Chapter 13 - The Serpent's Whisper
My heart completely stopped beating in my chest.
I could not breathe, and the hallway suddenly felt like a shrinking, airless vacuum.
What did Marcus mean about the truth behind our marriage?
Before I could process the horrific implications, heavy footsteps approached the doorway.
I quickly spun around, walking rapidly down the corridor as if I had just arrived on the floor.
Marcus stepped out of Julian’s office, buttoning his expensive, tailored gray suit with agonizing slowness.
He saw me, and a wicked, entirely predatory smile spread across his handsome face.
"Ah, the miraculous Elena," Marcus purred, stepping directly into my path.
"You must be Marcus," I said, keeping my voice completely devoid of any emotion.
"I am," he replied, his venomous green eyes tracing my features with sickening interest.
"Julian failed to mention how truly breathtaking his little corporate shield is in person."
"I am no one’s shield," I fired back, holding my ground with absolute defiance.
Marcus leaned in, the smell of cheap cigars and stale whiskey invading my personal space.
"Are you so sure about that, Elena?" he whispered maliciously.
"Did Julian ever tell you that your grandmother’s trust owned the prime real estate beneath his flagship casino?"
I froze, the heavy ledgers suddenly feeling like lead weights in my arms.
"Without your money, his latest mega-project would have collapsed entirely into bankruptcy."
Marcus tapped the side of his own head, mocking my ignorance.
"He didn't save you out of love, sweetheart."
"He saved you because marrying you was the only legal way to save himself."
Marcus stepped aside, leaving me completely paralyzed in the cold, empty hallway.
May you like
"Ask him about the zoning permits, Elena," Marcus called back over his shoulder.
"If you are brave enough to hear the answer."
