Chapter 2
As night deepened, the streetlights flickered on. Guests arrived one after another.
Markus walked in wearing a black coat, carrying a trace of autumn’s somber chill.
I took his coat, thinking it might be the last time.
Once they were tipsy and in good spirits, I stood up and raised my glass.
“Guys, I’ll be leaving my job soon. When I started, I had no idea what I was doing and messed up a lot. Thanks for putting up with me and being so kind.
“Hope we’ll cross paths again someday.”
The chill of autumn hung in the air, adding a quiet weight to the moment. A silence fell over the table.
Ivan broke it, raising his glass. “You know, for the longest time, I thought you had a thing for Markus. Guess I was wrong.”
The others picked up on the hint in Ivan’s words. Markus’s secretaries were all dismissed after confessing their feelings for him.
Switching to hiring men didn’t help—they fell for Markus too. That was how he got the nickname “Heartbreaker.”
A friend gave Markus a light pat on the shoulder and teased, “Who would have thought? Looks like not everyone’s heart is yours to break.”
Markus lit a cigar, barely looking up. “Give it a rest,” he said with a smile.
After dinner, they played poker to pass the time.
Halfway through, Ivan asked casually, “Hey, Markus, have you met Ms. Velez, the girl your grandma picked for you?”
My heart skipped a beat, and I froze, the water pitcher still in my hand.
Markus replied after a moment, uninterested. “Not yet. If Grandma is happy, I’ll marry whoever she wants.”
For Markus and his friends, marriage was never about love. It was a calculated decision, shaped by interests and trade-offs.
With their wealth and resources, seeing marriage as a deal made sense.
Markus seemed to have accepted that.
I had met Judith Velez once—graceful and pleasant.
Still, deep down, I hoped Markus could be different from his friends.
The party ended around midnight, and chauffeurs already waited outside to take everyone home.
But Markus’s driver was delayed by an accident.
It left me alone with Markus, the moment I dreaded most. Under the streetlight, our shadows stretched long across the pavement.
Frustration stirred, and I was struggling with those darker thoughts.
Markus stood quietly, oblivious. I noticed his sharpness softened by the alcohol.”
Before long, his driver arrived.
Markus turned to me and asked kindly, “Need a ride?”
I shook my head and gave a polite smile. “Thanks, but my fiancé is already on his way.”
He gave a slight nod and got into the car.
Suddenly, I was alone. The act dropped.
I kicked off my heels and sank onto the edge of the flowerbed, feeling lost.
For a moment, I wasn’t even sure where to go.
Then the rain came. It was the first autumn drizzle, and a chill settled in.
Barefoot, I walked down the road. In this fancy place, it took ages before I finally found a spot to catch a cab.
***
The usual route was under construction, and Markus’s driver had to double back to take another road.
Markus hadn’t expected to see Raquel Perkins again—standing in the rain, her heels dangling from her hand.
He was more surprised to see this side of her.
At work, Raquel was always perfectly put together, her suits crisp and her shirts neatly buttoned to the top.
He had seen plenty of women unbutton their shirts and lean forward to show their cleavage, but Raquel was different.
That was what he appreciated about her—not just her professionalism, but her respect for boundaries.
As the car neared, the driver asked, “Should we offer Ms. Perkins a ride?”
Markus said coolly, “No need.”
Markus didn’t think much of her fiancé because she left her job for him. “Raquel is sharp but lacks judgment when it comes to men,” he thought.
Still, it felt too personal for him to offer his opinion.
