Later on Lena met Marcus in a downtown café the next day. As she walked in, she saw that he was already seated at a table in the back. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Good to see you, Lena," he said, gesturing for her to take a seat.
Lena sat down across from him, feeling nervous. She didn't know what to expect, but she was ready to hear his conditions.
"First of all, I want you to know that I'm not doing this for you," Marcus said bluntly. "I'm doing this for my father. He thinks that if he can help you out of this mess, it might help him in his business dealings with your father."
Lena felt a twinge of anger at his words, but she kept her cool. She just wanted to get this over with and move on.
"What are your conditions?" she asked, trying to sound as polite as possible.
Marcus looked at her for a moment, sizing her up. "I want you to stop seeing your current boyfriend," he said finally.
Lena was taken aback. "What does that have to do with anything?" she asked.
"It has everything to do with it," Marcus said firmly. "Your boyfriend is a liability. He's involved in some shady business deals, and if you're seen with him, it could reflect badly on your father's company."
Lena felt a wave of panic wash over her. She had no idea that her boyfriend was involved in anything illegal. But she couldn't let her father's reputation be tarnished because of her mistake.
"Okay," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'll break up with him."
"Good," Marcus said, nodding in approval. "And there's one more thing. I want you to go on a date with me."
Lena felt her stomach drop. She had suspected that this was coming, but she had hoped she was wrong.
"I don't think that's necessary," she said, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.
"I do," Marcus said firmly. "If we're going to be working together, we need to have a better relationship. And who knows? Maybe we'll actually enjoy each other's company."
Lena knew she had no choice. She nodded slowly, feeling like she was selling her soul to the devil.
"Okay," she said quietly. "I'll do it."
