Chapter 39 Dangerous Ties
Finished
After the Fairchilds had her locked up, Quinn completely lost contact with Marcus. She had tried reaching out to him during that time, but it was as if he’d vanished from Roxden–no news, no trace.
“Marcus… it’s really you!”
Quinn’s face lit up with a smile of surprise and delight. Then came a deep sense of relief–relief that they had met again.
The Marcus in front of her now was nothing like the one she remembered from school. He was more mature, more composed. He had always had a pair of striking, fox–like eyes, but now there was a sharper, more calculating edge to them. Yet somehow, they still held a lingering warmth that made it impossible to guess what he was really thinking.
He was taller now, broader too, dressed in a black, knee–length tailored coat. He looked like he’d stepped straight off a clothing rack–his tall nose and sharply defined features as precise as if they’d been painted with a fine–tipped brush.
Back in school, Marcus had always been the subject of every girl’s daydreams. But with his natural aloofness, few ever dared to approach him. Quinn had always felt that he only seemed cold–he was actually a kind person. Otherwise, why would he have helped her carry her luggage on the very first day of college?
Stanley stepped out from behind Marcus, glancing between him and Quinn.
“So you really do know each other. I thought you were messing with me.”
That day, when Marcus had just returned from overseas and contacted him, Stanley had casually mentioned Quinn’s name. This mysterious, freakishly brilliant cousin of his claimed he knew her–Stanley hadn’t believed him until now.
“It’s been a long time, Quinn.” Marcus held out his long, elegant hand, palm up, and looked at her.
Quinn beamed and reached out to shake his hand without hesitation. “Marcus, I can’t believe you ended up being my client after all these years. What are the odds?”
Marcus’s lips curved into a subtle smile. His voice was rich and smooth, his gaze flickering with heat.
“It’s been a while. You’ve gotten cheekier, haven’t you? I’m really glad we ran into each other again, Quinn.”
Their easy conversation was clearly visible from the hallway–Zayden saw it all.
That tall man… Zayden couldn’t explain why, but he felt a creeping sense of danger from him.
He did his best to ignore the discomfort, but the way his lips were pressed tig‘ and his fists clenched at his sides made his unease all too clear.
Marcus shifted his gaze slightly, catching Zayden’s stare. He turned just enough to meet his eyes across the
room.
Something tense and wordless passed between them.
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Chapter 39 Dangerous Ties
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** Finished
But one thing was very clear to Zayden–Marcus’s feelings for Quinn weren’t as harmless as they looked.
The sense of threat pressed in from all directions. Zayden took a slow, deep breath and turned to leave.
Marcus casually withdrew his gaze and looked back at Quinn’s familiar smile.
Good thing I came back in time.
At least, Marcus was sure of one thing–Quinn and Zayden weren’t together. That was enough.
Quinn had no idea about the silent storm raging between the two men. All she knew was that if Marcus was her client, it would only benefit the company.
She began calculating the company’s income over the past six months. If things continued like this, it would be enough to support both her and her grandfather.
Life was finally starting to look up. Everything was moving in the right direction.
Before parting ways, she and Marcus agreed to meet for dinner sometime soon. Just then, her phone buzzed.
A message had arrived. It was an address to an old town–with a demand attached that she couldn’t afford to
pay.
Quinn stared at it for a long time.
In the end, she replied with just two words.
“I agree.”
She had met Damon in prison. At first, she thought he was just some kid who’d made a mistake. But when she found out he had killed his own parents, she understood why he kept to himself, why the other inmates stayed away from him.
Quinn had always treated everyone kindly–including Damon.
But Damon had never shown her the slightest kindness in return. In fact, he was the one who’d told the prison bullies where she was hiding, which had almost gotten her killed.
Later, when she was thrown into solitary confinement for the first time, no one was allowed to visit. But somehow, Damon showed up at her door.
His black eyes locked onto her, scanning the injuries on her face. For the first time, that cold, cruel face actually showed a flicker of guilt.
He snorted, tossed her a bottle of medicine, and muttered, “It’s your fault for always hovering around me. That’s why I told them where you were hiding.”
Back then, Quinn was at her lowest–completely broken, no fight left in her. All she could think about was getting out and taking revenge.
But that darkness inside her was exactly what drew Damon in.
