Marcus was in the middle of dutifully wiping down the front counter when the little bell above the door jingled. He instantly plastered on his best, most professional shopkeeper smile and turned around, his voice all cheery.

"Welcome, dear custo—... oh. It's you."

The smile didn't just fade; it curdled and died right on his lips. His disappointment was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

There, standing in his doorway, looking nothing like the scruffy brat from yesterday and everything like a smug, rich, mafia-boss-wannabe in that stupidly expensive-looking suit, was Alex.

'This... this BRAT!'

Marcus seethed internally, his grip on the cleaning rag tightening until his knuckles went white.

'He actually came back! He's here for more! I knew it! Well, not this time! I will not let him do anything funny... anything at all... with my poor, sweet, innocent wife! Hmpff!'

Marcus was gleaming with a secret, smug self-satisfaction. He had raked his brain all night long, tossing and turning, sacrificing his own precious, manly sleep... and he had finally... FINALLY... conjured... his master plan! It was absolute genius! The logic was flawless!

His brilliant mind replayed the flawless logic: Okay, so, this guy comes for the "rent," right? And... he also said... that he would "help with the shop" to increase sales.

Soooooo... it's only a problem if Lily is here when he comes to "help"! Obviously! That is when this... this monster... would use that chance to pressure his poor, defenseless Lily... to... to do things! Unspeakable things! Things she doesn't want to do!

So...

...What if... LILY ISN'T HERE?! Ha! What if... MARCUS... himself... is the only one here looking after the shop?! What would this guy do THEN?!

'Hu hu hu!' Marcus cackled inside his own brilliant, scheming mind. 'Checkmate, you bastard! This brat... he's going to have to work with ME! All day! In the shop! Just us two guys!'

'There is no chance... zero... zip... nada... that I am gonna let you... anywhere NEAR... my wife! She's safe! She's upstairs! Right now! Taking her much-needed rest! All alone! And I... I... am the hero... who will NOT... let you near her!'

A smug, bratty, I'm-so-much-smarter-than-you grin... finally spread all across Marcus's face. He looked at the rich, handsome, suit-wearing Alex... and he felt pity.

Pity for this poor, dumb... brute... who had just walked... right into... his genius trap. He was going to win this. Today... Marcus... was the WINNER.

"Argh, Marcus, my man! What is this amazingly warm and enthusiastic welcome?"

Alex drawled, his voice just dripping with sarcasm. He stepped confidently into the dusty, little store, his brand-new, expensive-as-hell suit looking hilariously out of place.

"You look so thrilled to see me. But... where's the real star of the show? Where's Lily? I'm here for... my payment, after all."

"Ha! Lily?"

Marcus scoffed, his voice way too loud and way too proud. He puffed his scrawny little chest out, a brilliant, smug grin on his face.

"Lily is... upstairs. She's taking her... much-needed rest. She's in... well, she's in terrible condition... after... yesterday."

He rubbed his hands together triumphantly, positive that he had already won this.

'Hu hu hu! You fell right into my trap, you brat!' hght, gleefully.

"And since I got so much better than yesterday, I decided to come here and manage the shop! So! You're here to 'help' pay off that debt, right? Well, get ready! It's only noon right now. With you here, we can definitely make a huge sale!"

In his genius little mind, this was it. Checkmate. This big, stupid, handsome bastard was going to be locked up... down here... with HIM... all afternoon.

He'd be stuck! Stuck working... until all those debts were paid in full. And Marcus wasn't going to let Lily come anywhere near this shop anymore. Not until this predator... this suit-wearing monster... was gone... forever.

"Oh? Lily is... taking her rest?" Alex asked again, his voice dropping a little. A slow, knowing, filthy... little smile... started to spread across his face. It was a smile that Marcus did not like at all.

"Yes!" Marcus snapped, way too defensively. "She... she's been sleeping... ever since last night! She... she hasn't even woken up yet! She's... completely exhausted!"

"Oh, really?" Alex's smile got wider. "Well, then I assume she finally got the deep, satisfying rest she needed. I have to admit, I was a little worried. I was so worried she wouldn't be healthy or able to walk... after... last night's... performance."

He let that one, single word just... hang... in the dusty air between them.

"She worked so, so hard. But! Since she slept for this much... I assume she's all recovered and better now. Ready for... more, I mean."

Marcus literally... bit his tongue. Hard. Last... night's...PERFORMANCE?! Oh, he wanted to bash this guy's head open. He wanted to leap over the counter and smash that smug, handsome, suit-wearing face in. But... he couldn't. He couldn't do anything!

[Ding! 200 NTR points credited!]

The little sound pinged gleefully inside Alex's head. He so badly wanted to laugh right in Marcus's twitching, purple face. But he held on. Not now. Not now at all.

"Yes... well... she might be," Marcus hissed through his clenched teeth. "But you are not here for LILY, are you?

"You are here for your balance! Your 200 crowns! So stop wasting time talking about my wife and jump in here! So we both can make money right now!"

Marcus gestured viciously to the empty space right behind the counter. Right next to him. His expression was ugly, but triumphant.

'Yeah, that's right! I got you NOW, you bastard! Come HERE! I will protect her from you! You're stuck... with ME!'

But Alex just smiled. He didn't move toward the counter. He didn't listen at all. He just smiled and walked right past Marcus... strolling casually towards the STAIRS. The stairs in the corner.

The stairs that led UP. This... this made no sense. This confused Marcus.

"Hey! HEY! Where are you GOING?!"

Marcus shrieked, his genius plan suddenly... evaporating. He grabbed the edge of the counter, his knuckles white. He was about to leap out to physically STOP Alex...

...when the bell rang again. Ding-a-ling-a-ling! A whole group... of giggling, young GIRLS barged right into the shop.

Perfect timing. Alex paused. He looked at the group of... new, fresh... customers.

He looked back at the panicked, frozen Marcus. And he smiled. A wide, lazy, evil smile.

"You know, Marcus, I am all beat up... now," Alex said, faking a huge yawn and stretching his arms wide in his expensive suit.

"All that work this morning it really took it out of me. I need to relax. Just for a bit. I really need to release all this... pent-up... tiredness."

He grinned... filthily.

"You can tend to the girls," he said, nodding at the customers. "While I go upstairs and take a good, hard rest. And since Lily's there all alone resting I'm sure she will definitely keep me company."

He winked. A slow, brutal WINK right at Marcus. Then he blatantly reached down... right in front of EVERYONE and adjusted the front of his suit pants.

A slow, deliberate re-arranging of his package. He looked back winked at the giggling blushing girls even louder and then without a single care in the world he turned and climbed the stairs.

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