Chapter 263 - Perhaps...

Emerson looked at the man with amus.e.m.e.nt, "Married? I'm not married. Where did you hear that from?"

Danson raised his eyebrows with interest, "Marissa told me..."

Danson glanced at Marissa but realized she wasn't paying attention; her mind seemed to be elsewhere.

With a slight nudge, he asked, "Did you hear that? He said he's not married." 

Marissa snapped out of her daze and looked at Emerson with surprise, "You're not married to Haili? Anna said she saw her in a wedding dress last night and she was with your family..."

"You've made a mistake," Emerson laughed, "Haili married my brother..."

"Your brother?!" Marissa asked in surprise. This was all very confusing. Emerson's brother suddenly turned up in Macau one day with a beautiful French woman, claiming that she was his girlfriend. How did he end up marrying Haili Feng instead?

At this time, Danson smirked and said suggestively, "I guess last night really was a mistake..."

Marissa looked at Danson. On the surface, he seemed to be commenting on the wedding, but deep down, she knew there was a deeper meaning to his words.

Obviously...he wasn't referring to Emerson and Haili, but to him and her.

For some reason, these words made her heart hurt a little.

"I guess you still have a chance. I won't be a third wheel," Danson whispered beside Marissa's ear. He then stood up and began to walk away, "I'm going to go grab a coffee. You two chat."

Marissa watched as Danson disappeared around the corner as though nothing had happened between them the night before. "I still can't believe he's your stepson," Emerson said after Danson was gone.

Marissa continued to stare at the direction that Danson left without responding to Emerson. She felt troubled and frustrated by Danson's response. All of a sudden, she stood up and said, "I need to get a coffee too." She then started chasing after Danson.

Emerson watched the woman with confusion. In 15 years, this was the first time Marissa had completely ignored him when he was talking to her. Did something happen?

Meanwhile, Marissa turned the corner, caught up to Danson and grabbed his arm, "I told you...I didn't sleep with you last night because of Emerson."

Danson smirked and brushed the woman's hand away, "That doesn't change the fact that it was a mistake. Just like 10 years ago..."

Marissa was caught off guard by this comment. He was repeating what she had said that morning. But, she had said that out of anger, she didn't mean it. 

"I didn't..." Marissa wanted to explain herself, but she didn't know what to say. If it wasn't a mistake, did that mean it was right? Did she actually enjoy it? Was she allowed to enjoy it? Did that mean she had feelings for Danson? That couldn't be...What about Emerson?

A million questions ran through Marissa's mind.

But...Danson was technically her stepson. Even though her marriage to his father was practically fake, it was an agreement that only she and the dead man knew about.

There were too many complications.

Danson didn't care what the woman had to say. This woman had played around with his feelings enough and he didn't want to get hurt. So, before she figured out what she wanted to say, he stormed off impatiently. "After we return to Hong Kong, do what you want, take all the money you need, and leave. Let's never meet again," he said between gritted teeth.

Let's never meet again...

10 years ago, these were the same words he said to her...

As Marissa watched Danson walk away, she once again remembered the night from 10 years ago.  She remembered the pain in his voice and the helplessness in his eyes as he told her he loved her. Ever since she began to piece back memories from that night, her heart ached whenever she was around Danson. And as he repeated the same line from 10 years ago, her heart completely shattered. Because she knew, just like 10 years ago, he meant it when he said to never meet again. If she hadn't forced her way back into his life and become his stepmother, they would have really never met again.

Marissa held her hand to her chest as a tear rolled out from the corner of her eye. All this time, she thought she was uncomfortable around Danson because she disliked him; she thought her heart raced because she was afraid of him; she thought she stuck around solely for the inheritance and for Emerson...but only now did she realize...perhaps, she didn't understand her own feelings...

Perhaps, 11 years ago, when he asked her to be his girlfriend, she was already moved by his actions. Perhaps, 10 years ago, when he told her he loved her, she had already fallen in love with him. Perhaps, she gave birth to his child because she wanted to remember him. Perhaps, when she discovered he was the son of Donald, she actually wanted to reunite with him. 

Perhaps...she had been too young and stubborn to realize all this until now.

But...it was too late...

She had already made things too complicated and forced him to hate her. After everything she had done, he would never love her again like he once did...

He couldn't...

Danson received his coffee at that moment and sipped on it quietly as he stared out the window at the planes on the tarmac. His heart hurt. Even though he put on a front around people, even though he tried to hurt her back and push her away...he was the one that was hurting the most.

At that moment, Emerson appeared next to him and asked, "Did something happen between you and Marissa?"

Danson glanced at the man. Emerson was once his best friend, but after what happened with Marissa all those years ago, they had barely spoken to each other again. 

"Didn't you already hear what she said earlier? She misunderstood and thought you were married..." Danson replied in a slightly annoyed tone.

Emerson laughed and shook his head, "I'm not talking about yesterday. I'm talking about 10 years ago..."

Emerson paused for a second as he waited for Danson to realize what he was trying to say.

"What happened back then?" Emerson asked carefully. "Did our friendship fall apart because of Marissa...?"

Danson looked at his old friend in surprise, "How long have you known?"