Months have passed with lots of changes from Melissa. All that matters to her is party, shopping and hanging out with new friends. She demands for every new trending car, spending most of her time with her lover.
On one of these occasions, she bumped into Marcus and it was very awkward. She never expected to be discovered too soon while Marcus was still processing everything that he couldn't bring himself to tell Adran what he discovered.
Melissa couldn't afford being found out so she planned to make the first move.
The city glowed beneath Adrian's penthouse balcony, lights flickering like a field of restless stars. Inside, the air was scented with red wine and the faint notes of Melissa's perfume—something expensive, something that lingered even when she was gone.
Marcus stood near the dining table, flipping through the stack of contracts he'd brought over. His focus was sharp as always, but every few minutes, his eyes drifted to where Melissa sat curled on the couch, her legs crossed, watching him in that quietly assessing way she had.
"Here's the finalized draft," Marcus said, handing Adrian the folder. "I made sure the merger clauses protect your side. The other firm's legal team is slick—they'd try to sneak in terms that give them control over project timelines."
Adrian took the file, scanning it. "You always catch things I miss," he said absently.
Melissa's lips curved. "How dependable," she murmured, her voice honey-soft but carrying a strange undercurrent.
Marcus glanced up. "Just doing my job."
Her eyes lingered on him a heartbeat too long before she looked away, pretending interest in her glass.
When Marcus finally left that night, Melissa drifted toward Adrian, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You trust Marcus too much."
Adrian frowned. "He's been with me since the start. You know that."
She tilted her head, feigning innocence. "I do. But sometimes… loyalty isn't what it seems. Men like him—they hide jealousy behind devotion. Always there, always watching, waiting for a moment to prove they're better."
He turned to face her, brow furrowed. "Marcus isn't like that."
Melissa's lips brushed his ear as she whispered, "I only want to protect you, Adrian."
Then she kissed him, soft and calculated, as if sealing her warning with something he couldn't refuse.
But when the lights dimmed and silence returned, Adrian's thoughts didn't rest easily.
Two days later, Marcus caught sight of Melissa in an unexpected place—the glass-walled lobby of D&D Holdings, the powerful corporation owned by Melissa's father.
He hadn't planned to be there. He'd been meeting a potential supplier across the street when he spotted her through the transparent façade, laughing softly with a man in a navy suit. The man's hand brushed her wrist, too familiar for business. Marcus froze.
He knew that face—the man was Daniel Reed, an executive at Cole's who'd been working for some months at Adrian's firm per Melissa's recommendation.
Marcus stayed hidden behind a marble column, watching Melissa's perfectly rehearsed smile, the same one she used when she wanted something. Her hand lingered on Daniel's arm. Their body language wasn't casual; it was conspiratorial.
Something cold settled in Marcus's chest.
He followed discreetly as she exited, entering her car with Daniel. They didn't head toward Adrian's penthouse. Instead, they stopped at a quiet restaurant off the main avenue. He parked at a distance, watching from his tinted window. There was laughter, a shared touch, and then—her lips brushed Daniel's cheek.
Marcus's stomach twisted.
He took photos. Not because he wanted to—he hated every second of it—but because Adrian would never believe him otherwise.
When he returned to the office later that evening, Melissa was already there, standing beside Adrian's desk, her hand lightly resting on his shoulder as she said something that made Adrian's jaw tighten.
The moment Marcus entered, the air changed.
"Marcus," Adrian said slowly, his voice unusually distant. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Melissa stepped aside, her expression composed but her eyes glinting with satisfaction.
Adrian handed Marcus a folder. Inside were several printed screenshots of financial transactions—unauthorized transfers from a secondary account Marcus managed for project expenses. Each one was dated and timestamped. The amounts weren't large individually, but together, they painted a troubling picture.
Marcus stared. "This isn't possible. I didn't authorize any of this."
Melissa's soft voice cut in. "I told you, Adrian. Some people hide jealousy well."
Marcus's head snapped toward her. "You set this up."
"Marcus," Adrian warned, though his tone carried confusion more than anger.
"I swear to you," Marcus said, eyes burning, "this isn't me. Someone's framing me—and I think I know who."
Melissa pressed a hand to her chest, feigning hurt. "You're accusing me? After everything?"
Her tears were perfectly timed—fragile and glistening.
Adrian looked between them, torn. "Enough!," he said finally. "Marcus, I'll need to review everything before I decide what to do."
The room was heavy with silence
Marcus left without another word, fury and disbelief roaring inside him.