The price of

When Yunna entered the restaurant with Marcos, she didn't notice Mingi's presence until he spotted her from the entrance. Yunna's gaze was fixed on her cell phone, trying to ignore the nervousness that still consumed her since the last time she saw Mingi.

But when she looked up, the world seemed to stop for a second. She saw Mingi entering, looking straight at her. The surprise was visible, but she tried to control herself.

Mingi didn't take long to approach, with an empty and unperturbed look. Yunna's face, previously tense, was now filled with confusion. She wanted to hide it, to push Mingi out of her mind, but the unexpected encounter took her by surprise.

And there he was, so formal, so distant, like the owner of that restaurant, but still, with that look that made Yunna's heart beat faster.

Marcos, who hadn't noticed the tension until that moment, was the first to act. He stood up with a smile, offering his hand to Mingi, as if there was absolutely nothing strange in that situation.

— Good evening, I'm Marcos, nice to meet you — he said politely, with a friendly tone of voice, but his gaze did not go unnoticed. He felt something in the air, a tension that he could not fully identify, but that certainly bothered him.

Mingi, without expressing any emotion, simply replied:

— Good evening. Enjoy your evening.

As Mingi walked away, Marcos looked back at Yunna, who seemed visibly uncomfortable, but quickly tried to hide it. Yunna's smile seemed forced, but Marcos said nothing. He did not want to be rude or interrupt the mood of the evening, but the scene made him uneasy.

When they sat down at the table again, Marcos noticed the way Yunna avoided him with her eyes. He felt a wave of irritation rise within him, but he was quick to control himself. He knew Yunna was going through a difficult time, and the last thing he wanted was to pressure her.

But the fact that Mingi was so close, so present, something in him stirred. Not because of jealousy, but because of the situation itself. He was with Yunna, and Mingi, apparently, was someone from her past. And yet, the way he looked at her made him wonder what was really going on there.

But Marcos was a man of class. He knew he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him. When jealousy or anger started to arise, he remembered his posture, his upbringing. He wasn't the kind of man who would speak out impulsively. His character kept him from doing something stupid, and that was what he used to keep himself calm.

The conversation with Yunna, which had seemed natural before, now felt more forced. Marcos tried to keep the subject light, asking about her work, but Yunna didn't seem to be fully there, as if her mind was somewhere else. She barely looked at him, her eyes always returning to the back of the restaurant, where Mingi was.

Marcos tried hard to remain polite, to not show his irritation. But, internally, he was furious.

How could she accept him back into her life? And why, now, did it seem like he could no longer compete with someone like Mingi?

Not that he wanted to, but the situation made him uncomfortable. He knew that Yunna had not yet let go of the past, and that made him question whether he really had a place in her life.

But even so, Marcos controlled his anger. He smiled back at Yunna, trying to disguise the feelings that were bubbling up inside him. He was a polite man, a man with class, and he would not make a fuss over a moment of frustration.

Furthermore, he was there for her, but the only thing he could do was wait and observe, without imposing anything. But one thing was clear to him: this night, this situation, was testing his limits in a way he never imagined.

As the night progressed, Marcos wondered if he should be more patient or if this was a waste of time. He knew Yunna was going through a difficult time, but that didn't mean he had to feel like he was in the background. He was there, trying hard to please her, but he knew that Mingi's place in her life was too big to ignore.

Doubt and discomfort continued to hammer in his mind, but for now, he remained calm. He didn't want to show that he was uncomfortable, but the truth is that Marcos felt that, that night, it wasn't just the meeting with Yunna that was keeping him in suspense — it was the weight of Mingi's presence that was unsettling him more than he wanted to admit.

The night was coming to an end, and the restaurant was starting to empty. Yunna and Marcos were walking towards the exit, laughing at something Marcos had just told them, trying to lighten the moment.

But as they got closer to the door, Yunna felt a familiar presence and, turning her head, saw Mingi approaching with quick steps, his gaze fixed and determined.

Before she could say anything or move, Mingi walked straight to her. Without saying a word, he reached out and grabbed Yunna's wrist firmly. Marcos, who was just a few steps away, stopped immediately, surprised by Mingi's attitude.

"Yunna, you're coming with me," Mingi said, his voice low and full of authority. He gently pulled her away from Marcos. The way he touched her made Yunna shiver, and the pressure in his hand sent a shiver down her spine.

She looked at Marcos, who seemed stunned and a little disconcerted by the situation but made no move to intervene. He knew that Mingi was not an easy man to deal with, and for the first time, he felt a twinge of discomfort at the tension in the air.

“Mingi, please…” Yunna tried to speak, but her voice came out shaky. Fear was starting to settle in her chest. She knew that Mingi could be unpredictable, and lately, he seemed more distant and irrational.

“There’s no arguing, Yunna,” Mingi interrupted, his voice firmer now, as if there was no room for more words. He pulled her a little closer, and she felt her heart beat faster. “Let’s go home now.”

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