Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 2288

The two of them were so wrapped up in their playful banter that everyone else felt a bit awkward watching, but they all knew who Athena was. Wasn't she supposed to be the long-lost daughter of the Keller family? So why were she and Marlon acting like this?

No one dared to ask, though. Silence was their chosen response.

Marlon quickly whisked Athena off to the training room.

Athena watched as he expertly loaded the gun and took aim, a chill in her eyes.

He handed the gun to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind to guide her hands.

"This one's got a light recoil, perfect for you. Know how to shoot?"

Athena shook her head, noting how Marlon's hands were teaching hers to shoot.

She pouted a bit, "Have you shown lots of other women how to shoot, or are you just naturally this good at it?"

Marlon chuckled, leaning in to plant a kiss on her cheek.

"Jealous, are we?"

"Nope."

"You're the only one I've ever taught. I don't usually teach anyone—man or woman—because I don't want them turning the gun on me someday."

His voice was calm as he said it, eyes focused straight ahead.

After a few tries, Athena was getting the hang of it.

Marlon was pleased, "Honey, you're a natural."

Athena was clearly happy and continued practicing for the rest of the afternoon.

Marlon stayed by her side, offering tips and occasionally sneaking in a few affectionate touches.

By the time they left the training room, it was already evening.

Despite the long practice, Athena didn't feel hungry at all—her mind too consumed with thoughts of revenge and mastering the skill of shooting.

Now she knew how to load and aim, and that was enough for now.

She looked down at the ground, her lips pressed tightly together as she trembled with excitement.

Marlon didn't notice her inner turmoil. When they returned to their room, he resumed their earlier intimacy, holding her close as if trying to fuse them together.

Athena's forehead was damp with sweat. "How about we go sailing tomorrow?"

Marlon glanced at Athena, noting the disappointment on her face, nearly on the verge of tears.

He found it amusing how suddenly fragile she seemed, "It's just a little wait. No need to be upset. It's not like I'm not taking you."

"You're so busy. How do I know when 'a little wait' will be? And aren't we heading back to Greenfield soon?"

Marlon pulled her into a comforting embrace, "We can delay Greenfield. If it rains, we'll wait. When the sun shines, we'll go fishing."

Athena looked up, emotion filling her eyes, and her face broke into a bright smile.

"Marlon, I don't want to be just engaged anymore. Let's get married, okay? When we get back to Greenfield, can we get married?"

Her smile was so genuine, so radiant, it felt like fields of flowers blooming and taking over Marlon's world.

He almost thought he misheard her. Marriage?

She was actually proposing marriage. His lips moved, but he was at a loss for words.

Athena's tone shifted to cautious concern.

"What's wrong? You don't want to marry me? Or were we never truly engaged? What you said last time really worried me."