36 Living Together

"What are you doing?" The backseat of this sports car was quite cramped, and when Marco pulled me in, my elbow got painfully wedged in the door's gap.

He was clearly angry but forced a smile that was more terrifying than comforting.

"Harper, I think I’ve been too lenient with you. David, inform them that the meeting is postponed to tomorrow. Drive us back to the villa now."

David threw me a subtle wink, but it did little to help; any hope I had was gone. Just earlier, Joseph had been left standing outside, and I wondered if he was alright. I reached into my pocket, wanting to send him a message explaining things.

Before I could, Marco grabbed my wrist. "I'm right here, and you're already itching to message someone else?"

Whether it was his grip or his chilling gaze, I couldn’t say—I withdrew my hand silently, turning my head away to avoid looking at him.

Would avoiding eye contact work?

As soon as the car stopped, Marco opened the door without saying a word to David and lifted me out.