Marcus let out a wry smile. "Well, I really believe she's not here solely because of you." He said.
"What do you mean? How does her visit here relate to you or anyone else here?" Philip was angered by that statement. Why is Marcus going against work ethics? Even if he had personal issues with Nina, he should only deal with that during their personal time and not involve it during business hours.
"Well, well, well..." He cleared his throat and stared directly into Philip's eyes.
"I mean, you have to choose between me or her opinion. If you do reschedule, then our deal is over. You should partner with her from now on."
Everyone in the office gasped in shock, including Lucas, Marcus's Beta. He nudged him for correction, but Marcus didn't even acknowledge him.
Nina sighed and decided to end the issue Marcus wanted to escalate. She agreed to his request.
"I'll stay, Philip. I don't want to hinder your business progress," she stated, surprising both Philip and Marcus.
Marcus let out a triumphant smile. "Good. Now let's proceed with our meeting," he said to Philip.
Philip was frustrated. How could someone come to his office and command him on how to run his business? He was losing his patience but maintained his calmness since Nina had accepted the request.
However, he was uncomfortable having a conversation meant for him and Marcus in front of a stranger—an outsider who came to do her work and leave.
Although he valued his friendship with Nina, he didn't want it to interfere with business. To him, business comes first.
"Um, Mr. Marcus, I think I will go show her the projects so she can start working while we have our conversation." Philip stood up as he spoke, but Marcus quickly stood before him, walking out of his seat and approaching Nina.
"I don't think there's a need for me and my colleague to stay idle here waiting for you. I can go show her the projects, and you can continue the business discussion with my colleague. After all, I'm good with interior designing as well. In fact, that was my side hustle when I was still finding my way in the business world."
"What the---" Nina was about to exclaim, but Kiara signaled her to keep quiet, and she complied.
She couldn't decide what to be upset about-Marcus forcing her to stay when she and Philip had reached a conclusion, or Marcus claiming to be an interior designer when she was certain he knew nothing about interior designing.
"Excuse me, Miss Nina, is everything okay? Are we good to go now?" Marcus said, intentionally trying to provoke her.
Nina maintained her composure, although she couldn't hold it anymore. "Um, I'm sorry, Mr. Philip, we can talk on the phone later," she said and gave Marcus a disdainful stare. "Excuse me," she said irritably and walked past him, brushing against him.
Philip shook his head in confusion. What had he done to deserve all this?
Marcus smirked, licking his lips with satisfaction. He was about to leave the office when Kiara confronted him.
"What has my friend done to deserve this treatment from you? Do you think this is Nightshade pack where you have control over everyone? Do you..."
She couldn't finish, and Marcus quickly silenced her. "Shhhh! This is a public space. We can't reveal our identity," he muttered, covering Kiara's mouth with his palm.
Kiara pushed his hand away and laughed lightly. "Oh, you know that? You know you have a secret and you go around embarrassing us as if we're after your life?" She laughed again and sighed deeply.
Marcus gritted his teeth and walked out of the office, whispering to Kiara to meet him outside for a private conversation.
"What do you want to discuss with me?" She asked as soon as she stepped out of the office.
Marcus scanned the area, ensuring they were alone. He walked closer to her, cleared his throat, and stared directly into her eyes.
"Kiara, listen. Even though we're not in the Nightshade pack, I'm still your Alpha, and you shouldn't question my authority."
"Really?" Kiara objected with an amused expression.
"Yes, Kiara. Don't forget you're just an omega wolf and don't have a say in anything. If we were in the pack, you wouldn't be alive right now for what you just did. I believe you know that?," Marcus said angrily, though he knew he had no right to raise his voice or hand against her.
"Always remember that. Don't question my actions. Nina deserved the consequences I imposed on her for cheating on me. I'm glad there is clear evidence now that she truly did it."
As he spoke, Kiara stared at him with disgust.
Marcus clenched his teeth and continued, "Well, now I think I wasn't harsh enough on her. I should have ruined her completely, but I believe it's never too late." With that, he turned and walked back to the office, leaving Kiara fuming.
"How could Marcus be so foolish?" She asked herself, her hands on her waist as she contemplated what to do.