chapter Nine

Marcus found himself consumed by thoughts . not knowing he was defeated by the hands that had left a bitter taste in his mouth, a constant reminder of his own shortcomings.

as he sat in his office, brooding over the turn of events, his phone buzzed with an incoming call. It was Veronica Ray, Marcus never really cared to take the call but still he it up " what " he answered in a cold manner

Veronica Ray ignored his cold tone and instead said with her voice tinged with a mixture of hope and apprehension.

" baby love , it's getting late. Are you coming home for dinner?"

Marcus's gaze flicked to the clock, the realization of the hour jolting him from his reverie. The truth was, he had been so consumed by his own thoughts that he had lost track of time.

He hesitated, the weight of his recent obsession with KxT casting a shadow over his response. "I have a lot on my plate right now, Veronica. So please stop disturbing me while I'm at work"

There was a brief pause on the line, followed by a heavy sigh from Veronica. "baby love , we hardly spend any time together anymore. I miss you."

The ache in Veronica's voice was palpable, a poignant reminder of the distance that had grown between them. Marcus's heart twinged with guilt, but his own inner turmoil held him captive.

"I have to go, Veronica" Marcus said, his tone cool and distant. "We'll talk later."

He ended the call abruptly, the weight of his own actions settling heavily on his shoulders. He knew he was hurting Veronica, but she was the reason why Liana left him , knew that he was allowing his own demons to take over his mind . But he felt powerless to stop it.

But at this time Marcus cared about his so called wife Veronica instead he just wanted to meet up with the company with stole KxT from him and with that he took his car keys and decided to go to 'Li-Rose' himself this time.

....

The day had been a whirlwind for Liana . After the acquisition, there were countless documents to review and decisions to be made. As the afternoon sun began to cast long shadows through her office window, Liana Eros finally closed the last file, a sense of accomplishment washing over her.

But then her phone rang, keeping it up the caller said " Miss Eros this is from bright shine kindergarten, we are calling you to inform you that school time is over "

As realization hits her,Liana replied " I will be on my way now " saying this she off the call she turned and looked at the clock on the wall " Shit , I almost forgot about Layla "

With that she stood up in a rush and packed her stuffs she locked her office and was about to make her way to the elevator, her thoughts already shifting to the next task on her agenda—picking up Layla from school. It was a responsibility she cherished, a reminder of the life she had built outside the corporate battlefield.

As she entered the lobby of her company, she was lost in thought, her mind already on the conversation she would have with her dear Layla about the day's events.

Meanwhile The city lights glowed like distant stars as Marcus Xavier car wove through the labyrinth of streets. His mind was a tempest of conflicting emotions, fueled by his relentless determination to meet up with the owner of 'Li-Rose'. He couldn't ignore the pull any longer; he needed to face the The person who had become an indelible part of his reason why he lost KxT.

Arriving at Liana's company 'Li-Rose' , Marcus took a moment to collect himself. The sleek, glass-fronted building stood as a testament to Liana's success, a reflection of the formidable force she had become.

As he drove through the company's Lobby something caught his attention as he packed his car and got out of it .

A lady was walking in a rush as if she was late for something as she walked towards his direction

On the other hand Liana hurriedly walked to where her car was but then accidentally bumps into someone

" I'm really sorry ,l.." She tried to apologize but was shocked to see who she run into , it was non other than her ex husband Marcus Xavier

" Liana " Marcus was surprise and shocked to see Liana Eros because it had been five years since their divorce and he still hates the fact that he wants her back

Liana on the other hand just move and was about to live when suddenly Marcus held her hands , she froze at that spot as memories of the day they got divorce came back to her

She could still remember how he brutally chased her out of his life and announced he was going to marry someone else alright in front of her

She felt a surge of pain right in her heart as she tried to break free from his grip

" let go of me Mr Xavier " Liana said in a sharp tone with out even giving him a glance

She knew he came to her company because of what happened in the morning about her acquiring KxT and she knows it was her fault to lure the lion into her cage and she knew she had to pay for her action but how will she do that

Marcus Xavier just kept his grid on her hand firm as he kept on looking at her , he was puzzled for a while , he still couldn't belief it was really the woman he loves and hate at the same time

" Let go of me Mr Xavier " she repeated this time with a cold tone thinking that he might let her go if she doesn't show him her weakness

" and what will you do if I don't Liana , I mean Miss Eros "