CHAPTER TEN: MARCUS'S VISIT

Saturday morning. Leo sat in his high chair, mashed banana smeared across his face. He banged his plastic spoon against the tray, laughing.

"More?" I held up another piece.

He reached for it with both hands. Grabbed it. Shoved it in his mouth.

I smiled. "Messy boy."

Someone knocked on the door.

I froze. Nobody visited. Nobody knew where I lived except Marcus and the babysitter.

The knock came again. Harder.

I wiped Leo's hands. Walked to the door. Looked through the peephole.

Marcus.

My stomach dropped.

I opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

He pushed past me. "Can I come in? Oh wait, I already did."

"Marcus"

"Where's your phone?" He turned to face me. His jaw was tight. Eyes hard.

"In my room. Why?"

"I've been calling you for two days. Two days, Aurora."

"Don't call me that. And I've been busy."

"Too busy to answer your phone?"

Leo banged his spoon. Marcus looked at him. His expression softened for a second. Then hardened again.

"We need to talk."

"I'm in the middle of feeding him."

"Then I'll wait."

He sat on the couch. Crossed his arms.

I walked back to the kitchen. Gave Leo another piece of banana. My hands shook slightly.

Marcus watched. Silent.

I fed Leo the rest of his breakfast. Wiped his face. Lifted him out of the high chair. Set him on his play mat with some toys.

Then I turned to Marcus. "What's so urgent?"

"You tell me. You haven't checked in. You haven't answered calls. For all I know, Adrian figured out who you are."

"He hasn't."

"How do I know that?"

"Because I'm standing here. If he knew, I'd be dead."

Marcus flinched. "Don't say that."

"It's true."

He stood. Walked to the window. Stared out at the street. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit." He turned. "You're different. Distant. Every time I call, you brush me off."

"I'm working. Building his trust. Like we planned."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Is it working?"

I thought about Thursday. Adrian at his desk, asking my opinion. The way he looked at me when I answered. The gratitude in his voice.

"Yes. It's working."

Marcus studied me. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

He walked closer. Too close. "Because if you're having doubts"

"I'm not."

"If you're getting attached"

"I said I'm not."

We stared at each other. Leo babbled on his mat, oblivious.

Marcus's expression changed. Softened. He reached out. Touched my arm. "I'm just worried about you."

I stepped back. His hand fell.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. You look exhausted."

"I have a two-year-old and a full-time job. Of course I'm exhausted."

"That's not what I mean." He moved closer again. "You look... conflicted."

My chest tightened. "I'm not conflicted. I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're forgetting why you're there. What he did to you."

Heat flashed through me. "I haven't forgotten anything."

"Haven't you?"

"Get out."

He blinked. "What?"

"I said get out. You don't get to come into my home and question me. You don't get to act like I'm some fragile thing that needs protecting."

"That's not what I'm"

"Yes, it is. You've been doing it since the hospital. Treating me like I'm broken. Like I can't handle this."

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to." I pointed at the door. "Leave."

He didn't move. Just stared at me. Something flickered in his eyes. Something I didn't want to name.

"Aurora"

"My name is Rory. And you need to go."

"Not until you tell me the truth."

"About what?"

"About him. About Adrian. About what's really going on."

"Nothing is going on. I'm doing exactly what we planned. Gaining his trust. Getting close. Finding his weaknesses."

"And then what?"

I froze. "What?"

"After you find his weaknesses. After you're close enough. What's the endgame here?"

"You know the endgame."

"Do I? Because every time I ask for details, you change the subject. Every time I try to talk about the next phase, you shut down."

"Because I'm focused on this phase. On making him trust me."

"And you've done that. So what's next?"

I opened my mouth. Closed it.

Marcus stepped closer. "You don't know, do you?"

"I know."

"Then tell me."

"I'll destroy him. Everything he's built. His company. His reputation. Everything."

"How?"

"I'm still figuring that out."

"Are you? Or are you stalling?"

"I'm not stalling."

"Then prove it. Tell me one thing. One concrete thing you're planning to do to him."

My mind went blank. I saw Adrian at his desk. At dinner. In his office, looking tired and vulnerable and human.

Too human.

"I'm gathering information," I said finally. "Building evidence. When the time comes"

"When the time comes, you'll what? Turn him in? He covered his tracks too well. The police closed the case. There's no evidence linking him to what happened."

"Then I'll find evidence."

"Or maybe..." Marcus tilted his head. "Maybe you don't want to."

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" He moved even closer. Close enough that I could smell his cologne. "You're spending every day with him. Having dinners. Conversations. He's confiding in you. Trusting you. Maybe that feels good. Maybe it feels like"

"Stop."

"Like he's the man you fell in love with. Before everything went wrong."

My hand moved before I could think. The slap cracked across his face.

Marcus's head snapped to the side. He touched his cheek. Looked at me.

Leo started crying.

I turned away. Picked up my son. Held him against my chest. "You need to leave. Now."

Marcus stood there. Silent. His cheek was red where I had hit him.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have"

"Just go."

He walked to the door. Stopped. "I'm doing this because I care about you. Because I don't want to see you get hurt again."

"I won't."

"You can't promise that."

"Watch me."

He opened the door. Paused. "He killed you, Aurora. He stood over you while you bled out. He left you to die. Don't forget that."

Then he left.

The door clicked shut.

I stood there. Leo squirmed in my arms. I set him back on his mat. He grabbed a toy. Started chewing on it.

I walked to the kitchen. Braced my hands on the counter. Took deep breaths.

One. Two. Three.

Marcus was wrong. I wasn't forgetting. I wasn't getting attached.

I was doing my job. Playing my role. Being exactly what Adrian needed me to be.

That's all.

My phone buzzed on the counter. I picked it up.

Adrian: *Hope you're having a good weekend. See you Monday.*

I stared at the message. My thumb hovered over the screen.

Monday. Back to the office. Back to being Reina Vale, perfect assistant, trusted confidant.

Back to the man who murdered me.

I set down the phone. Looked at Leo. He'd rolled onto his stomach, reaching for a stuffed bear.

His father's eyes looked up at me.

My hand went to the ring under my shirt. The diamond dug into my palm.

I remembered the hospital. The pain. The fear. Marcus sitting beside my bed, promising we'd make Adrian pay.

I remembered all of it.

So why did Marcus's words keep echoing in my head?

*Maybe you don't want to.*

I walked to the window. Stared down at the street. People walked by. Cars passed. Normal Saturday afternoon.

Somewhere across the city, Adrian was probably working. Or at the gym. Or doing whatever billionaires did on weekends.

Not thinking about the woman he shot. The life he destroyed.

My jaw clenched.

I pulled out my phone. Opened a new note.

*Endgame. Plan. Steps.*

I stared at the blank screen.

Typed: *Destroy Adrian Thorne.*

Then stared at those three words.

Delete. Delete. Delete.

I closed the app. Set down the phone.

Leo made a sound. I turned. He was sitting up, arms reaching for me.

I picked him up. Held him close. Breathed in his baby smell.

"I'm doing this for you," I whispered. "I'm doing this for us."

He grabbed my hair. Pulled. Laughed.

My phone buzzed again.

Marcus: *I'm sorry. Call me when you're ready.*

I didn't respond.

Outside, clouds gathered. Rain started falling. Soft at first. Then harder.

I stood at the window with Leo. Watched the city disappear behind gray curtain of water.

Monday would come. I would go back. Be perfect. Be trusted.

And eventually, I'd figure out the endgame.

I had to.

Because Marcus was wrong.

I wasn't getting attached.

I wasn't.