Chapter 46: A Career Opportunity

As Mariana and Quam approached the restaurant's exit, a flicker of recognition flashed across her eyes. She stopped abruptly, her hand instinctively reaching out to grab Quam's arm. "Wait," she hissed, her voice barely a whisper. Outside the restaurant, stood Tiago. He wasn't alone. Two other men, their faces obscured by the shadows, flanked him. Quam, momentarily startled by her sudden movement, furrowed his brow in confusion. "What is it, Mariana?" Before he could get another word out, Mariana was pulling him back into the restaurant's dim interior. "Don't go outside," she urged, her voice laced with urgency. Quam stumbled slightly, thrown off balance by her forceful tug. "Mariana, what's going on?" he demanded, his voice low but firm. Mariana peeked out from behind a large potted plant, her eyes scanning the street. "Tiago," she breathed, her voice barely audible. "He's…outside." "Tiago who?" Quam asked, clueless. "My ex-husband," she whispered, finally meeting his g