“Sir, you need to leave.””
Marcus smiled faintly.
“Still?””
“Then call the owner.””
“I don't need to.””
Vanessa opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
The phone in her pocket vibrated again.
This time, the sound seemed deafening.
Jordan looked at her.
“Vanessa…”
She pulled the phone out.
Her thumb hovered over the screen.
Marcus watched.
“Go ahead,” he said.
She looked at him.
“Go ahead and what?””
“Read it.””
Vanessa's eyes hardened.
“You have no right—”
Her phone screen suddenly lit up.
A new message appeared.
She read it.
And the color drained from her face.
Marcus saw her expression.
He didn't need to see the message.
Not yet.
He simply looked at the phone.
Then at Vanessa.
Then at the blinking red light in his hand.
“Interesting,” he said again.
And Vanessa whispered one sentence that made Jordan stop breathing.
“That's impossible.””
Chapter 3: Do Not Let Him Leave
Vanessa stared at her phone as if the screen had betrayed her.
Jordan leaned toward her.
She pulled the phone against her chest.
Jordan shook his head.
“No. You just said that's impossible.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“Go help the customers.””
“Vanessa, what is happening?””
“Now.””
Jordan didn't move.
Marcus stood across the reception desk, completely still.
The showroom lights reflected across the polished marble beneath his boots.
The key fob rested between his fingers.
The tiny red light blinked.
Vanessa looked at it.
Her eyes returned to Marcus.
She swallowed.
“You should probably answer him.””
Vanessa's voice was barely above a whisper.
“I don't know what you think you're doing.””
Marcus tilted his head.
“I haven't said what I'm doing.””
“You walked in here.””
“You touched a vehicle.””
“I tried to.””
“Then you put that device on the counter.””
“I didn't put it on the car.””
Vanessa's eyes narrowed.
She looked around the showroom.
Every employee suddenly seemed interested in anything except the reception desk.
One man pretended to organize brochures.
A woman wiped an already spotless counter.
Jordan remained frozen beside a display vehicle.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“You need to stop.””
“Stop what?””
“You know.””
“I don't.””
She stared at him.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Marcus placed both hands flat on the counter.
“Call the owner.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I can't.””
“He's not available.””
Marcus glanced at her phone.
“Your phone seems to disagree.””
Vanessa's grip tightened around it.
Jordan finally spoke.
“Vanessa, maybe you should just call him.””
She turned toward him.
“You don't understand.””
“Then explain it.””
“I said you don't understand.””
Marcus watched them.
The tension between the two employees was now almost as strong as the tension between Marcus and Vanessa.
Jordan took a step toward Vanessa.
“What did he send you?””
Jordan's eyes dropped to the phone.
“Let me see it.””
“Why not?””
“Because I said no.””
Marcus quietly said, “That's enough.””
Jordan looked at him.
Marcus's expression remained calm.
“You don't need to argue.””
“You're the one causing this.””
“Maybe.””
The answer seemed to unsettle Jordan more than an argument would have.
Vanessa looked toward the showroom entrance.
The glass doors were only a few yards away.
Marcus followed her eyes.
Then he looked back.
“You keep looking at the door.””
“I manage this showroom.””
“I noticed.””
“I have customers.””
“I noticed that too.””
“And you're disrupting my business.””
“Then why hasn't anyone asked me to leave?””
Vanessa froze.
Jordan looked toward the other employees.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Marcus slowly lifted the key fob.
The red light blinked against his fingertips.
Vanessa's eyes locked onto it.
“What is that recording?””
“What did you record?””
Still nothing.
“Marcus—”
She stopped.
The room went silent.
Vanessa's eyes widened slightly.
She had said his name.
She knew it.
Marcus didn't ask how.
He only watched her.
Vanessa quickly looked away.
“I meant—”
Marcus interrupted softly.
“You know my name.””
“I've seen your name.””
“Where?””
She didn't answer.
Jordan looked between them.
“You know him?””
Vanessa's face tightened.
Marcus gave a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
“That's another interesting answer.””
Vanessa stepped back.
Her phone vibrated.
She looked down.
This time, Marcus didn't ask her to read it.
She did anyway.
Her eyes moved across the screen.
Then stopped.
Her lips parted.
Jordan leaned closer.
Vanessa whispered, “I can't.””
“I can't read this.””
Vanessa slowly raised her eyes.
Their gazes met.
For the first time, Marcus saw genuine fear on her face.
Not irritation.
Not embarrassment.
Fear.
She turned the phone around.