Marcel
"Odessa, what are you taking about?" I asked and moved closer, holding her hand in mine, but she pulled away aggressively.
"I know you despise me, Marcel, but I trusted you to protect me. If not from anything else, at least from that old man, and here you are trying to sell me off again!" She cried, and I pinched the space between my brows.
"You're blowing things out of proportion, Odessa.." I explained, but her tears poured even more. "I had no idea Apollo was the old man you were running from. I just found out and I –"
"So you wanted to sell me off to a random person before you found out it was the same man I spoke about?" She blurted, and I grunted in frustration. "The only difference between you and that mayor is the fact that you still have hair on your head!"
I muffled my laughter and rubbed my chin. But I couldn't hold it in anymore and immediately burst out.
"What's so funny about my predicament?" She whined, and I rubbed off the tear in the corner of my eye.
"Odessa, please just let me explain myself–"
"Don't bother… just let me be," she said firmly and walked over to the door, holding it open for me to leave. I stared at her for a little while before heading back downstairs.
Apollo sat with his whole body spread on the couch, and a wide smile sat on his face.
"I see you've taken good care of her.." he started, and I tucked my hands into my pockets. "You've done a good job, Marcel. Now hand her over.."
I glanced at Aaron, and then at Apollo. The only thing holding me back from beating this man to a stupor was the fact that I don't want his blood all over my floors.
"I'm going to say this once, and I expect that you comply accordingly for your own safety.." I ordered, and his smile slowly disappeared.
"Nobody orders me around, Marcel… nobody," Apollo shot back, but I didn't change my mind.
"Leave my grounds Apollo… and don't show your wrinkled face here ever again, am I understood?" My voice grew firmer, and Apollo chuckled.
Unlike I expected, he got up from the couch and dusted his clothes. "I only came here to confirm how true the rumors were… I'll be back after I'm prepared to take my property home.."
I didn't say a word in response to him, and he dragged his heavy legs out of the living room.
I turned to Aaron, and he shook his head. "Don't ever let him into these premises ever again," I warned, and went upstairs.
I climbed the stairs slowly, each step feeling heavier than the last. Odessa's words replayed in my mind—every syllable laced with hurt, betrayal, and disappointment. She had every right to feel that way, but she didn't understand. I never planned to hand her over. Never. At least not to Apollo.
When I reached her door, it was still ajar. I pushed it open gently and saw her standing by the window, arms crossed, shoulders tense. Her face was turned away, but I could still see her reflection in the glass. Her eyes were red and glossy, and her lips trembled slightly.
"Odessa," I said softly.
She didn't turn. "Didn't you hear me the first time? Leave me alone."
I took a deep breath and stepped further into the room. "You think I'd sell you off like you're some item on a shelf? You think I would put you through that, knowing what you've been through?"
"I don't know what to think anymore," she whispered, voice cracking.
"I messed up," I admitted. "But not in the way you think. I didn't know it was him. If I had, I would've burned that deal before it even reached my ears."
She finally turned to face me. "You still tried to make a deal, Marcel. Regardless of who it was. That's what hurts."
My chest tightened. I moved closer until there was barely any space between us. "You're right," I said. "It was stupid. But it wasn't about you. It was business. Survival. I never intended to give you away. Not now, not ever. The moment I saw the fear in your eyes when you mentioned that man… something inside me shifted. And when I realized it was Apollo—" I paused, jaw clenched. "I felt sick."
Tears welled in her eyes again, but this time she didn't look away. Her gaze searched mine, as if trying to find some hint of deception.
"I don't know who to trust anymore, Marcel…"
"Then trust this," I said, stepping even closer and gently reaching up to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. "I'd rather burn the world down than let anyone hurt you."
Her breath hitched, and her lips parted ever so slightly. I saw the hesitation in her eyes, but also the pull—something raw and magnetic pulling us closer. She didn't step back this time. Neither did I.
And then it happened.
I leaned in slowly, giving her time to move away. But she didn't. Our lips met—soft at first, uncertain. Then, as if all the tension between us melted into that single moment, it deepened.
Her arms wrapped around my neck, and I pulled her in by the waist, crushing her body against mine. Her lips moved feverishly against mine, tasting of salt from her tears and the subtle sweetness of her breath. The kiss was desperate, fiery, and full of all the emotions we had both bottled up—fear, longing, betrayal, need. Her fingers tangled in my hair, and I lost myself in her warmth, her scent, her touch.
But then—
Thana.
Her name tore through my mind like a violent storm.
I froze.
My lips stopped moving.
Odessa noticed the sudden change and slowly pulled back, breathing heavily, eyes still half-lidded. Her cheeks were flushed, and her expression unreadable.
I took a sharp step back, almost as if I'd been burned. "I... I shouldn't have done that," I muttered, running a hand through my hair.
She looked wounded again. "Why? Because you didn't mean it?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't.
I turned and walked out without another word, the door closing behind me with a soft click.
As I reached my room, my heart pounded wildly. My hands trembled. I sat on the edge of my bed, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands.
What the hell did I just do?
I kissed her. And for a moment, I wanted it. Needed it.
But all I could see now was Thana. Her smile. Her voice. The feel of her hand in mine. The promises we made.
And now I'd kissed Odessa.
I clenched my fists and groaned. This was a mistake. A big one.
But why didn't it feel like a mistake when it was happening?
Why did it feel so right?
And why did Thana still have such a hold on my heart?
I didn't have the answers. Not yet.
But I knew one thing—I couldn't face Odessa again. Not tonight. Not while the taste of her lips still lingered on mine, and guilt crushed my chest like a vice.
Not when I was still in love with someone else.