“What… what are you saying?” Marcus’s voice fractured with disbelief. Was she truly threatening him with ultimatums?
“Consider it carefully,” Elena replied, her tone as cool and unyielding as polished marble. “And until you reach a decision, do not reach out to me. I rarely allow myself time away from obligations. I intend to spend this respite on my own well-being.”
With those final words, she ended the call, the screen fading to black like a curtain drawn across their unraveling connection.
When Marcus attempted to call back moments later, the line connected directly to voicemail. She had employed the same defensive strategy once more, and it appeared she had grown rather fond of its quiet power.
In the solitude of his dimly lit villa, Marcus’s chest rose and fell with barely contain
