Melissa replied quietly, “I work for him. It's only fair for him to compensate me."

Marcus extinguished his cigarette, leaning closer.

In a hushed tone, he proposed, "Then work for me. I can pay you tenfold or a hundredfold."

Melissa offered a faint smile, opting not to argue.

To her surprise, he didn't push the matter further or engage in an argument. He respected her wishes.