The following days were a blur of tension and unease. Marcus immersed himself in work, but every time he glanced at the headlines or checked his social media, his stomach twisted with frustration. Mara’s smiling face next to his, basking in the glory of the charity event, taunted him. She was the perfect partner, a sparkling jewel in the spotlight, while he felt like a tarnished coin.One evening, after a particularly grueling day, Marcus decided he needed a break. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and sank into the plush couch in his living room, staring blankly at the wall. The flickering light from the fireplace cast dancing shadows, but his thoughts were far from calm.Just then, the doorbell rang, pulling him from his spiral of despair. He reluctantly rose to answer it, unsure of who could be visiting him at this hour. Opening the door, he found Mara standing there, her hair tousled and her eyes sparkling with excitement.“Marcus! I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d

As the evening unfolded, Marcus managed to shake off the earlier confrontation, but Magnus’s words echoed in his mind. Was he truly only living in the shadow of his family name? The thought was unsettling, and he couldn’t ignore the doubts creeping in.Later that night, after the event concluded and the last guests had left, Marcus and Mara found themselves alone in the now-quiet ballroom. The remnants of the evening’s success lingered in the air, but the tension from earlier still hung over them.“Are you okay?” Mara asked, concern etched on her face. “That was a lot to handle.”Marcus leaned against the polished bar, pouring himself a drink. “I’m fine. Just… tired, I guess. Tired of dealing with Magnus and his games.”“Don’t let him get to you,” she said softly, stepping closer. “You’ve got so much going for you, Marcus. Don’t let his words seep into your mind.”“I know, but it’s hard. He knows how to hit where it hurts,” he confessed, his voice dropping to a whisper.Mara placed a

The night after the confrontation in the parking garage was unusually quiet. Marcus and Mara returned to his estate, both too exhausted to talk. Marcus slumped onto the couch, ice pack pressed against his jaw, while Mara poured herself a glass of wine."Think Magnus got the message?" Mara asked, swirling her drink lazily.Marcus gave a dry chuckle. "He better have. But I doubt that’s the last we’ll see of him."Mara smirked. "Good. I like a challenge."Before Marcus could respond, his phone buzzed on the coffee table. A text. He unlocked the screen, and his expression darkened immediately.Camelia: We need to talk. Meet me tomorrow at noon. You owe me that much.Mara noticed his change in expression. "Who is it?"“Camelia,” Marcus muttered, tossing the phone aside. "She wants to meet."Mara scoffed, her annoyance evident. "What does she want now? An apology for moving on?"Marcus rubbed his temple. "She’s not just mad. She's been holding a grudge—and she has every reason to hate me."

The failed ambush on Mara had stirred the hornet's nest. Magnus was furious, and Camelia's smooth façade was beginning to crack. Meanwhile, Marcus and Mara knew the time to strike was now—they needed to turn the tables before Magnus and Camelia regrouped.In her penthouse, Camelia paced angrily, her phone pressed to her ear as Magnus’s excuses rang in her ears."I don’t care about your thugs," she snapped, glaring at the city skyline. "Mara walked away. Do you understand what that means?"Magnus chuckled from the other end of the line. "Relax, Camelia. It’s just a bump in the road.""That bump humiliated you—and me!" Camelia hissed. "We need to get serious. No more games."Magnus’s tone shifted to something more dangerous. "We are serious. The next move won’t miss. Trust me."Camelia closed her eyes, frustration simmering beneath her calm exterior. "You’d better be right, Magnus. Because if you fail again, you’re on your own."---The next morning, Mara arrived at a high-profile busin

Inside Marcus’s penthouse, the tension was suffocating. The lights of the skyline outside cast long shadows as Mara paced the room, her frustration simmering.“They humiliated us,” she spat. “Camelia. Magnus. All of them! We have to hit back, hard.”Marcus poured himself a drink, his jaw tight. “Magnus showing up means trouble. He's not just here to make noise—he wants to take everything from me.”Mara clenched her fists. “And Camelia... she’s working with him. I knew that woman was trouble, but she’s gone too far this time.”Marcus leaned against the bar, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “We have to act fast. Magnus doesn’t make idle threats. We need to find the Black Card and cut off his power before he gets any stronger.”Mara stopped pacing, her eyes burning with determination. “And what about Camelia? You can’t keep letting her get away with this.”Marcus’s expression darkened. “She’ll get what’s coming to her. I just need to figure out the right time to strike.”Meanwhile, acr