Chapter 86

For a brief moment, Irene seemed completely rattled. "One," she stammered.

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by her sudden vulnerability. I hadn't expected her to crack so easily.

Marlon leaned close to my ear. "Let's see what she's willing to spill."

We sat down at the table. Ethan still hadn't put down the knife; at a certain angle, I could see the cold gleam of the blade.

Irene was no longer relaxed. Visibly tense, her hands clasped tightly on the table, she began, "I used to work for Mr. Robinson. He said he could introduce me to the Parker Group."

"The Parker Group is a top-ten company. If I got in, my relatives would never look down on me again. But I never expected that after only a month, he told me about renting the store and asked me to have Martin sign a contract with an expired seal."

Her voice trembled slightly, yet her words flowed quickly, sounding genuine.

Marlon interrupted the tension. "Has Harrison contacted you recently? What did he say?"

"Mr. Robinson…" Irene bit her lip, hesitant. Ethan's grip on the knife tightened; beads of sweat instantly appeared on Irene's forehead. "He gave me some money and told me to leave Elysiumville."

"Then why didn't you leave?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Irene lowered her gaze. "My husband didn't want to leave."

"Where did the money Martin gave you go?" I pressed.

"I… I don't know. All I know is it went into the Parker Group's account." She shook her head. "I only negotiated contracts; someone else handled the operations."

I suspected someone else within the Parker Group was working with Harrison.

"Who is that person?" Yasir blurted, his voice urgent.

"I don't know," Irene replied evasively.

Seeing she wouldn't say more, I signaled to Ethan. He immediately put down the knife. "If you say a word of this to anyone, you'd better watch your back."

"I won't… I won't say anything," Irene quickly nodded, scrambling to her feet.

Yasir didn't stop her. He turned, saying, "All we can prove right now is this is connected to Harrison. The money went into the Parker Group's account, so ultimately, it's an internal issue."

I frowned, sensing an oversight. "You head back first," I said to Yasir.

"Huh? What about you guys?" Yasir seemed reluctant, his eyes darting between Marlon and me, suspicious.

Marlon raised an eyebrow. "We don't need to report to you what we do."

"Who knows what you two are up to," Yasir muttered.

I ignored him, turning to Marlon. "You should go too. I have some things to handle."

Marlon followed. "Where are you going? It's late. It's not safe. I'll come with you."

"Ethan's with me. I'll be fine," I said, walking away. Ethan quickly caught up as Marlon shot a lingering glare at the uneasy Yasir.

"What's with the look? What are you staring at me for!" Yasir rubbed his arms.

"Why are you following us? What exactly do you want?" Marlon asked sharply. He was unlike me; he meticulously checked anyone who came close to me. He wouldn't allow anyone to harm me.

Yasir sneered. "Aren't you also following Yvonne around? What are you planning!"

Marlon narrowed his eyes, stepping closer. "You've never acknowledged her identity before. Why the sudden change? Are you finally getting along with her? Or is it that Hayden's finally starting to care about her?" He knew Yasir's presence wasn't coincidental. If their relationship was purely business, Yasir wouldn't be so close to me. Yasir was likely acting for Hayden. If Hayden felt nothing for me, Yasir wouldn't be doing this. Men understood men best.

Yasir felt uneasy but wouldn't embarrass himself. "Either way, she's still Hayden's wife," he said firmly, clenching his fist.

"Aren't they getting a divorce?" Marlon smirked.

Yasir's eyes narrowed. "Are you interested in Yvonne?"

Marlon casually played with his glass. "Yvonne is a smart and beautiful woman. Hayden didn't know how to cherish her, but I can see her worth."

"Hey, you're dreaming. Do you even deserve it? Yvonne's heart has always been set on Hayden. She's been chasing him since school. Do you really think she'd be interested in you?" Yasir scoffed, dismissing the idea. In Elysiumville, everyone knew my one true love was Hayden.

Marlon didn't get angry; his smile deepened. "That's exactly why, Yasir. When you keep chasing someone who never responds, it breaks your heart. You should understand this."

Yasir froze. Anyone who experienced unrequited love would understand that aching. Hayden had been especially harsh with Yvonne. Could Yvonne have given up on Hayden? If not, why was Marlon so confident?

Without another word, Yasir left. He immediately called Hayden. "Hey, where are you! Something big's happening. Yvonne's about to be taken away," Yasir said urgently.

Late at night, Ethan and I arrived at Kinnew Square. It was bustling; mostly young couples, some watching movies, others on dates.

A young couple emerged from the cinema, sharing popcorn. "I can't believe the female lead died at the end," the girl said.

"Yeah, I thought it was a setup. The director's cruel," the guy replied.

Watching them, a twinge of envy struck me. Back in school, I'd begged Hayden to watch a movie with me. Ten years passed, and he'd never taken me on a proper date.

My nose tightened, my vision blurred. Hot tears silently slid down my cheeks.