CHAPTER 3

Marco continued to stare blankly at the flat screen in front of him, his mind filled not with the emails that were currently flashing across it, but with the image of a woman who had accompanied his nights for the past few weeks. The memory of her lingered vividly, disrupting his sleep and filling his thoughts with the softness of her touch and the sweetness of her lips. Even the natural fragrance of her body might be enough for Marco to recognize her. "So, have you read the email from Abraham?" someone across from Marco asked, causing him to finally shift his gaze towards his friend, who, for some reason, always seemed to be in his office during working hours like this. "Stop loitering around in my office. It's still working hours. Don't you have a job? Are you too relaxed that you keep hanging around in front of me?" Marco asked, causing Jonas to shrug nonchalantly. "That's the life of an heir to the Milis Group fortune. I don't have to worry about the heavy burdens on my shoulders. Just by pointing at people, they get things done as I want," Jonas said, sipping on his drink, prompting Marco to sigh in annoyance.

"Well then, you'd better stay in your high seat before someone forcibly pulls you off it and takes it for themselves," Marco retorted, causing Jonas to chuckle as if he was underestimating his friend's words.

"It's you who should be worried here, not me," Jonas replied, making Marco furrow his brow. "Don't try to equate me with you," Marco said, trying to refocus on the flat screen in front of him.

"Come on, don't hide it anymore. You're not good at hiding any secrets from me. Didn't you sleep with a woman a few weeks ago at your company's anniversary party? How's she doing?" Jonas asked, as he had previously mentioned that Marco couldn't keep any secrets from his friend, who was either too clever or too carefree to bother with his issues.

"I don't know," Marco replied casually, causing Jonas to sit up straight.

"Does Ara know?" Jonas asked again, causing Marco to let out a long sigh.

"If she knew, I wouldn't be sitting calmly in this big seat of mine right now, you know that," Marco replied, causing Jonas to nod in understanding of what his friend was saying. Marco and Ara's love could be considered an unbreakable bond, but foolishly, his friend in front of him could sleep with another woman just a few weeks ago.

"Shouldn't you find out who that woman is?" Jonas asked, causing Marco to fall silent.

"I know you don't care about this trivial matter, but you have to remember that you're one of the most sought-after men, by both women and men, and there are many who want to destroy you. Aren't you afraid that one of the people who dislike seeing your success might be the woman you slept with? She might have captured that moment that night and suddenly appear and make it public. I can't imagine what would happen to you," Jonas said, leaving Marco speechless. Of course, he had considered this, but it wasn't as terrifying until Jonas articulated it with such a frightening tone.

"Stop talking nonsense. She won't do anything. She's just an ordinary woman who, somehow, was with me that night," Marco said, trying to think positively, but it seemed his friend wasn't done with scaring him.

"Or perhaps she's one of the women you rejected before, and she gave the recording of both of you to Ara," Jonas said again, making Marco start to feel irritated.

"If she had done that weeks ago, Ara would be after my life, but she's still by my side and calm," Marco replied, making Jonas try to think of something else. How could there be a woman who remained silent even now after spending a night with a Marco Jovanka? Wasn't that a good sign for her to turn her life around, Jonas pondered.

"But my instinct tells me that you have to find that woman, at least find out if she's pregnant or not," Jonas said, something that hadn't occurred to him before, but it made Marco start as if he remembered something from that night, causing him to curse, which was immediately heard by Jonas.

"Damn," Marco cursed, making Jonas sit up straight.

"Is there a problem? Did she attack you?" Jonas asked, as Marco rubbed his face roughly.

"That night, I didn't use protection," Marco answered, causing Jonas to fall silent, beginning to understand what they would have to consider next.

"Yes, my feeling was right. You have to find her. At least check the CCTV footage to find that woman," Jonas said again, making Marco remember the morning when that night happened. If Cinderella left her glass slipper for a prince, and the woman, whose name he didn't know, left her bright red lingerie on the bed, Marco couldn't comprehend what the woman was thinking, abruptly leaving after spending the night with him. Was she scared, shocked, or something else, Marco couldn't fathom.

"I can't possibly search for her just with her lingerie, can I?" muttered Marco, unsure of what to do to find the woman from that night.

"Did you say something?" Jonas asked again, making Marco just ignore him and get up from his seat.

"Hey, I'm not done talking to you. We need to come up with a plan to find that woman," Jonas said, but Marco raised his hand.

"Go back to your company. I can handle my own affairs, and one more thing, don't even think about discussing this with Ara. If she finds out, I know exactly who to blame," Marco said with a cold and menacing aura, making Jonas shudder at the sight of his friend.

"Okay, I trust you," Jonas said after that, turning back to finish the last sip of his drink.

"It seems like the love story of my friend is about to get more interesting. I wonder what he'll do to Ara and that woman if something remarkable really happens," Jonas said, pulling the corner of his lip as if he was truly anticipating what he imagined at that moment.

Certainly, because until now Marco had lived peacefully without any problems, making Jonas feel that his friend's life was too monotonous. At least, having that one-night woman could add a little more color to his friend's life, Jonas thought.