My Second Chance
Copyright© 2026 by BillMax
Chapter 12: Any Questions?
Bryce Thornton’s face flushed with heat. “I’m sorry, I—”
“If you haven’t had enough, keep eating. What comes next is men’s business. Stay put.”
Marcus cut her off, then turned to Serena. “Where’s Mengmeng?”
“In the basement,” Serena said.
Marcus headed straight for the stairs.
“Damn it, Serena, who does this guy think he is? So full of himself.”
The moment Marcus disappeared, the trust-fund crowd swarmed around Serena.
“Will you idiots keep it down?”
Glancing at Bryce, still seated in the dining room, Serena took a few men out to the courtyard, lit a cigarette, and laid out everything that had happened after he met Marcus.
“Get it? He’s the real deal—the kind who can see what’s coming and calculate three moves ahead. Get on his good side and you’ll soar overnight.”
The others exchanged looks. One spoke up. “Serena, I’m just saying what I think. Don’t take it personal.
In my opinion, this Hale guy is a scammer.
Think about it—what if he was in on it with the bookstore owner, just waiting for you and Miss Shaw to take the bait?
He warns you to watch out for someone named Mengmeng, and that same night a Mengmeng actually stabs somebody. And coincidentally, her boss is his sugar mommy. Where do coincidences like that even happen?
It only adds up if they’re working together.”
“The crucial part is that stamp Miss Shaw bought for four million—not a penny less. They made a killing inside and out,” another chimed in.
“Exactly. That bastard is setting a trap, waiting to screw you over big time, Serena.”
“But then again, this scammer’s a master. Even the usually sharp Miss Shaw got played. It’s understandable that you’re too close to see it clearly.”
The group kept babbling until Serena started doubting himself.
The more he thought about it, the more convenient the coincidences felt. He was tempted to confront Marcus on the spot, but his gut told him to stay calm. Elena Shaw held Marcus in high regard.
If these uneducated fools around him could spot a scam, there was no way that extremely clever girl hadn’t seen through it.
“Shut up for a second. I’m making a call.”
He pulled out his phone and walked off before dialing Elena’s number.
In the basement, a young girl was tied hand and foot on the floor. The moment someone appeared, she began struggling violently.
Marcus crouched in front of her. “Your name is Grace Morrison, right?”
The girl went still, her wide eyes full of confusion.
Marcus ripped the tape from her mouth. She immediately asked, “How do you know? I don’t recognize you.”
It really was her.
After a moment’s thought, Marcus said, “I don’t just know your name. I know you lashed out at that nightclub because someone killed your sister.
You don’t know who did it—only that it was some rich guy’s son. With nowhere to put your hatred, you joined a modeling agency, ready to kill any wealthy heir you ran into. One is even. Two is a bonus.”
This time Grace’s mouth hung open, as if the sun had risen in the west.
“You ... who the hell are you? How could you possibly know what I’m thinking?”
Because in my last life, you stabbed that unlucky bastard Serena Blake to death, and the news reported your motive.
“I’m Marcus Hale, and I’m very interested in you. If you’re willing to work for me, not only will I take you out of here, I’ll tell you who your real enemy is when the time is right.”
“What work?”
“You don’t even care about your life. You’re worried about this?”
Grace was taken aback, then her expression hardened and she nodded vigorously. “As long as you’re not lying to me, I’ll do anything.”
Just a kid. Too easy to steer.
Marcus tore off the rest of the tape. “Come with me.”
Back on the first floor, the trust-fund boys immediately surrounded them with their bodyguards.
Seeing the hostile stares, Marcus narrowed his eyes. “Where’s Serena?”
“Forget Serena for a second. What’s the meaning of this?” One of them pointed at Grace behind him. “This girl hurt our brother. She doesn’t walk out of here without paying for it.”
“Stay back. This isn’t your business right now.”
Bryce ran out of the dining room and planted herself beside Marcus, expression stern and resolute.
After glancing at her, Marcus said to the others in a deep voice, “I have nothing to say to you. Either step aside or call Serena over.”
“Hey! So the little scammer really thinks he’s a god, huh?” A dandy jabbed a finger at Marcus’s nose. “Let me tell you, unless you confess to scamming Serena, I’m making you crawl out—Ah!”
Marcus grabbed the pointing finger and twisted. Pain dropped the man to his knees with a scream.
The others stepped back. The bodyguards closed in.
“Stop it!”
A loud shout, and Serena ran in from outside.
“Scram, get out of the way,” he said, brushing off the bodyguards. Then he flashed a smile at Marcus. “Misunderstanding! All a misunderstanding! Marcus, please don’t take it to heart, huh?”
Marcus saw the insincerity in his face and didn’t care. He pointed at Grace behind him. “I’m taking her with me. Any problem?”
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