Chapter 57 - An Inexplicable Reaction

Winter was taking a stroll around the arcade along with the others when she saw Marcellus and Claude playing basketball at the furthest side of the gaming center.

Her eyes went as wide as saucers at the sight. She couldn't believe that they're really there, and she couldn't think of any kind of business that they'd be doing in such a place. As far as she knows, they're still supposed to be at work around this time. 

Winter would not probably notice them had it not for the crowd that they unknowingly gathered. Some of their spectators were starting to take pictures of them while others were too engrossed in watching their heating competition. She, on the other hand, felt nothing but thrown into a panic. 

'If this goes on, who knows if they catch the attention of the others next...?!' she bolted out inside her head before she looked at her companions, checking if they already noticed the scene.

'I can't let August find out that Marcellus Lexington is here! Ace and Ms. Violet too! Why in the world are they here, anyway?! To play basketball?! Seriously?!'

There's really nothing wrong with them playing at an arcade since it's what this place is supposed to be, but out of all the gaming centers in the city that they could've gone to, they really had to choose this one. But on another note, she doubts that Marcellus will even think of doing something like that. He's not one to use his precious time in messing around and going on a date with his secretary. 

'That guy… Could it be that he was following us…?' she thought but threw away that assumption as soon as she came up with it.

'Quite unlikely. Why would he do that, anyway? It's not like he can gain something from doing so. But then again, he must've gotten bored without me around. He's probably doing this to entertain himself or something.'

At any rate, she had to make sure that they would not get find out. She could just hear their excuses after she took them into hiding. 

'I'm gonna give you a good spanking if you turn out to be messing around with me, Marcellus Lexington!' 

With that, Winter silently slipped out of the group and left without telling August and the others. She then made haste to get to where Marcellus and Claude were. For almost as long as a whole minute, she had to get her way around the crowd before she could reach them at last. When she did, she couldn't help but be a little astounded by the kind of scene they're making this entire time. 

These gentlemen are really going at it, and with them still in their office uniforms – getting a bit too fired up to the point that they are close to sweating, they appear like these hot-looking show-offs who are trying to flex their athletic abilities to the ladies.

'Oh, yeah?! Flex my ass! You're coming with me!'     

Of course, Winter isn't going to have any of that.

She didn't spare another second to grab Marcellus by his arm and pull him out of there. That earned a surprised yelp from him and got him dropping the ball he was just about to shoot to the basketball hoop – that shot was supposed to be the last one he needed to get ahead of his secretary. But now, he missed his chance. 

He could've budged even without looking, but then, he felt these tiny little hands that suddenly wrapped themselves around his arm – they're familiar. And as if by instinct, he let them take him away by force. He thought that he shouldn't flip over whoever this was despite how annoyed he was for getting interrupted and not finishing that last shot.

After throwing one last look at where Claude was still playing – he seemed to be so focused on the game that he still didn't notice that he disappeared, Marcellus finally turned to see who kidnapped him.

"Ms. Agreste?!"

To say that he was flabbergasted would be an understatement.

Winter was dragging him across the arcade – further and further away from where they came from. Since August and the others are around that area, she should go to the opposite side and find a hiding spot there. She could see through the corners of her eyes that he had a million questions, but so was she.

The interrogation can wait until they find somewhere to hide –

Which soon took form of a photo booth.

"Ms. Agreste, what are you doing?!" Marcellus could not help but exclaim when Winter practically threw him inside the photo booth before backing him to the corner and trapping him between her and the wall. 

She had her hands stretched out on both of his sides, glaring up at him as if trying to impose dominance despite their conspicuous difference in height. Though she appears like a midget preying on a giant, she still intimidates him, especially with that killer look and bloodshot gaze of hers that finally reminded him of his offense here.

"O-Oh, I guess you found me out, huh?" Marcellus started awkwardly, looking on the edge.

"Not entirely. Maybe you should begin by telling me why you're here," Winter said tauntingly, looking more than prepared to pounce on him.

"Okay, okay. You got me. I can't lie to you even though I want to."

"Uh-huh, go on, then."

"I took Claude on a date-"

"Maybe I should go back with blackmailing you like before-"

"I'm joking, I'm joking! Geez… Okay, fine! Here's the real thing…! I wanted to see you, okay? And to know what your one and only family member is like. I've been curious about your brother for a while now, and since you don't want me meeting him or anything, I decided to have an intense research on you two-"

"You mean stalking?"

"Don't call it that!"

She only sighed out loud at that, wondering when he had even started to get so interested in her that he would even do something like stalking her and her brother.

And she even told him not to call nor text her. But he still went and did something even worse. 

She could not afford getting into another argument with her brother or causing more misunderstandings. In all actuality, she herself was also starting to come up with certain ideas that could only be a misunderstanding on her part – she couldn't help but think that there's another reason for his stalking aside from this 'intense research' he's trying to coin. 

"You… wanted to see me…?" Winter then ended up blurting it out loud.

"Why'd you want to see me?"   

"Why…?" Marcellus muttered in a low, deep tone, getting serious all of the sudden.

"Because I miss you. What could be another reason for that-"

"Oh, don't give me that! Are you really trying to practice flirting with me?! You could've used this time to go on another date instead of stalking me!"

"Why would you always bring up that I need to be in some date? Is taking women on dates the only thing you know I do?" 

"Well, isn't it? In fact, I thought for sure that you'd be using my absence to take as many women as you could to your office-"

Winter was cut off when Marcellus held her shoulders out of nowhere.

His grip on her was firm but not too tight that it would hurt. Apart from his strong grasp, his expression also turns dark – he looks angry. It shows through his half-lidded gaze and furrowed brows. But most of all, it shows through his scowl.

Startled, Winter found herself at a loss. But even though she clearly looks confused, Marcellus isn't saying anything. 

She had seen him this mad before – when they were still married and living under the same roof, more particularly. Back when she still hadn't died and traveled back in time, she had seen him get mad at her for commenting on his love affairs. She didn't mean anything bad in her comments, though – she's even kind of supporting him, actually. Still, he'd always look at her the same way he's doing at this moment.

She remembered those times all too well, but up until now, she had no idea why he would react this way every single time. 

"You don't have to sneak out at night or hide things from me, you know. I'm aware that you've been meeting other women, and I'm not going to stop you from doing so. I understand that you don't see me as a wife, much less a lover. I'm fine with that as long as we don't mind each other's business," was what Winter used to tell Macellus back then.

He would not say anything after that. He would only react with a vexed look.

That's when she thought that he already knew all of that even without her telling him – and that he only felt nothing but aggravated whenever she'd tell him what he already knew. Despite being good in spouting out sugarcoated sweet-nothings, he was not really as good as that with other kinds of words.

Even then, Winter knows that Marcellus wants to say something with this reaction of his – perhaps, now is a perfect time to get him spilling the beans.