Twice The Lies

Chapter 6: Yellow and Questions.

Chapter 6: Yellow and Questions.

“Marcus… I… how did you?” I stuttered, forcing a nervous smile. My phone was still warm against my palm.

Marcus stepped fully into the room like he owned air itself. Today he wore a bright yellow shirt—so offensively bright it almost glowed—and a pair of blue jeans that hugged perfectly on him. Simple and effortlessly expensive.

He raised both hands in surrender. “Before you sentence me to execution, I apologize.”

I blinked.

“I was taking my usual dramatic walk through these never-ending hallways,” he continued, glancing around as though the corridors personally offended him. “Alexander lets me sleep here sometimes, Yunno, my way of escaping the ladies back at my place.”

I smiled. The kind that showed amusement.

"Ah, oh, yes, I want to apologize for the way I acted earlier on at the reception. I was…you know…a bit boozed and all sorts of stuff. I mean, I'm usually that way, but not all the time.”

I felt a little relief wash over me. “It's okay. At least you aren't a failed experiment," I added.

Marcus grinned from ear to ear. “Finally, someone who has my back.”

We stepped into the hallway as he continued, “Honestly, this house is long enough to qualify as a cardio plan. And I might have overheard… a little.”

My feet froze. “You overheard?” I repeated lightly, though my throat had tightened.

“Eavesdropping is such an ugly word. Well, let’s say… my ears accidentally did their job.” He winced playfully.

I forced a small laugh, taking silent steps as we walked further.

“I was just talking to my best friend,” I said silently, hoping he wouldn't notice my shivering hands. “She wanted to see me tonight.”

Marcus nodded as if this explanation fit neatly into a box in his mind. “Ah. Best friends. The real intelligence agencies of the world.”

I smiled again, carefully.

“Exactly.”

“And I should apologize, actually,” he added, placing a hand dramatically over his chest. “For intruding on classified operations.”

His tone was light and easy, but his eyes… they had paused on me longer than usual. I hated the fact that my palms were sweating.

“It’s fine,” I said finally, slipping the phone into my pocket. “You didn’t mean to.”

He tilted his head. “Still. Privacy is sacred.”

Before the silence could grow teeth, I shifted. “You and Alexander seem really close,” I said, turning slightly to face him as we walked slowly, casually. “How did you two meet?”

There was the grin again. The one that indicated that I had successfully averted danger—at least for now.

“Ah,” Marcus breathed. “Now that is a story. Well, Alexander was military. Ex-military, to be precise.”

I blinked in surprise. “Military? I didn’t know that,” I murmured.

“Most people don’t. He doesn’t exactly introduce himself with it.” Marcus chuckled. “We met in Afghanistan. Years ago.”

Afghanistan. I quickly imagined Alexander with his muscular arms, holding a gun in one hand as he and his team ran through shards of metal and bullets.

“I wasn’t a soldier,” Marcus added quickly, lifting a hand. “Let’s be clear. I prefer markets to bullets. I was there on financial operations. Contracts. Supply chain investments. War may be chaotic, but money? Money loves chaos.”

I almost smiled again.

“Alexander was on a mission,” he continued. “Yunno, Complicated. Classified. Dangerous kind of stuff. The kind of situation where everyone is tense and hoping they make it out alive—at least for the next mission.”

His expression softened slightly. “He trusted me.”

That surprised me. “Why?”

Marcus shrugged. “Because I didn’t flinch.”

Something about the way he said it made me think there was more to that story. Something bloody. Something final.

“And after that?” I asked as we took a right turn into a hallway I thought I had seen before.

“We became friends. Simple as that.” He smirked. “He saved my life once. I saved his money more than once. Fair trade.”

I laughed quietly. The fear of my identity being exposed had somehow vanished completely. At least for the meantime.

“Why did he stop being in the military?” I asked carefully. Curiosity was slowly replacing my fears.

Marcus’s smile widened, but it didn’t reach his eyes this time.

“Oh, that?” He waved a hand dismissively. “Let’s just say… the military and Alexander had creative differences.”

“Creative differences?” I raised a brow as my brain tried to dismantle the words into understandable meanings.

“He doesn’t like being told what to do.”

“That doesn’t narrow it down,” I pressed gently.

Marcus chuckled. “Some stories aren’t mine to tell, Mrs. DeLuca.”

There it was again. The name that belonged to someone else. I swallowed. “And his wife?” I asked, keeping my tone light. “Sapphire’s mother?”

The shift was immediate. Subtle. But immediate.

I noticed as he straightened slightly. That playful ease dimmed away as he scratched the back of his neck. “You don’t ask him about that,” Marcus finally said, which sounded more like a subtle warning than advice. “He doesn’t talk about her. And if you value your peace… don’t push it.”

My chest tightened. “Is she—”

“Victoria.”

The way he said my name stopped me. His expression wasn’t angry. It was a clear warning.

“Alexander doesn’t forgive betrayal,” he added lightly, almost joking. Almost.

My heartbeat skipped as the irony burned against my ribs. “I was just curious.”

“Curiosity is healthy,” he replied, the smile returning fully this time. “But some wounds are still open.”

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I nearly flinched. Excuse me,” I murmured, pulling it out.

Mother.

My breath caught.

I turned to Marcus, who was just staring at me with a smile on his lips that seemed too natural. “I need to take this,” I said softly.

“Of course. Classified operations, remember?”

I smiled and walked toward the far end of the hallway. But even as I moved away, I felt his steady gaze on me. It wasn't suspicious; it felt rather thoughtful, like he was trying to uncover some Egyptian artifact in his mind.

He hadn’t sensed anything off. He had laughed. And yet the way he watched me walk away made my spine stiffen.