[21]

Marcus looked annoyed. His hair, which was a combination of two colors, was left a little disheveled. It was usually styled to match his tall, athletic look. His shirt was a bit rumpled, and he was still carrying a large bag containing his favorite weapon—the Arctic Walfare Magnum, the latest series he got from Damian.

Marcus was really impressed with the accuracy of this sniper rifle. He really wanted to use this weapon again, but he had to follow Damian's orders.

"You're wanted, Mr. Marcus," said a man in black with an intercom attached to his ear. The man lowered his gaze slightly when he met Marcus's eyes, but then looked away with a look of annoyance.

"Where is he?" Marcus asked, a little curtly. "Has Damian arrived yet?"

"He got here about half an hour ago, Mr. Marcus. Mr. Victor is also waiting for you."

"Damn!" Marcus muttered, picking up the pace. On second thought, why not just let Damian and Victor wait for him? After all, there was no need to rush back when the person he was waiting for was almost in front of his eyes. But... "Damn it, Damian!" He put his gun bag down right away. "Take this bag to the storage room and make sure Victor doesn't find out about it. There's a chance he'll recognize mine too. That's a good idea."

The worker just nodded in agreement. I wasn't sure how to respond to the man with amber eyes who was grumbling. Sometimes he was in a great mood, which meant he was chatty and full of energy. On the other hand, the man could also be in a bad mood, which meant a lot of work was delayed, and he was a bit selfish, working according to the mood. If he's in a bad mood, Marcus tends to hide in places where he's less likely to be found. But when Marcus was in a good mood, he could get things done. Delayed work and even unrealized plans were completed with ease.

Dealing with a guy like that was exhausting. The only people who could keep him in line were Damian and...

"You're late," Victor said, glancing at the clock on his left arm. "You know, Damian only gave you twenty minutes to get here."

Victor's rapid-fire speech was his way of responding to Marcus's unexpected appearance in Damian's personal space at the Hilarious University. Marcus shot Victor a look that said he was not pleased with his presence.

"Could your mouth be used for something more useful?" Marcus asked sarcastically, taking a seat not far from where Damian was. The man with slightly curly hair sat in a chair right in the center of the room. There were only three of them, but the atmosphere was tense enough to be felt outside the room. The black-uniformed workers around Damian's room gave each other a look that said it all. Waiting to see what happens during Damian Sawyer's conversation with his two colleagues.

"What's the reason for the delay?" asked Damian, pulling a cigar from his coat pocket.

"You still asking, Damian?" Marcus gave the man he respected a look of exasperation. Marcus saw Damian as a dominant figure who had a strong influence on his life. If it hadn't been for Marcus's help, who knows what would have happened to him now. On top of that, he oversaw managing an asset that was important to Damian, even though the man was a real pain in the neck.

Marcus often made decisions without thinking them through. He was also interested in killing people who had messed with his colleagues.

"You often act without thinking things through, Stupid Owl!"

Marcus's face showed shock. It had been a while since he'd heard it. The "Foolish Owl" nickname was inspired by Marcus's dual-colored hair—black and gray, which is often a distinctive feature of the owl's color.

"Do you think you can just finish him off once you know who shot Kenzo?" Damian let out a short, annoyed laugh. "Victor said to arrest and interrogate until we get enough information out of him. Marcus, Kenzo was killed by three people. We already know the identities of two of them, and they're Victor's personal playthings. And what about you? All I was asked to do was make the arrest, not take the man's life! You idiot!"

Marcus frowned. "Victor said that the man hit Kenzo's vital organs. That's what killed my colleague right away, before he could get another shot in. It's understandable that I reacted this way. After all, a life is worth a life, right? Have you forgotten your basic principles, Damian?"

Damian sighs and stares angrily at Victor. "Don't use your mouth to provoke Marcus, Victor. If he makes the wrong move, I'll make sure you're the one who pays the price."

Victor let out a chuckle. "Oh, come on," he said, laughing. "You guys don't know how to take a joke, do you?" His laughter filled the room, which was mostly dark brown and dimly lit.

Damian was tempted to throw the wine bottle on the table right at Victor's head. But... Damian realized that Victor and his sometimes-childish antics were his own source of entertainment.

"I'm sure Marcus won't take that kind of action, Damian." Victor puts a stop to his laughter. He's also made some changes to his body language. He's sitting straighter and looking more serious than before. His eyes aren't as playful anymore. They're more serious, cold, and unquestioning when he's about to explain something.

