The footsteps didn't try to hide.
They echoed down the corridor—slow, deliberate.
Confident.
Helena felt it immediately.
Whoever it was… they belonged here.
Marcus stepped slightly in front of her.
Not blocking her—But close enough that his presence felt like a shield.
"Stay behind me," he said quietly.
Helena didn't move.
"I'm not hiding."
Marcus didn't argue.
But his hand shifted—just enough to brush against hers.
A warning.
Or maybe a promise.
The footsteps stopped.
A figure appeared at the end of the hallway.
Tall.
Well-dressed.
Watching them.
Not surprised.
Interested.
Helena felt his gaze settle on her first.
Then flick to Marcus.
Then back again.
A slow smile followed.
"Well," he said casually.
"This is… unexpected."
Marcus's voice turned cold instantly.
"You weren't supposed to be here."
The man shrugged lightly.
"And yet I am."
A pause.
"Funny how that works."
Helena stepped slightly to the side—enough that she was no longer hidden behind Marcus.
The man's eyes sharpened slightly.
"There she is," he said softly.
Helena didn't like the way he said that.
Like he already knew her.
"We've met?" she asked.
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"You don't need to answer him."
The man chuckled quietly.
"That's not up to you."
A pause.
"Not anymore."
Something in the air shifted again.
Marcus took a step forward.
Danger clear in every movement.
"Say what you came to say," he said coldly.
The man tilted his head slightly.
"I didn't come to say anything," he replied.
A beat.
"I came to see."
His gaze returned to Helena.
"And I have to admit…"
A slow pause.
"…I understand now."
Helena frowned.
"Understand what?"
The man's smile deepened just slightly.
"Why he can't stay away from you."
Silence snapped tight.
Marcus didn't react outwardly—But Helena felt it.
The shift.
Possessive.
Sharp.
"Careful," Marcus said quietly.
The man raised a hand slightly.
"Relax."
A pause.
"I'm not here to take anything."
His eyes flicked between them again.
"Just observing."
Helena crossed her arms.
"You're not very subtle about it."
The man smiled.
"I'm not trying to be."
A beat.
"You're more interesting up close."
Marcus stepped forward again—
Closing the distance just enough to make the message clear.
"That's enough."
The man's expression didn't change.
But his eyes darkened slightly.
"You're getting territorial," he said lightly.
A pause.
"That's new."
Helena felt Marcus shift beside her.
Closer.
Like the space between them didn't exist anymore.
"She's not part of this," Marcus said.
Helena's head turned sharply toward him.
"What?"
But the man spoke before she could push further.
"That's where you're wrong."
Silence.
Because that landed hard.
Marcus didn't respond immediately.
Which meant—He didn't fully disagree.
Helena felt something twist in her chest.
"What does that mean?" she asked quietly.
The man's gaze softened—just slightly.
Not kindness.
Interest.
"It means," he said slowly,
"you've already stepped into something you don't understand yet."
A pause.
"And he knows it."
Helena's eyes snapped to Marcus again.
"You said I wasn't part of this."
Marcus's expression didn't change.
But his silence did.
And that was enough.
"You lied," she said quietly.
"No."
His voice was low.
Controlled.
"I protected you."
Her breath caught slightly.
"That's not the same thing."
"No," he agreed.
A pause.
"But it was necessary."
The man watched them closely now—Like this was the part he'd been waiting for.
Helena took a small step back.
Not away from danger—Away from Marcus.
And he noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
"That's not happening," he said quietly.
Her eyes lifted to his.
"Then stop deciding things for me."
A beat.
"Or I will."
Silence.
Because that wasn't a threat.
That was a promise.
The man let out a soft, amused breath.
"This is more entertaining than I expected."
Marcus's voice dropped.
"Leave."
The man held his gaze for a moment longer.
Then nodded once.
"Fine."
A pause.
"But this?"
His eyes flicked between them again.
"This doesn't stay simple."
Then he turned—And walked away.
Just like that.
Helena stood still.
The silence he left behind felt louder than his presence.
Then she turned to Marcus.
Slowly.
Carefully.
"You're going to explain everything," she said.
Marcus didn't answer immediately.
Because now—There was no avoiding it anymore.
And they both knew it.