“Marco? Why are you here?” Loraine’s voice was laced with surprise as she looked at him, still reeling from the chaotic turn of events.
Barry, slowly getting up from the floor, grimaced in pain, his body aching from the fall. “Fuck! Who the hell did this to me? Show yourself!” he yelled, his voice thick with fury. “Bastard! Why did you do that? I’ll call the cops! Just wait and see!”
Barry’s hand fumbled for his phone, but before he could dial, Marco turned around, his eyes burning with a fury that could not be ignored.
“What did you just say?” Marco’s voice was like ice, his every word cutting through the tension in the room.
The dim, flickering lights of the bar illuminated Marco’s face, casting sharp shadows across his features. Barry froze as recognition hit him like a punch to the gut.
“Marco… Marco Bryant!” Barry stammered, his eyes widening in horror.
He had just cursed at the CEO of Bryant Group. The weight of the realization hit him all at once. He was utterly doomed.
“Get the hell out of here, now!” Marco’s voice boomed with authority, making Barry tremble.
“Yes, sir!” Barry didn’t need another word of command. He bolted from the scene, his legs moving as fast as they could carry him, desperate to escape the nightmare he’d just walked into.
Once the chaos had settled and the air around them cleared, Marco stood facing Loraine. His presence loomed over her as he leaned in, his warm breath brushing against her skin.
Loraine’s body tensed. She instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing as she watched him carefully, keeping her distance.
“Get out of my way!” she snapped, trying to push past him.
But Marco blocked her path, his tall frame blocking her escape. His voice dropped into a low growl as he demanded, “Why are you here, Loraine?”
His words were laced with an emotion she couldn’t quite place—resentment, suspicion, frustration. It made her skin crawl.
Loraine rolled her eyes and let out a scoff, her patience running thin. “Marco, who do you think you are? Why do I have to answer to you? Stop poking your nose in my business!”
“What’s wrong with you?” Marco shot back, his anger flaring. “I just saved you from that pervert. The least you could do is say thank you!”
Loraine’s eyes blazed with fury. “Did I ask for your help?” she snapped, her voice sharp as a whip.
In one fluid motion, she reached into her bag, pulling out the pepper spray and shaking it in front of Marco, a warning.
Marco’s eyes widened for just a moment, and for a split second, the tension between them seemed to hang in the air like a thick fog.
