Chapter 7
The moment Marco‘ s fist collided with Lance‘ s jaw, the atmosphere in the bar shifted. A hush fell over the crowd as the impact of the punch echoed. Lance stumbled back, clutching his face in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt frozen between them, unsure of what to do next.
But Marco wasn’t done.
“You think you can just take her from me?” Marco spat, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes were wild with fury, and he advanced toward Lance again, fists clenched and ready to strike.
Lance, recovering quickly, straightened up,
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his own anger flashing across his face. “Back
off, Marco,” he warned, his tone sharp. “This isn’t your business anymore.”
“Like hell it isn’t,” Marco growled, lunging at him again. The two men collided, and suddenly, they were grappling with each other, fists flying, bodies slamming against tables and chairs as they fought for control. The crowd around us had grown, with people standing back, watching the brawl unfold with a mix of shock and curiosity.
“Stop it!” I yelled, my voice drowned out by the commotion. My hands shook as I stood there, torn between wanting to pull them apart and wanting to let them tear each other to pieces. This wasn’t what I had wanted for tonight. I’d come here to escape, to move on, but now, I was caught in the middle of a
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on, but now, I was caught in the middle of a fight that seemed to have no end.
The anger in Marco’s eyes wasn‘ t just about Lance–it was about me, about
everything that had been brewing between us since I left.
“Enough!” I shouted, stepping closer, trying to make them hear me. But it was useless. They were too far gone, too wrapped up in their rage.
Security rushed in, a couple of bouncers forcing their way through the crowd. They grabbed Marco and Lance, pulling them apart, but not before Marco landed one last punch across Lance‘ s face. I flinched at the sight of it, my stomach twisting in knots.
“Let go of me!” Marco snarled, struggling
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sight of it, my stomach twisting in knots.
“Let go of me!” Marco snarled, struggling against the bouncer‘ s hold.
Lance wiped the blood from his mouth, his breathing heavy as he glared at Marco. He didn’t say anything, but the look on his face said it all–this wasn’t over.
I stood there, watching the two of them, my heart racing, fury building inside me. This was exactly why I had left, why I couldn’t stay tangled up in Marco’s world anymore. The violence, the control, the constant chaos -it was suffocating. And yet, seeing Marco like this, so out of control, it made something stir inside me. Worry, maybe even guilt.
But I pushed those feelings down.
I wasn’t going to let Marco drag me back
into that life
into that life.
“Isabelle,” Marco called out, his voice cutting through the chaos. He was being held back by the bouncer, but his eyes were locked on me. “You‘ re leaving with him? Really? After everything we’ve been through?”
I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to keep my emotions in check. I didn’t owe him an explanation, not anymore. But the guilt was still there, gnawing at me.
“Marco, you need to stop,” I said, my voice steady, though my heart was racing. “This isn’t the way. You can’t just punch your way through things.”
His eyes softened for a brief moment, like he was finally hearing me. But then his gaze shifted to Lance, and the anger was back,
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shifted to Lance, and the anger was back, burning hotter than ever.
I had to make a choice.
Without another word, I turned and walked over to Lance, who was sitting on a nearby stool, wincing as he dabbed at the blood on his lip. “Are you okay?” I asked, my voice softer now.
He nodded, giving me a weak smile. “Yeah, I’ve had worse. Don’t worry about me.
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I helped Lance up, and together, we made our way toward the exit. Marco’s voice cut through the noise once more, sharp and bitter. “You‘ re leaving me because of him?”
I paused at the door, glancing back at Marco. For a split second, I considered going to him,
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For a split second, I considered going to him, telling him that it didn’t have to be like this, that we didn’t have to keep hurting each other.
But then I remembered all the nights I’d spent waiting for him to change. The broken promises, the excuses, the violence. And I knew I couldn’t go back.
So I tightened my grip on Lance‘ s arm and walked out the door without looking back.
