Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Marcus stepped forward, his gaze steady on Travis, he wanted to use this opportunity to expose his lies. “You were bragging about how important you are in the Langston family. Show it p>
Travis scoffed, folding his arms. “Do you still think I’m lying? Wow. You must still be in shock from what I pulled. The invitation thing p>
Marcus tilted his head slightly, then said loudly, “Yeah… I am surprised. That you know someone from the Langston family p>
A ripple went through the crowd hearing this. No any ordinary person can know any single soul from the Langston family.
“What? The Langston family p>
“He must be a big shot p>
“If he knows them, then he’s definitely influential p>
The whispers grew, turning into admiration.
Travis straightened, soaking it in, his chin lifting slightly as the attention fed his ego.
Marcus let the noise settle before speaking again, calm but cutting. “Now you are about to be thrown out of a restaurant owned by the Langstons. Don’t you think you should ask for help? Or is it all just lies p>
Travis’s expression darkened, but the praise around him gave him confidence. He suddenly slammed his hand against the table.
“What the hell do you take me for? A liar?” he snapped. “I really know someone from the Langston family p>
And in his mind, that wasn’t entirely false.
He had met the man months ago. The man who claimed to being part of the Langston family. They had talked, laughed, even exchanged numbers, they even became friends.
He had never seen proof. Nothing concrete.
But with the invitation card. That erased his doubts.
To Travis, that was enough.
It had to be real.
He lifted his phone slightly, confidence returning to his face. “I will call him right now,” he said, pointing sharply at the manager.
“And i will make sure you get punished for this embarrassment p>
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Beside him, Jessica swallowed hard, her voice rising with desperation. “Yes, Travis, please do it. I can’t handle this embarrassment p>
Travis turned back to Marcus, eyes narrowing. “You think I’m lying, right? What should happen if I actually make that call p>
Marcus stepped forward, his eyes locked on Travis. “You really want to put something on the line p>
Travis didn’t hesitate. “Hell yeah. I’m so damn sure. In fact, he’ll pick up as soon as he sees my call. We’re friends p>
A faint smile touched Marcus’s lips, calm and unreadable. “What about this. If you make the call, and it goes through, and the person is truly from the Langston family… I will bark like a dog. Right here. In front of everyone p>
A wave of shock ripped through the crowd.
“What the fuck p>
“Is he crazy p>
“This is going too far p>
Even Damien stepped forward, uneasy. “Marcus, you don’t have to go this far p>
Jessica’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Marcus… what happened to you?” she said, shaking her head.
“You would rather bark like a dog than just believe Travis? Are you that insecure because he can actually do what you can’t p>
Her words were sharp, but they carried confusion too, like she couldn’t recognize the man in front of her anymore. The Marcus she once knew can’t say two sentences of arguements.
The murmurs grew louder.
“For him to get an invitation from the Langston family already says a lot p>
“He must be telling the truth p>
“That young man will bark like a dog… I’d like to see that p>
People already believed Travis. And Travis was feeding off it.
His chest lifted with confidence, his earlier hesitation fading away under the praise.
He smirked. “You really mean that p>
Marcus nodded once. “I do p>
Jessica quickly stepped in again, almost pleading now. “Look, we don’t have to go this far, Marcus. Why would you humiliate yourself like this? What do you want people to start saying about me p>
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Jessica was still in delusions that her and Marcus were still together, still believing his actions reflected on her.
Marcus didn’t even look at her.
His gaze stayed on Travis.
“And if the call turns out to be fake,” he said calmly, his voice cutting through the noise, “you’ll be the one barking p>
That made Travis pause.
Just for a second.
Marcus tilted his head slightly. “It has to go both ways, doesn’t it p>
Silence stretched.
The crowd leaned in.
Travis swallowed, then forced a grin, louder than necessary. “Yes. Fuck yes. But I’m very sure the one barking here is you p>
Marcus gave a small nod. “Then we have a deal. Make the call p>
What Travis didn’t know… what he couldn’t possibly know… was Marcus’ real identity. And the Invitation
card was from him, not some illusion man.
Travis dialed the number with confidence as the phone started ringing.
Everyone was quiet, eager to know how this would end up. The phone kept ringing and ringing. But no one picked it up.
Travis scoffed and gulped, “he must be very busy, let me call again”
He dialed the number again and was met by the same response as before. Just ringing and no one picked up.
He started breaking sweat while Marcus smirked at him. Marcus folded his arms and stated, “what’s happening here p>
Travis shouted at him, “Are you deaf. Don’t you see he isn’t picking up. He must be busy”
“Busy? How confident to say that. And how coincidence that he was busy at this very moment” Marcus highlighted.
Travis knew this didn’t look good and called again but this time. It was switched off.
“Well, someone has to bark for us p>
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.