Marcus watched Natalie approach, his eyes steady and unblinking. He was more than satisfied with the outfit he'd picked.
Natalie had no clue what was going through his head as she reached him quickly. "Mr. Holden, I'm ready. Can we go now?"
"Yeah, let's go," Marcus said, getting up and walking beside her.
A breeze swept past, bringing a faint scent of lemon to his nose. The hotel's body wash must be lemon-scented.
…
Back at the hospital, Marcus skipped the guest elevator. Instead, he took Natalie down a different corridor and used the staff elevator to reach the VIP floor.
After stepping out, Natalie asked flatly, "Why didn't you take me this way earlier?"
"I just found out about it. Hector mentioned it when I called him while getting your clothes," Marcus said as he walked ahead.
They reached Emma's VIP ward in no time, and Marcus knocked on the door.
"Come in." Emma's voice came from the bed.
"I'll wait here," Natalie said. She had no intention of going inside. She was only here to wait for Marcus so they could visit Charles afterward.
"Alright," Marcus replied.
He pushed the door open and stepped in, leaving it ajar. Natalie leaned against the wall outside.
"Ms. Emma," Marcus said, his tone ice-cold. "I heard you were eager to see me. So, have you finally decided to confess your sins?"
Whatever fleeting joy Emma had felt vanished in an instant.
"Gabriel has already confessed," Marcus continued, watching the color drain from her face. "He said you were the one behind it."
He spoke in a deep, frigid tone, every syllable slicing through the air. His dark, penetrating gaze locked onto Emma. His stare had always been intense, and now, with every trace of warmth stripped away, it left her frozen in place.
"You gave him the drug-laced cigarettes, and you ordered him to have Flash ram into my car," Marcus said, his gaze unwavering. "You've been so eager to see me. What is it? Finally ready to confess and make amends?"
Emma's face turned ghostly pale, her eyes widening in shock. Under the covers, her fingers clenched the bedsheet in a death grip.
It couldn't be true. Gabriel had sworn he'd never betray her. If something had changed, he would have warned her when Noah brought him in the middle of the night.
Marcus had to be bluffing. He could do nothing as long as Emma refused to admit it. She clung to that belief.
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