beat. She had assumed his pursuit was a passing whim, but now... was he serious?
Her brows furrowed. Perhaps Burg Eltz wasn’t the place to stay. She had just returned, and already someone was clinging to her. She had wanted to move on to another city, but she couldn’t leave Laurent and Vivian behind. After years navigating the workplace, she knew that friends forged during school years were pure and unshakable.
So she couldn’t bear to leave.
And, truthfully... she didn’t have the strength to fight anymore.
She had once given her heart, only to realize she was just a fleeting red rose in his life, while his home already held an untouchable white rose.
It hurt too much.
So she abandoned the high-paying job. She left that man behind. She returned to Burg Eltz to start over.
Resigning, packing her belongings, leaving decisively—on the surface, it looked brave and fearless. But only she knew how shattered her heart truly was.
Karl stood there, smiling softly at Marylin’s furrowed brows. The fact that she frowned at him was already enough; it meant she had begun to acknowledge his feelings, to recognize him—Karl—as someone serious, not just a boy playing games or joking with her heart.
Seizing the moment, he began his verbal assault.
"You dismissed my feelings for you just because of age. That’s unfair. Because to me, true love has no age gap. No social gap. Not even a gender gap."
Marylin couldn’t help rolling her eyes. This kid was persistent, that was for sure.
Karl continued, "You won’t know if we’re compatible until you try. Maybe you can give it a chance, spend some time with me. Don’t be in such a hurry to kick me out. If it doesn’t work out, fine. But what if it does? If it works, it could be your happiness for the rest of your life."
Marylin had to admit—his words were compelling. He made her feel that his intentions weren’t bad at all.
But that was all she felt—just a little impressed. She had no time or energy to linger here. She turned her face coldly toward him.
"Are you done talking?"
"Yes, I’m done. I have things to do."
Then she walked around him again, determined to leave. She had plans for the future and needed to get back to her hotel, to find a place to settle herself.
Karl didn’t stop her this time. He walked beside her instead, casually asking, "Where are you going? I’ll take you."
Marylin’s steps didn’t falter.
"No need."
’Enough is enough.’ Karl understood perfectly.
He didn’t insist on accompanying her to the hotel. He simply watched from outside as she hailed a cab and left.
Since she would be staying in Burg Eltz, there would be plenty of time ahead.