Chapter 12: Echoes of the Night
Marcus’s POV
I played chess with my father, but my focus drifted more specifically, to Anna Shaw and the red half-moons her nails had raked across my back. I moved a piece without thinking, earning a sharp frown from across the board.
Thwack!
His walking stick struck my shoulder not enough to hurt, just enough to yank me back to reality.
"If you’re not going to take this seriously, leave," he growled, though a flicker of amusement softened the warning.
I winced in mock pain. "Just some scratches," I murmured, lips twitching into a smile. "A rather fierce kitten."
His expression shifted. After decades at the helm of the Murphy empire, little escaped him. "A kitten?" he echoed knowingly. "So you’ve found someone."
I didn’t respond, but I didn’t need to. He read the truth in my silence.
"Who is she?" he pressed, leaning forward, eyes gleaming. "It’s about time you settled down. The Murphy name needs heirs."
"I have a meeting," I said smoothly, rising. "We’ll play again soon."
His laughter chased me down the hall. "You can’t dodge this forever, Marcus!"
The bar where Joseph waited was deliberately unremarkable dim lighting, scuffed floors, watered-down drinks. A far cry from the opulence of Olympus, my usual haunt. He raised a brow when I approached.