Chapter 61
Marcus/Dante Pov
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That afternoon, after Elara had stormed out of the penthouse without eating his carefully prepared breakfast, Marcus sat alone in the silence of his home for about an hour before he finally picked up his phone and called Dante.
“Come over,” Marcus said when Dante answered. “I need to talk.”
“Give me thirty minutes.”
Dante showed up in twenty-five, letting himself in through the front door like he owned the place. He found Marcus in the game room, already setting up the pool table.
“You look like hell, Rough morning?” Dante asked, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on the back of a chair.
“Something like that.”
They played a few rounds of pool, the familiar rhythm of the game helping Marcus organize his thoughts. The sound of balls hitting each other filled the silence between them.
After Dante sank three balls in a row, clearly winning this round, they moved to the living room and turned on the football match that had been playing in the background.
Marcus grabbed two beers from the fridge, handed one to Dante, and finally spoke about what had been weighing on his mind all day.
“I have a little issue with Elara. We’re not really speaking right now.”
Dante looked up from the TV, eyebrows raised. “Wait, what? I thought things were going well. You two just got back from Santorini looking like an actual couple for once.”
“Yeah, well, that changed pretty quickly.”
Marcus explained everything. The whole mess with going to visit Elara’s mother without telling her first. How he’d thought he was doing something good, being a proper husband, introducing himself to his mother-in-law. How Elara had completely blown up at him when she found out. And then, because Dante would find out eventually anyway, he told him about what happened in Santorini. The punishment. Leaving her unfinished.
Dante stared at him for a long moment after he finished talking, his expression somewhere between disbelief and secondhand embarrassment.
“Wait, hold on. Let me get this straight.” Dante set down his beer ignoring every other word Marcus had said and focused only on the ‘punishment aspect. “After you left her half-finished like that, she’s still trying to apologize to you? She’s still attempting to work things out?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Marcus, you’re an idiot.” Dante shook his head. “Never, ever leave a woman unsatisfied like that. That’s cruel. And the fact that Elara is still even speaking to you after all of this? She’s a good person. Better than
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Chapter 61
you deserve, honestly.”
“Oh, shut up.”
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“I’m serious.” Dante leaned forward, his expression more sincere now. “You asked me for advice about marrying her in the first place, remember? I told you she was perfect for this. And she has been. She’s played her part better than anyone else would have. So tell me what you want to do to fix this mess you made at her mother’s hospital.”
Marcus thought about it for a moment, rolling the beer bottle between his palms. “I don’t know. That’s why I called you. What should I do?”
“Treat her to a nice surprise dinner,” Dante said immediately, like he’d been waiting for this question. “You know, get her a dress sent to the house, tell her to get ready, don’t explain where you’re going. Some women love that type of thing. The mystery, the effort. And maybe you can add a car after the date to say sorry.”
Marcus nodded slowly, the idea taking shape in his head.
“Actually, I have a better idea. After the dinner, we’ll decorate the inside of the new car with flowers and ribbons and one of those big ‘I’m sorry’ signs. Make it romantic.”
“That’s not bad actually,” Marcus agreed. “Plus, a car isn’t really a big deal for me. That could work.”
“Thank you, my friend.”
They shook hands, settling back into the couch to watch the rest of the match. After a while, Dante checked his watch and stood up.
“I should head home. It’s getting late.”
Marcus walked him to the door, still thinking about the dinner plan and how he’d execute it without Elara thinking he’d lost his mind.
“Oh, by the way,” Marcus said as they reached the entryway. “There’s an event coming up in three days. Some charity gala at that new upscale restaurant downtown. The one owned by Richard Wellington.”
“The tech mogul?”
“Yeah, his nephew is running it or something. He invited almost all the CEOs in the city. Big donor event. You should come. Bring a plus one.”
Dante smiled, slightly amused. “Where am I supposed to get a plus one on three days’ notice?”
“I don’t know, figure it out. You’re charming enough.”
They were still standing by the door when headlights came across the driveway. A car pulled up to the gate, and Marcus watched as it drove through and parked near the entrance.
Both of them stopped talking, watching as the driver’s door opened and a woman stepped out. Then the passenger door opened and Elara emerged, wearing a dress Marcus definitely hadn’t seen her leave in that morning.
“Who’s that?” Dante asked, squinting through at the driver.
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Chapter 61
“I don’t know,” Marcus said, his brow raised slightly as he watched the two women laugh together.
Then Dante’s entire demeanor changed. “Wait, hold on. She’s sexy. I didn’t know Elara had friends like
that.”
Marcus glanced at him. “Really?”
“Yeah, really. You know what? I’m not going home anymore. Let me stay and see who this is.”
The women walked up to them, and Marcus forced himself to relax, to play the part of the welcoming husband instead of the jealous one who wanted to know why his wife was coming home dressed like that.
“Hi,” he said, pulling Elara into a hug despite everything. “Are you okay? Where have you been?”
The introductions happened quickly. Mimi. The famous best friend. The one Elara talked about constantly. Marcus shook her hand, tried to be charming, tried to ignore the way Dante was practically vibrating with interest beside him.
When Marcus invited them inside for drinks, he and Dante naturally took the lead, walking ahead while the women followed behind.
The moment they were some steps ahead, Dante leaned close and spoke in a low voice.
“You’re lucky with this Elara girl. She’s really so pretty. Look at her in that dress. It would really hurt me if you fumbled her, even after the contract ends.”
Marcus didn’t respond, just kept walking.
Dante continued, clearly unable to help himself. “And her friend too is so fine. Damn. God, look at her figure. She’s so thick and sexy. Do you reckon I could take her as my plus one for the event?”
“Pipe down, tiger,” Marcus said, laughing despite himself.
They settled in the living room. Dante poured the drinks, making small talk that flowed easily. After a while, Elara excused herself and Mimi, saying she needed to give her friend something upstairs.
The moment they disappeared up the staircase, Dante turned to Marcus with wide eyes.
“Mehn, I’ve seen my wife. My God, I’ve seen my wife.” He was grinning like an idiot now. “See the way her hips were moving when she was climbing those stairs? I think let me go pull her for a chat right now.”
He actually stood up, like he was about to chase after them. Marcus grabbed his shirt and yanked him back down onto the couch. They both laughed, the sound echoing through the empty living room.
“I’m serious though,” Dante said, settling back down but still smiling. “You should really apologize to Elara properly. I see you two working out in the long run. She’s a nice girl. Really nice. Don’t mess this up.”
Marcus was about to respond when a loud laugh erupted from upstairs. It was Elara’s voice, mixed with Mimi’s, both of them screaming with laughter so loud it carried all the way down to the living room.
Marcus and Dante looked at each other, then up at the ceiling where the sound was coming from.
“What the hell are they laughing about?” Marcus muttered.
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Whatever it was, it sounded like pure joy.
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