If this is how it's going to be, Marcus Whitney would rather listen carefully than get into a fight with Victor Wyatt. The guy was a lot more sinister than Damian.

"I've got men on standby to stop Marcus from shooting Officer Edrick. I couldn't possibly go against Harold's wishes and let Edrick be punished by himself. It seems our movements have already been discovered by the other side. My people, who were keeping an eye on things for about 5km in every direction, spotted something strange happening southwest of where Marcus was."

Marcus was taken aback. "You're not joking, are you?"

"Do you think I like to joke around at times like this?" Victor let out a short laugh. He had his arms folded across his chest and was looking at Marcus with a bit of an exasperated look on his face. "Edrick is protected by people who are rivals of Damian's. We can't afford to act recklessly if we don't want to cause a major upheaval in the business world, as well as some of Damian's personal affairs."

Marcus was clearly frustrated. "What about the two guys you're using as pawns, Victor? Did you get any important information?"

Victor gave a little scowl. "Do you think it can be done easily?"

"Do you need my help with this?" Marcus smiled, and it was clear from his bright amber eyes that he was ready to get started.

"I'll take care of it." This time Victor looked at Damian. "What are your thoughts on this?"

"As long as those two can get their act together and start communicating, I don't mind who wants to play with them. Just don't finish them off before I get my new weapons ready."

Both Victor and Marcus finally let out a laugh. "Alright. We'll leave the fun part to you, Big Boss."

"Oh, I almost forgot something, Damian." Marcus looked surprised and quickly pulled out his cell phone. "I just found out this information on the way here. Is that really the case?"

Marcus's cell phone was the center of attention for Damian. With eyes as black as the soot Damian had, he read one sentence after another. Then, "That guy is such an asshole! Who's responsible for spreading this ridiculous news?"

"Could I borrow your laptop, Victor? Give me five minutes, Damian. I'll find out who's responsible for this kind of news."

Victor was happy to help Marcus out, and the man with black and gray hair worked quickly and efficiently on the laptop. In less than five minutes, the laptop screen showed who was responsible for spreading the news.

"I had no idea your uncle was involved in your personal affairs, Damian." Marcus let out a chuckle.

The news about Damian Sawyer's successor was about to be released to the public. It quickly became the top story on many online news sites and gossip accounts that dominated NorthDerm. Most of the messages included congratulations and stories that made it seem as if Damian had to confirm it in front of many people.

"Damn it!" Damian slammed his desk with a lot of force. "This isn't about me exposing Rebecca's pregnancy. It's Leonard's declaration of war."

Victor gave a nod of agreement. "I'll have Desi keep a closer eye on Miya and ask Sofia to stay at the mansion. There's no need to go to the hospital for a while."

"I need to keep an eye on this news trail, Damian," says Marcus as he continues to track any news related to Damian.

"Just do it quickly and give the reporter a stern warning, Marcus." Damian picked up the blazer he'd draped over the back of the chair. "Get my car ready, Victor. I need to see Leonard as soon as possible."

"You need this, Damian." Victor tosses something from his pocket. "Two little men gave me some pretty important information. Well, I think we can safely say that... I think I can get your uncle on board with this."

Damian looks at the object in his hand, his expression one of disbelief. "You're a real pain in the neck, Victor."

"Can't you thank me?" Victor let out a short laugh. "Let's go, Marcus. Get your work done on the way. I need to make sure my student is OK and hasn't been hurt by what you've done, Damian."

"What did you say?" Damian shot Victor a sardonic look.

"Did Miya-miya get bullied by Damian?" Marcus looked at the two people in front of him with an innocent expression. Marcus was a little behind Victor on this one.

"What do you call Miya, Marcus?"

"Why is that?" Marcus still wasn't sure why Damian was looking at him with such a stern expression. "Wouldn't it suit her upbeat personality? Miya-miya."

"Don't call Miya like that!" Damian clenched his fists. "And you, Victor. Don't say anything that makes me sound like an asshole."

And then Damian just left them with a loud slam of the door. Marcus and Victor stared at each other, but after a moment, they laughed at Damian. He seemed much more human when it came to the blonde girl.

“I think you know what to do, Marcus.”

“Well... I think it's about time Damian became a human with feelings again. Who knows, Miya-miya could do that.”

Victor grabbed his coat. “Come on, we have to hurry.”