CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY NINE - A Face Revealed

The tension in the room was palpable as the two men faced off. Ella edged around the counter, trying to put some distance between herself and Mark. "Mark," Lucas said, his voice surprisingly calm, "this has to stop. What you're doing... it's not love, man. It's obsession. You're hurting Ella, you're hurting yourself. This isn't you." For a moment, something flickered in Mark's eyes – a hint of the friend Lucas had once known. But it was quickly replaced by anger. "Don't act like you know me," Mark snarled. "You betrayed me, Lucas. You knew how I felt about Ella, but you went after her anyway." Ella's voice shook as she spoke. "Mark, Lucas didn't betray you. We fell in love. It just happened. I'm sorry if that hurt you, but what you've been doing... it's not okay. You've terrorized us for months." Mark turned back to her, his expression softening. "I never meant to scare you, Ella. I just wanted you to see... to understand that we're meant to be together. Lucas doesn't appreciate y