"Father, you can't do this to me, it isn't fair!" Rejoice backed up like a terrified animal being cornered.
"I requested you to do a simple job, but you dared to disobey me and now you are saying it isn't fair?" Marcos' father's voice sounded gruff.
"Alright!" Rejoice screamed, "I apologize! I am sorry! Now leave me alone father!"
"Leave you alone?" Marcos' father scoffed, "You think you can order anyone as you like? Particularly me? Guess again."
"I— I– am sorry, I won't do it again, I made a mistake!" Rejoice cried as she shook, knocking over everything in her way, trying to get away from him.
"You should have just kept shut and did as I inquired of you to!" He yelled, his eyes turning a pale red.
"Your Highness!" Rejoice, mother, Margret called, "Please your Highness, she's still a child!"
"A child?" One of Marcos' older siblings said sarcastically. "At twenty-three?"
"Don't upset His Highness, Rejoice is entitled to what's coming to her!" Frederick interrupted, seeing as Margret was about to interfere.
"She merits this?" Margret asked, "Is this how cruel you are to your sister?"
"Correction concubine Margret, your daughter is not my sister. I refuse to acknowledge a stupid-headed bimbo as a relative." Frederick said.
"Stop your foolish words, both of you!" Richard, the first son, cut in coldly. "If you desire to have your heads severed from your bodies then persist, I dare you."
Richard's chill words ended all rivalries, forcing their priority to shift to the old man and his daughter.
"She looks terrified, aren't you going to help her?" Lisa whispered to Marcos.
Lifting an eyebrow, "And why would I do that?" Marcos asked. "You wanted an apology, so why are you so concerned about this?"
"Not this sort of apology." He watched as Lisa rolled her eyes. "This isn't sincere, it would only make them hate me!"
"Why do you care if they hate you or not? It isn't like they can do you any harm is it?" Marcos casually replied.
Slapping his broad rock-like chest with her palm, "You treat people like air all the time, but I am not you because dealing with people like that has consequences."
Marcos chuckled, "All this only for me to intrude in what's going on?" He squeezed her nose, his eyes softly staying on her.
"Not everyone is a saint like you doll. Don't you think she gets what is about to happen to her? I mean, look around us babe, I am not the only one here but no one stands up for her, except her mother and that tells you something."
"No one stands for her because they do not have the guts to do so!" Lisa angrily faced him, her voice softly carried to his ears nonetheless. "You are different!"
Marcos sighed out loud, "Being different has nothing to do with this matter." He turned speechless. "Fine, on one condition."
"What condition?" Lisa suspiciously stared at him.
Coming close to her, like a huge secret was about to be spilled, he beckoned her, his lips slightly twitching. "Come closer."
When she was close enough, he placed his lips on hers.
When his lips fell on hers, it was so light, it felt like a feather.
Only when she felt the body temperature of his lips did she know he pecked her.
Lisa stared at him stunned, reminiscing about the feel of his surprisingly soft lips.
"You...!" Lisa stammered speechless–ly, her gaze turning fierce.
"Don't worry love, you've kept your part of the deal and now it's my turn to keep to the end of the bargain." He said.
Lisa stared at him, this was one of the first times she heard him say so much in a day.
Maybe he didn't realize it, but he was starting to change.
"Growl!"
An angry animalistic growl escaped the old man's throat, drawing their attention back to the old man.
Chills climbed up Lisa's spine as she watched a human produce this sound.
"P–please." Rejoice choked in between sobs, her father's closed fist wrapped around her neck. "F–father!" She cried, "I am so–sorry."
"It's too late for sorries." Her father roared, his eyes glowing fiercely. "I gave you an order, I didn't ask! Now, you get to pay for disobeying me."
"Someone!" Margret screamed in tears, watching her only daughter being strangled by her father. "Please do something, please!"
Amidst all the drama, Marcos slowly stood up, his feet silently moved towards the center of the commotion.
If he had one wish, that would be to disappear from here.
He sighed, "Enough old man."
His voice wasn't the loudest nor was it the softest but somehow, it was still heard.
Like a drama that was staged, everything froze.
Marcos' cold eyes, his expressionless face, his majestic voice, and his gloomy aura all combined, like a director whose actors failed to get a scene, made everyone subconsciously feel fear.
"Your act doesn't cut it, sir, I can tell what's real and what's fake."
"You caught me then." He said, with a look of disgust on his face. He took his palm which was wrapped around Rejoice's neck, throwing her like she was nothing. "My acting was top-notch. I wonder how you found any flaws."
"Top notch?" He scoffed, "Don't think you can fool me, why would you do anything to your precious daughter?" He sarcastically refuted, "Let's get this over with, I don't like to keep my matters unattended."
Marcos' father let out a laugh. "That isn't why you are impatient."
"That's my business, let's discuss what I am here for." Marcos coldly cut. "I wouldn't love to spend a second more in this place. The sooner I leave, the better."
"How can you be so unfeeling to a place you grew up in son?" His father asked with a smile on his face.
"Let me remind you of your role as an old man." Marcos let out a cold air, "You are my sperm donor, not my father. Do not call me your son ever again Mr Ross. We have long severed whatever ties us together."
Mr Ross, smiled, "still unable to forget the past over something trivial as that?"
"Trivial?"
Lisa heard Marcos' voice tremble, her heart nearly missing a beat.
This heartless and crude man, she thought.
Mr Ross, takes what happened thirteen years ago, as trivial? She kept asking in her mind, what kind of father was this?
"Isn't it?" Mr Ross snickered, "It's been so long isn't it time for you to get over it?"
"What did you say?" Marcos gritted with a growl, "So long you say?"
"Hasn't it?" Mr Ross replied, looking at Marcos like he was foolish. "It's time you got over it."
"You want me to forget the fact that my mother's death was due to your negligence?" Marcos gritted.
"What imprudence? Where have I ever been careless, especially when it comes to my concubines?" Mr Ross shamelessly replied. "Your mother's demise had nothing to do with me. Everyone dies one day, her's was an unfortunate event that happened unexpectedly."
"Regardless, you have the effrontery to say this to my face?"
"If I don't say it to you, then do you mind me telling it to Damien, perhaps your mate Lisa would be a better option since those two are the only people you listen to." Mr. Ross said, heading to the other end of the hall.
Before Marcos could refute, Mr Ross had already walked to the end of the hall, which led to a passage, leading to his office.
"Let's not discuss our unattractive topics in front of so many people, if you have anything to say, come say it to me in the office."
With a dark face, Marcos turned to show a smile to Lisa. "I will be right back, remember don't trust anyone, and don't let them bully you." He then called to his younger brother, "Damien, take care of your sister-in-law, and show her to your room, I will be right back."
Sorry for the late update. Vote and comment 🥰