Chapter 3: Dinner

Mark stood from the table and walked over to Justin.

"Justin, what are you doing here all alone?"

"Oh! Hey, Mark. I'm just having dinner. Want to join me?"

"I've already eaten. Weren't you allergic to beef? Why are you eating it?"

"I'm not allergic to beef. I'm allergic to one of the seasonings they use—nutmeg."

"Got it. Finish your dinner, then."

"What are you doing here? Just dinner, or were you working?"

"Business dinner."

As they talked, Justin sliced his steak with precision, Mark watching from across the table. Once a piece was cut, Justin speared it with his fork and brought it to Mark's mouth. Mark, slightly taken aback, opened up and let the younger man feed him.

"Thanks. That's delicious."

"Right? If you ever invite me out to eat, now you know how I like my steak."

"I won't forget."

Saul had seen the whole exchange and frowned, then texted Mark telling him he was leaving and to take Justin home. After reading the message, Mark pocketed his phone and stayed to talk with Justin, who kept offering him bites from the same fork he was eating with.

"Justin, did you drink this entire bottle by yourself?"

"It's not that strong."

A few minutes later, Justin paid the bill and said goodnight to Mark, who refused to let him walk back alone and followed him to his hotel room.

"I thought you were still staying at Saul's," Mark said as Justin opened the door.

"He told me to move out as soon as possible. His beloved girlfriend's coming to live with him."

"I see. Get some rest."

"You too, Mark. Handsome men shouldn't have dark circles."

"Noted," Mark replied with a smile.

Justin stepped into the room and closed the door. Mark headed home, thinking about how badly Justin was taking Saul's rejection.

"He should be honest about his feelings. He rejects Justin outright, but his behavior keeps giving the kid hope."

Days passed, and Justin finally moved into his family's house. He threw himself into work, researching and organizing key projects for the company. During this time, he didn't contact Saul—didn't seek him out, didn't reach out at all. Saul, naturally, assumed the boy was plotting something—some scheme to get close and declare his love in public all over again.

"Stop thinking the worst of him. He already told you he's not here to confess or chase after you. His priority is work," Mark said, watching Saul mutter about Justin.

"I don't trust him. He's pulled this distant, indifferent act before, and then comes out with something idiotic in front of partners and important people."

"You're the one who said he's a man now and needs to act like it. So maybe he's matured and finally understands that you don't want him around—especially not the way he used to want."

"I hope so. But just to be safe, you keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't come near me, and definitely not near my girlfriend. I don't want his nonsense affecting my relationship."

"Fine. If I ever see or hear that he's going to come after you or do something stupid, I'll stop him."

"I trust you to keep him away from me."

Meanwhile, Justin was meeting with some of the company's partners to discuss projects that were bleeding money and doing nothing for the business.

"Those projects need to be shut down immediately. The losses they're generating are staggering, while the projects with real potential are being shelved."

"Mr. Belalcazar, all of those projects were chosen by the company's president. As your father's appointee, he has full authority."

"No, he doesn't have full authority—he's just a placeholder. You're the partners. So I'm asking you to back my decision, or you'll need to sell your shares to someone who actually cares about results and is willing to get involved in running this company."

The meeting lasted a couple of hours. Afterward, Justin went home to call his father and report everything he'd uncovered—how the losses far exceeded the profits.

"The man you left in charge isn't doing his job. He's only generating losses, and the profits are going straight into his pocket."

"I see. I'll wrap up some things here, and your mother and I will come back to deal with this mess."

"Thank you, Father. While you're on your way, I'll keep working without going into the office."

"Fine. In the meantime, I'll call the investors and have them explain this situation—and why they haven't put a stop to it."

"I've already spoken with them, Father. Their excuse was that you appointed this man as president, which gave him absolute power and left them with no say."

"Something's off, and I'm going to find out what. If they're involved in this too, they'll go to prison."

"I'll dig deeper, though they may already be on alert."

Father and son talked a while longer about the company. Then his father asked whether Justin was truly still set on pursuing Saul.

"No, Father. I've changed my mind. Besides, he has a girlfriend, and before I could even say anything, he told me to stay away."

"Then stop bothering him. You've spent nearly eight years being embarrassed and humiliated over this love."

"I know, and I apologize for dragging our family name through all that nonsense."

"What matters is that you recognize your mistakes."

After hanging up, Justin started looking for an apartment. He didn't want to live with his parents when they returned to the city.

"An apartment near the office would be pretty convenient."

His train of thought was interrupted by the doorbell.

"Who could that be at this hour?"

He walked to the door and opened it to find Mark standing there.