Chapter 644: Zina Sinclair

Marcus mounted his Steel-Horse and made his way to Mellory, arriving in no time. Ms. Lindsey was already waiting outside the CEO’s office, and when she saw Marcus approach, she stepped forward with a polite smile.

"Mr. Marcus, the CEO is waiting for you inside. Please, go in."

Marcus nodded and stepped through the door.

Then he stopped dead.

The sight before him hit him harder than he’d expected.

Two stunning women were sitting together on the sofa in the spacious lounge.

One was Vivian Sterling, of course. She was as sharp, confident, and refined as ever, carrying that unmistakable air of pride that seemed to come naturally to her. Today, however, she wasn’t dressed in her usual business attire. Instead, she wore a simple white casual outfit that followed the elegant lines of her figure while softening some of her usual severity, giving her a gentler and more approachable beauty without taking away the commanding presence of a CEO.

She looked incredible.

Like a lotus swaying gently above a clear pond, vivid and graceful, beautiful enough to make a man instinctively want to reach out and hold her close, while still possessing enough pride to make him hesitate before getting too close.

But as striking as Vivian was, Marcus’s gaze slowly drifted away.

It landed on the woman sitting beside her.

And stayed there.

The crimson, round-necked dress with its short sleeves suited her perfectly. She looked almost as though someone had taken a flawless piece of jade and carved it into the shape of a woman. Her beauty carried the fullness and maturity of a flower in complete bloom, while her graceful bearing gave her an almost goddess-like presence.

There was an undeniable sensuality to her, but it wasn’t crude or deliberately provocative. It was simply part of her natural charm, something she didn’t seem to need to emphasize because it was already impossible to ignore.

Then Marcus looked at her face. He was stunned.

Her features were so beautiful that they seemed almost capable of bringing a city to its knees, yet what truly caught his attention was the calm elegance in her expression. There was no deliberate attempt to impress anyone, no trace of vanity despite her appearance. She simply sat there with an effortless dignity that made her seem like a crimson peony in full bloom.

Beautiful, noble, elegant and Untouchable.

’Good God.’

She was even more beautiful than Vivian.

More than that, she had a presence that made it difficult to look away. Marcus had seen plenty of beautiful women, especially after spending so much time around the upper circles of Crestwood, but this woman was something else entirely.

Only one person came to mind who could stand on the same level.

Professor Tina, the most beautiful woman at Crestwood University.

Marcus had always thought Professor Tina’s beauty was difficult to surpass, but this woman had a completely different kind of appeal, and the impact was just as overwhelming.

Then something about her face made Marcus pause.

’Wait.’

She looked familiar. Very familiar. Where had he seen her before?

"Marcus. Eyes up."

Vivian’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

She had noticed exactly where he’d been staring. Of course she’d expected the scoundrel to react that way, but knowing that didn’t make the sight any less irritating. A faint tension gathered in her chest as she watched him openly admire another woman right in front of her.

Marcus gave an awkward little laugh and walked over, taking a seat on the sofa opposite them.

Then, just as he settled down, the memory finally clicked into place.

"Oh! I remember now."

He pointed toward the woman in the crimson dress.

"I’ve seen your profile before. You’re Sinclair..."

He frowned.

He remembered the surname clearly. Sinclair. He’d encountered it somewhere around two years ago, but the woman’s first name stubbornly refused to come to him.

"Sinclair..."

Marcus glanced between the two women. Neither said a word, they simply sat there looking at him.

Marcus blinked. ’Seriously?’

Surely one of them could introduce her.

Vivian could have simply said, Marcus, this is Zina Sinclair. Or Zina could have stood up and said, Hello, I’m Zina Sinclair. Nice to meet you. Even a simple nod would have been enough.

But no.

Vivian clearly had no intention of helping him after their earlier argument, and Zina, judging by the faint amusement in her eyes, seemed perfectly content to let him struggle.

’Unbelievable.’

Marcus felt a flicker of irritation, though he kept it off his face. Instead, he racked his brain for another moment before suddenly slapping his forehead.

"Right! I remember now."

His eyes widened.

"Zina Maisie. You’re Zina Maisie, aren’t you?"

Both women went still.

Marcus, completely oblivious to the danger he’d just stepped into, continued.

"You’re that model. I saw you in a magazine last month, the advertisement for that lingerie brand. Gorgeous work. Everyone was talking about it."

The expressions on both women’s faces changed. Marcus didn’t notice, or perhaps simply chose not to care.

He slapped his forehead again.

"Man, my memory is terrible."

He shook his head as though genuinely frustrated with himself.

"Last month, I even told my girl she had to buy that brand. The advertisement was seriously impressive. Absolutely stunning..."

"Marcus!"

Vivian finally cut him off.

She glared at him so fiercely that even Marcus knew he’d better stop.

Beside her, Zina’s expression was no better. Her eyes remained calm, but the slight tightening of her lips made it very clear that she was not impressed.

"Heh..."

Marcus smiled sheepishly. He knew he should probably stop digging, still, he merely shrugged and dropped back against the sofa with an innocent expression.

What could he say? The woman hadn’t introduced herself. Vivian hadn’t introduced her either.

If he’d gotten her name wrong after being given absolutely no help, surely that wasn’t entirely his fault.

Besides, he’d remembered who she was now.

The woman sitting across from him was Zina Sinclair, a renowned international lawyer. Two years ago, she’d represented the country in several high-profile international trade disputes and had won several major cases. Her accomplishments had been impressive enough that television programs had even run features about her.

Her intelligence, beauty, and elite family background had turned her into something of an internet sensation for a time.

That was why Marcus remembered her.

Back then, however, she had almost always appeared in sharp, tailored lawyer’s suits, and her professional image had been so different from the woman sitting in front of him now that he hadn’t connected the two immediately.

On top of that, Zina had practically disappeared from the public eye for the past two years.

Marcus genuinely hadn’t expected to encounter someone like her here.

And he certainly hadn’t expected her to be even more striking in person than she had been on television.

If anything, it seemed she’d deliberately kept a low profile back then, never showing the full extent of her appearance or presence to the public.

"Mr. Marcus, would you like something to drink?"

Ms. Lindsey’s voice broke the awkward silence.

Marcus glanced toward her.

"Tea, please."

The simple exchange finally eased some of the tension in the room. Vivian crossed her arms and looked directly at him.

"Marcus. What do you want?"

"Something important."

Marcus’s expression became noticeably more serious. Vivian caught him glancing toward Zina again and said flatly, "Go ahead. She’s family."

"Good."

Marcus nodded.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, he delivered the reason he’d come.

"I’ve figured out the advertising campaign."

Vivian’s expression shifted slightly.

"But I want thirty percent of the profits."

"Thirty percent?"

Vivian and Zina looked at him. Neither woman appeared shocked, neither looked offended. There was no immediate disbelief, no incredulous Are you insane?

They simply stared at him calmly, their expressions unreadable. And somehow, that silence was far more intimidating than anger would have been.