Third person's POV
Selena closed the master bedroom door behind her, her hands shaking as she leaned against it.
The conversation with Jade had left her rattled, more than she cared to admit.
"Just why would Marcus let Jade see him? Where was his wit? Now, Jade will start sniffing around, trying to put together the puzzle. I know that intrusive girl!" She hissed and exhaled sharply.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her mind.
Without wasting another moment, she pulled out her phone and dialed Marcus's number. The phone rang twice before his deep voice answered.
"Selena," he said, his tone neutral.
"Marcus, what were you thinking?" Selena hissed, keeping her voice low to avoid Jade overhearing.
"Coming to Raymond's house like that? Jade saw you! That can affect the plan! Did you think even about that at all?" She gritted out.
There was a pause on the other end of the line. When Marcus spoke again, his voice had hardened.
"I told you I needed those documents today, if I were to start working on the plan, immediately. And you said the coast was clear." He said with a grunt.
Selena flinched at his tone.
"I...." She had wanted to berate him, to unleash her frustration, but something in his voice made her hesitate.
"I... I know. I'm sorry. I didn't expect Jade to come home early." She said, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible.
"Well, she did, And now we have a problem because you weren't calculative enough!" Marcus replied coldly.
Selena sank onto the edge of the bed, her free hand massaging her temple.
"Okay, fine. I admit I didn't calculate well. But what do we do now? Jade is suspicious. She is asking questions and knowing her, she won't stop at that." She told him.
Marcus sighed heavily.
"Tell her whatever you can, so she would back off. We stick to the plan, Selena. We're too close to back out now. Did you get what I asked for?" He asked.
"Not yet, I am trying to get the keys to his drawer." She glanced nervously at the locked drawer in Raymond's desk, as she spoke.
Marcus grunted in disappointment.
"What have you been doing, Selena? Didn't you say he trusts you with everything? Does he not trust you with his keys? I guess he only trusts you with his body, then!" Marcus gritted out, a hint of mockery in his tone.
"I said, he is starting to trust me!" Selena gritted and rolled her eyes.
"You are just being jealous..." She mumbled under her breath so he didn't hear that.
"Get him to trust you as soon as possible. We should execute this as soon as we can." Marcus told her, firmly.
"Okay, but Marcus, I'm not sure about this anymore. What if -" She was saying but Marcus didn't allow her to land.
"No, Don't you dare get cold feet now." Marcus cut her off sharply.
"Remember why we're doing this. Remember what is at stake. Remember what awaits us at the end of everything." He added.
Selena closed her eyes, conflicting emotions warring within her.
"I know, I know. It's just... Jade..." She trailed off.
"Jade can't know anything," Marcus insisted.
"You need to throw her off the scent. Can you handle that?" He inquired. Selena had nodded in response before realizing he couldn't see her.
"Yes, I can handle it." She used her voice.
"Good! We're almost there, Selena. Just a little longer, and everything we've worked for will pay off. Trust me." Marcus's voice softened slightly.
"Okay..." She stated, her voice low and Marcus could sense the reluctance in her voice.
"You are getting scared, aren't you?" He pointed out.
"No... No, not really." She stated nervously and shook her head.
"Not really? C'mon, Selena! I thought you are tougher than this." He said and hissed.
Selena shook her head in protest.
"Of course, I am. I am just worried about what Jade could do. She is going to be watching my movements now, I am certain of that." She told him.
"So, you can't handle her? Well, no problem if you can't do that. We would just have to switch to plan B. You know that is my area of expertise, by the way." He said and smirked.
Selena's heart skipped a beat. She knew what that meant.
"Plan B? Isn't that dangerous? We agreed we won't take that path, didn't we?" She reminded him.
He hissed before replying her.
"That was when we thought you would be able to get what we need. But now that your brat of a daughter is getting in the way, there is no choice but to take the path." He maintained firmly, sounding angry.
"But..." Selena wanted to protest against his decision but he cut her short.
"You know better than to argue with me, Selena. I won't repeat myself after this, we are going with plan B. Be ready." He said with a tone of finality.
As they continued their conversation, discussing the intricate details of their secret plan, Selena felt a mix of excitement and dread. She was in too deep now, caught between her love for her daughter and the allure of what Marcus was promising.
Little did she know, on the other side of the door, Jade stood frozen, her ear pressed against the wood, her eyes wide with shock as she listened to her mother's hushed conversation. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place, and the picture they formed was more disturbing than she could have imagined.
"What the hell is my mom doing? What is she planning with Marcus? Oh my God!" Jade wondered, feeling disturbed and her mind racing with questions and a growing sense of dread.
She didn't understand everything, but she knew enough to realize that her mother was involved in something potentially dangerous and definitely wrong. Now, she just had to figure out what to do with this partial, confusing information.