Page 42 of Veil of Secrets

Marco turns his head, just slightly. Like Nico’s background noise.

“I’m talking to the lady,” he says.

“Then say what you came to say,” I tell him. “Or walk.”

That wipes the fake charm off his face for a second.

He steps to the side of the bar, resting a hand on the stool next to me.

“This your new gig?” he asks. “Bodyguard with benefits?”

“You’re reaching.”

“I’m just surprised,” he says, smile returning. “The Brotherhood sending dancers now. Didn’t expect them to start recruiting from strip clubs.”

I keep my eyes on him. Steady. Direct.

“I came on my own,” I say. “And I’ll leave the same way.”

Marco chuckles.

Then steps back.

“You always had fire,” he says. “Even when you didn’t know what to do with it.”

Nico steps in now, fully. No longer behind me. Just beside.

“She’s not here to play nostalgia games,” he says.

Marco’s gaze shifts between us, calculating.

“Oh, I get it now,” he says. “This is personal.”

He looks at me again.

“You run from one man, land in the arms of another. Cute.”

“You still think it’s about men,” I say. “That’s your mistake.”

He raises an eyebrow.

“My mistake was giving you time to grow teeth.”

“Your mistake was thinking you could still use me.”

The bar feels smaller now.

A few people have left. Some are pretending to watch their drinks.

Marco leans in, voice lower. Not for privacy—just menace.

“You’re in over your head, Elara.”

“You’ve said that before.”

“And it was true then.”

“It’s not now.”

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