Hannah stared at it. There had to be a mistake. She hurried outside just as Marcus reached his car. Sir, he turned. You left too much. Marcus laughed. No, I didn’t. Before Hannah could protest, he climbed into his vehicle and drove away. Watching from across the street, Lucas felt something tighten inside his chest.
At first glance, the interaction looked harmless, but something about Marcus bothered him. The man’s attention seemed too deliberate, too focused. Lucas had spent years studying people in business negotiations. He recognized calculated behavior when he saw it. The feeling stayed with him, and feelings like that rarely appeared without reason.
Back at home that night, Hannah sat beside her grandmother, Rose, in their small apartment. The apartment showed signs of decades of struggle. peeling paint, old furniture, a refrigerator that rattled loudly whenever it turned on. Yet warmth filled every corner. Because love lived there. Rose smiled as Hannah handed her medicine.
