Chapter 63 Marco's tenderness towards me and his brother Noah

Elena Garcia POV:

I kept my mouth shut.

"Maybe I should give you two some space to talk. I'll head downstairs to the vending machine and grab some drinks. Need anything?" My roommate awkwardly pointed at the door.

I shook my head, and Marco stayed silent.

Once my roommate left, Marco kept staring at me, his brows knitted together, looking all sad.

I tried to hide how messed up I felt, but he saw right through me. It gave me this weird and mixed-up feeling.

I still remembered the awkwardness between us, so after asking why he was here, I had no idea what to say next.

My silence didn't bug Marco. He glanced at me, then grabbed a blanket from the common area and draped it over me.

"You're shaking. Are you cold?" Marco asked.

"No, I'm not," I said, but then I realized I was actually trembling. My emotions were all over the place, but having Marco and my roommate around calmed me down a bit.

Marco seemed to get that I didn't want to spill the real reason for my tears, so he made up an excuse for me.

He got up and looked around. "Wait a sec, Elena. I'll be right back."

He went into the kitchen and came back with a cup of hot milk for me.

Saying that I was trembling from the cold and crying was such a poor excuse, but it left me feeling sad. It was clumsy yet filled with good intentions. Marco then quietly sat beside me, watching me hold the cup and wrap myself in the blanket.

His actions did bring me some peace. At least I could start thinking about why Marco was here. My mind was a bit distracted.

I thought I should say hi, but I couldn't find the right moment. After so long, would it be weird to greet him again? And would it be too rude to ask Marco again why he was here?

I still remembered the bad times we had. At the party, I thought Marco was a deceitful jerk. But now, this same Marco was sitting here, quietly keeping me company.

It was a conflicting feeling. When I needed someone to talk to the most, Marco was the only one who showed up. And he was willing to listen to any of my troubles, genuinely worried about me.

He didn't rush me, just stayed with me, but I still hesitated to open up to him for some reason.

When I didn't want to talk, Marco started the conversation.

He said, "The guy just now was Noah Bianchi. He's my brother, another illegitimate son of my father with inheritance rights. He's also studying at the medical school. I came this time because he gave up his inheritance rights, and my agent wanted me to confirm his true intentions. Noah isn't interested in the mafia. He prefers doing peaceful things, like being a doctor."

Marco explained why Noah and he were here.

"I didn't expect you to be roommates with Noah. I know it's a coincidence, but I don't want you to get the wrong idea." Then he gave a bitter smile. "Even after all the bad impressions I've given you, I still worry about how you see me. Doesn't that sound a bit ridiculous?"

I realized that while I was feeling awkward and unsure because of Marco's arrival, Marco was also feeling agitated because of my silence.

He seemed to think my silence was because of his actions at the party and that I would misunderstand his reasons for being here.

"No, Marco, thank you." I thanked him, "Your actions may be annoying at times, but I can't deny your concern for me. I don't feel threatened or uneasy because of your presence here."

I adjusted the blanket around me and took a sip of the milk, feeling a bit more relaxed.

In a chill setting, people usually feel like talking more.

Even though Marco's previous crappy actions were still fresh in my mind, I didn't mind chatting with him now.

"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I'm just a bit worn out from moving in today," I said.

I added, "Maybe they should offer some moving services for students? Or maybe they do, and I just didn't know."

I tried to sound casual and laid-back. "All the moving around got me a bit down, so I acted like I didn't want to talk."

It was a lie, and Marco knew it, but he didn't call me out. He just listened to my complaints.

My mood seemed to affect him. I noticed his brows weren't as furrowed.

"Feeling better now?" he asked.

"Yeah, definitely." I raised the cup. "Hot milk helps calm the nerves."

"That's good." Marco smiled, and his eyes were sincere and charming.

While we were chatting, Noah suddenly opened the door and walked in. He paused when he saw us.

"Sorry, I forgot my wallet and book here. Just grabbing them," Noah said.

Noah was a freckled, slightly curly-haired guy who looked about the same age as Marco.

After Marco mentioned their relationship, I noticed a few similarities between them, like their chestnut eyes, though Marco's gaze was more intense.

"Don't worry; I'll go to a farther supermarket this time," Noah said, making both Marco and me smile.

"No need, Noah. Otherwise, I'm concerned you'll be forced to leave when the supermarket closes," Marco joked.

Then Marco called his brother over to sit with us and started introducing us.

Of course, he mainly introduced me to Noah, as he had already told me a lot about Noah privately.

"Elena Garcia?" Noah repeated my name. "That surname sounds familiar."

I was about to say it was probably because of my brother, Albert, who worked with Marco, but Noah's next words made me pause.

"Do you know Sofia Garcia?" Noah asked.

"Yes, that's my sister," I replied.

Noah showed a somewhat strange expression. He looked at Marco, seemingly wanting to say something but unsure if he should.

"If you have something to say, just say it, Noah. Elena and Sofia are indeed sisters, but they're not close," Marco said.

With Marco's nod, Noah looked at me again, still cautious and considerate.

"Sofia has a bit of a strange reputation at school. If you want to have a peaceful time here, it's best not to tell others about your relationship with Sofia," Noah said.

I got what Noah meant. He was warning me that some people at this school didn't like Sofia, maybe because they had been bullied by her.

I nodded, though inwardly I was thinking about my next move. This revelation made me more determined to stand up for myself; I wouldn't let myself be pushed around.

But first, I had another problem to solve: Sofia's photo.

While I was thinking, Noah suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Oh! I almost forgot. I ran into Ms. Joy downstairs. She was a bit worried about you and asked if you showed any strange behavior, like being injured or complaining about your previous roommate."

I tightened my grip on the cup, and my relaxed heart tensed up again.

Greta Joy didn't seem to fully believe me and was still worried.

"I didn't know about the situation, so I didn't answer her. Elena, did you have some issues with your previous roommate?" Noah asked.