Marcus gave an irritated chuckle, casually pushing Dwayne's hand off his shoulder. The gesture wasn't forceful, but enough to make Dwayne stumble a step back—though the grin on his face only widened, unbothered.
"Tough guy act, huh? I'll leave you two to it."
Dwayne's voice held an easy-going tone, and he added a mock salute—casual, almost brotherly, the kind of gesture passed between friends who'd survived a few rough scrapes together. With that, he backed off, melting into the crowd like a shadow with a smirk.
That twat…
Marcus thought with lighthearted annoyance, brushing his fingers through the air like swatting away flies, the thoughts flitting away just as easily.
In front of him, Victoria laughed—warm and genuine—as she brought a few fingers to her lips in an effort to muffle the sound, her eyes glittering with amusement.
"Dwayne, huh…? Makes sense you'd get acquainted with him," she said, tilting her head slightly. "But how did you two get so close?"
