Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty
The door swung open, and Marcus's smirk greeted them. "Well, well, well," he said, his eyes scanning the trio. "Look what we have here."

Lisa's eyes met Marcus's, her gaze cold and detached. "Marcus," she said, her voice firm.

Marcus's eyes lingered on Lisa's face before moving to Jake and then Rachel. "I wasn't expecting company," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jake's expression remained calm, his eyes fixed on Marcus. "We're here to talk, Marcus," he said, his voice firm.

Marcus's gaze met Jake's, his eyes flashing with anger before he stepped aside, allowing them to enter. "By all means, come on in," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

As they walked in, Lisa's eyes widened in surprise. The place was immaculate, not a single thing out of place. It was like walking into a showroom, not a home.

Marcus's eyes met hers, his gaze mocking. "Like what you see?" he asked, his voice dripping with arrogance.

Lisa's expression remained neutral, her eyes fixed on Marcus. "I'm here for one thing, Marcus," she said, her voice firm. "To return your money and tell you that it's over."

Marcus's expression turned cold, his eyes flashing with anger. "You think it's that easy, Lisa?" he asked, his voice low and menacing.

Lisa's heart skipped a beat, but she stood her ground. "It's exactly that easy, Marcus," she said, her voice firm.

Jake's eyes met Lisa's, his gaze reassuring. Rachel's expression was a mask of determination, her eyes fixed on Marcus.

Marcus's gaze lingered on Lisa's face before he turned to Jake. "You're involved in this, aren't you?" he asked, his voice dripping with accusation.

Jake's expression remained calm, his eyes fixed on Marcus. "I'm just here to support Lisa, Marcus," he said, his voice firm.

Marcus's expression turned cold, his eyes flashing with anger, but he quickly masked it with a smirk. "You think it's that easy, Lisa?" he asked, his voice low and menacing. "I'm afraid it's not going to be that easy. You see, I plan to be your man, Lisa. I feel bad about how the other night ended for both of us, and I'd like to redeem myself."

Lisa's eyes widened in horror as Marcus took a step closer to her, his gaze burning with intensity. "I won't stop until you see me differently, Lisa. I have an impeccable reputation, and I wouldn't like what happened the other night to have you spreading rumors about me."

Lisa felt a panic attack coming on, her heart racing and her breath catching in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Rachel noticed her distress and immediately intervened, snapping at Marcus.

"Marcus, Lisa doesn't want to have anything to do with you," Rachel said, her voice firm and angry. "She just wants her peace of mind. And she’s not going to waste her time dignifying your behavior with a response, so you can relax, Lisa's not interested in ruining your reputation. Just let her go and send your account details, Marcus, so Lisa can send back the money and we can amicably part ways."

Marcus's smirk faltered for a moment, a flash of anger crossing his face before he regained control. "You think this is a game, Rachel?" he asked, his voice dripping with condescension. "Lisa's going to be mine, and there's nothing she or you can do to stop it."

Rachel rolled her eyes, unfazed by Marcus's threat. "Send the account details, Marcus," she repeated, her voice firm. "Or we'll make sure everyone knows exactly why Lisa's done with you."

Marcus shook his head, his expression turning cold. "I don't need the money, Lisa. I've got lots of it. What I want is you, and I'm not going to settle for anything less." Suddenly, his expression changed, a sly smile spreading across his face. "You know, Lisa, I think I'll give you the chance to reconsider," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance.

Lisa had heard enough. She turned and ran out of the apartment, Jake and Rachel hot on her heels. They didn't stop until they were out on the street, Lisa's breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked, his voice full of concern, as he caught up with Lisa.

Lisa shook her head, feeling tears pring to her eyes. "Let's just get out of here," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rachel wrapped her arms around Lisa, holding her close. "We're getting you out of here, and we're going to make sure he never bothers you again," she said, her voice firm and determined.