Sara's breath hitched painfully in her throat as she felt her legs giving way beneath her while Marcus stepped forward. Here, he stood as if he had materialized from the nightmare he had conjured and shed; indeed, a thing she thought she had left behind forevercame returning all over again.Ethan moved in front of her, blocking her from Marcus's cold stare. "You're not getting near her," Ethan said, voice neutral, but body coiled like a spring.Marcus chuckled, the sound low and menacing. "Relax, Mr. CEO. I'm not here to hurt her. I'm here to talk."Ethan didn't move, his stance unwavering: "Talk? You've been throwing bricks through windows, stalking her family, and sending threats. Forgive me if I'm not convinced."Marcus tilted his head, his smile widening. "Ah, so you've done your homework. Good. Then you'll know I've spent years cleaning up the mess Sara left behind." His eyes flicked to her. "You thought you could run, didn't you? Change your name and forget about me? But you and I have unfinished business."Sara would have liked to creep across the floor and hide in her bed; instead, she clutched her fists, crawling through the anger that was bubbling just under the skin of fright. "You monster, Marcus. I ran because there was no alternative. You would have destroyed me!"Marcus's face darkened now, his voice sinking to a very dangerous tone. "And you think you are any less guilty? You were there that night, Sara. You know what happened."And with that, her chest tightened. "The fire was not my fault. You were the one who—""Enough!" Marcus snapped. Eyes narrowed, he concluded: "You don't get to rewrite history. You ran and left me to deal with the fallout. And now you have a son?" His eyes narrowed. "Does he even know the truth about his mother?"Ethan moved closer and spoke in a voice forged out of steel. "Leave the boy out of it."Marcus racked himself with a laugh. "He's the noble, brave knight worried for the damsel in distress. But you don't know everything about her, do you?"Sara's voice was shaking with rage. "You don't have a right to talk about my life anymore, Marcus. You lost that right the moment you tried to control me!""Not just you, Sara. What you took from me. Did you think I constructed this estate just to amuse the King? No, I rebuilt it because you had a hand in proving that I am still competent to stand. And now, I want what is mine."Ethan narrowed his eyes. "What do you want exactly?"Marcus smiled with an icy smile. "Closure. Justice. Call it whatever you like. But, Sara owes me. And I always collect my debts."---Before Marcus could go further, the tense silence was broken by the sound of footsteps approaching. Ethan's security team emerged from the shadow and raised their weapons."Sir," said one of the guards, "we have the perimeter secured. Shall we escort him off the property?"Marcus raised his hands as though surrendering mockingly. "No need for the dramatics. I'll be leaving—for now." This last comment directed toward Sara was accompanied by a venomous smile. "But don't think that this is where it all ends. I will be seeing you very soon."He then turned and vanished into the shadows, behind him, leaving an eerie silence.---Sara paced the living room in their safe house, her thoughts racing a mile a minute. Ethan sat alongside her, elbows resting firmly on his knees, studying her with concern."So who is he really?" Ethan finally asked.Sara stood before him again, arms crossed into herself. The rest of her was drained, faded, and pale. "Just dangerous-" this was not what she meant to convey by Marcus. "Relentless, never lets go," she said after a deep formation of breath. "I thought I could escape him. But he always has been one step ahead. And if he's back now, then he will never leave it till he gets what he wants."Ethan leaned back, his mind working quickly. "And how does he want?""Revenge. Control. Maybe both," Sara's halting voice barely above a whisper.Ethan stood; crossed the room, expression fierce. "I don't care what he wants. He's not getting near you or Noah again."Sara was thankful for it, but it was mixed with a kind of doubt. "Ethan, you don't know Marcus at all. He's a cunning manipulator... and ruthless. He'll come after you as well."Ethan stepped forward, voice low and steady: "Let him. I'm not afraid of him, Sara: I've seen worse men than Marcus Hale, and I've never lost."She looked up into his eyes, heart aching for the sincerity dripping from his words. Even now, she felt safer with him than she had felt in years, regardless of the concurrent danger."I don't know how to stop him."Ethan removed a strand of hair from her face as he said, "We'll stop him together."The moment lasted just for a short while. The two turned from apparent tension to a pull towards each other. Ethan's hand lay on her cheek, thumb tracing soft skin.Sara's breath shook at the meeting of their eyes. "Ethan…"Before either of them continued, Ethan's phone jangled, breaking the moment. He sighed while pulling it out from his pocket."What's wrong?" Sara asked, her voice shaky.He frowned as he read the message. "It's from my security team. Found something in the estate."Sara's stomach knotted. "What?"Ethan raised his head; his expression was grim. "A hidden room. And inside it... photos of you and Noah."Sara's blood ran cold. "What? How was that possible?"Ethan clenched his jaw. "Marcus has been following you for quite a long time. And he's not done yet."---To be continued...