MARCOThe engine went silent as the car came to a halt, and I stepped out, taking in the sight of the venue. It was a wide, open space, not the kind of place you’d expect for a secretive meeting of the city’s top mob bosses. But that was the thing with the Red Table—they always knew how to play things close to the vest. No obvious signs of anything shady going on. Just an innocent-looking building that could have been a high-end restaurant for all anyone outside would know.I glanced over at Tony as he stepped out of the car behind me. His expression was calm, but I knew him well enough to catch the slight tension in his movements. I asked, “Petrov got eyes on the place?”Tony nodded, checking his phone. “Yeah, he’s got the perimeter covered. We’ve got men positioned in case things go sideways.”“Good.” I took a moment to scan the area again, making sure there wasn’t anything out of place. Couldn’t be too careful. These types of meetings, you never knew who was playing what angle.We
SARAHI sat there on the couch, watching the TV screen flicker with the latest episode of a show I’d started binging. Honestly, this series had become one of the few things keeping me entertained lately. With all the craziness going on outside, it was nice to escape into someone else’s drama for a change, even if it was fictional. The lead character was right in the middle of a heated argument, her face scrunched up in anger, and I couldn’t help but smirk at how intense it all was. At least her problems could be solved by the end of an episode.Mine? Not so much.I sighed, sinking deeper into the cushions, taking comfort in the familiar chaos of the show. It was weird, you know? I used to have a lot more going on. Parties, dinners, trips. But now? I might as well just enjoy this little slice of distraction. The maids had already left for the night, and the guards, well… they’d been patrolling the house like hawks for days now. I couldn’t really ignore how tense everything had become.
SARAHI hesitated at the door to Marco’s office, my hand resting on the cold brass handle. My heart raced with uncertainty. What could have possibly made him yell my name like that? It was so unlike him. I thought of all the possible scenarios, but none of them felt right.I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.There he was, standing by the window, his back to me. The tension in the room was thick, almost suffocating. Marco didn’t say anything, didn’t turn around. He just stood there in silence, his posture stiff, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.I stepped into the room, my feet barely making a sound on the hardwood floor. “Marco?” My voice came out softer than I intended, shaky even. “Why did you call me?”He didn’t answer.I waited a moment, then asked again, a little firmer this time. “Marco, what’s going on?”He turned his head slightly, just enough to look at me over his shoulder. His face was hard, unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something dark
MARCOAs soon as Sarah slammed the door behind her, the silence hit me like a wave. I stood frozen in the room, my mind racing. What the hell had I just done?I felt the heat rise in my face, my chest tightening as anger burned inside me, but this time it wasn’t aimed at anyone else. It was all on me.You’re a fool, Marco. I thought, pacing back and forth, raking my hands through my hair. You stupid, stupid fool.I wanted to scream, punch something, make it all go away, but nothing would fix what I had just done. Sarah had looked at me like I was a stranger. No, worse—like I was a monster. And maybe I was. I had slapped her. The woman who had done nothing but love me, who had stood by me when everything else was falling apart. And I had hit her.“What the hell is wrong with you?” I muttered to myself, my voice thick with self-loathing. I stopped in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. The man looking back at me wasn’t the man Sarah had grown to fall in love with. He was cold
SARAHI folded the last of the clothes, smoothing out the creases as I placed it neatly on the bed. The room was quiet, too quiet, and I could feel the thoughts creeping in again. No matter how much I tried to keep myself busy, to find something—anything—to focus on, my mind kept circling back to Marco. To everything he had done. To everything he was.I shook my head, mocking myself for even allowing the thought that he might change to settle in my mind. What a joke, I thought bitterly, how stupid was I to believe that there was any chance of him becoming a better person?I couldn’t stop the scoff that escaped my lips. After everything he’d put me through, how could I have been so naive? I had let myself fall into this trap, let myself see something in him that wasn’t there. Maybe it was the few good moments, the small gestures that made me believe for just a second that he might be capable of change. But deep down, I knew better.I should’ve known better.I remembered the beginning,
SARAHI stood there, my hand gripping the doorknob tighter than necessary as Marco and I locked eyes. I could feel my heart racing, the tension thick in the air between us. He wasn’t supposed to be here. Not like this. Not after what he’d done, what he’d said. But now, standing in front of me, he seemed…different. His usual coldness wasn’t there, and for a moment, I couldn’t place what I was seeing in his eyes.I tried to remind myself why I was mad, why I was hurt. But the longer I stood there, the more difficult it became to keep that fire of anger alive. My chest tightened, and I wanted so badly to look at him with the same hatred I’d felt earlier. But as much as I wanted to hold onto my anger, it slipped through my fingers. It was like my emotions were betraying me, softening when they shouldn’t. I could still feel the sting of his words, of his actions, but something in me faltered.We were just standing there, staring at each other, neither of us moving, neither of us saying any
SARAHAs Marco pulled away from the kiss, I felt frozen in place, my heart still racing. I didn’t expect it to feel like that, to be that… intense. His eyes locked on mine, and for a second, I felt like I could drown in them. My heart was still craving more, wanting the moment to last longer, but just as quickly as it happened, he stood up, creating an uncomfortable distance between us.“I’ve been caught up in a lot lately,” Marco started, running a hand through his hair. His tone was softer, like he was trying to figure out how to say something without making things worse. I stayed silent, unsure of what to expect next.“We need a break,” he added, almost as if he were stating a fact, not making a suggestion.A break? My mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario. Was this his way of saying we needed space? Had everything that just happened meant nothing to him? The whirlwind of emotions I’d just gone through came crashing down at his words, and I couldn’t help but feel confuse
MARCOSitting across from Carlos and Tony, I absently moved one of my pieces on the chessboard, half-listening as they rambled about the latest bars and clubs they’d been frequenting. It was the same old talk—places I hadn’t been to in ages. I wasn’t interested in all that anymore. There was always something more important to focus on.Carlos, always the loudest of the three of us, leaned forward, trying to get my attention. “You’re really missing out, Marco. You remember those nights? The drinks, the women, the music! Man, we used to own every spot we walked into.”I waved him off with a small laugh. “Those days are behind me, Carlos. I’ll pass. I’ve got more important things to deal with.”Tony cut in, smirking as he moved his rook across the board. “Of course, you’d turn it down. You’re always buried in work these days, Marco. But seriously, you gotta cut loose sometime. You don’t wanna be that guy who only works and forgets how to live.”I watched as Tony’s knight threatened one o