The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 36

**Chasing Light, Finding Peace** – by Rohan Verma

**Chapter 36**

Mars Wright shot a piercing look at the man seated across from him, irritation simmering just beneath the surface. “Do you really think it’s a simple task to recover deleted security footage? Owen definitely brought in someone top-tier for that job. The footage has been completely wiped. Restoring it will be a Herculean effort, so all we can do is wait it out.”

The young man, clad in designer threads and sporting a lazy grin, raised his glass in a mock toast, a smirk dancing on his lips. “You’ve got some serious patience, Mars. Still hung up on Autumn, huh? Why else would you go through all this trouble for that footage?”

Mars felt his lips tighten into a thin line, a wave of annoyance washing over him.

“This isn’t about Autumn,” he retorted, his voice sharper than he had intended.

A moment of silence enveloped the group, surprise etched on their faces, but soon their expressions transformed into one of understanding.

“Right, so you’re trying to piece together why Owen Bennett turned up at the club that night, aren’t you?”

Mars grunted in agreement, his mind racing with tangled thoughts.

He and Owen existed in entirely different worlds, leagues apart in every conceivable way. Despite his own ascent to power, the chasm between them felt insurmountable.

Mars had tasted the sweet nectar of influence, and he wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.

This could very well be his only chance to forge a connection with Owen.

Letting this go would haunt him indefinitely.

“Mars, have you ever thought about just asking Autumn directly?”

Caught off guard, Mars paused, his mind racing.

“What would I even ask her? She was stuck in the bathroom. There’s no way she could have known what was happening outside,” he replied, bewilderment creeping into his voice.

“But didn’t the deleted footage coincide with her time in the bathroom?”

The guy pressed on, “It’s too coincidental. That was the only footage that vanished, which suggests Autumn might have crossed paths with Owen. Otherwise, why would the footage of her leaving the club disappear too?”

A spark of realization ignited in Mars’s mind as he leapt to his feet, adrenaline surging through him.

“You’re absolutely right!”

They had all overlooked that crucial detail, assuming Autumn had just miraculously escaped the bathroom on her own.

But now, with the timeline in mind, it all started to make sense. Owen had arrived and left in a rush. Could it be that Autumn, in her frantic flight, had inadvertently bumped into him? Perhaps that was why the notoriously prickly Owen had stormed off without a backward glance.

The more he contemplated it, the more plausible it became. An overwhelming urgency surged within him.

“I’m going to find Autumn and ask her!”

His friends quickly intercepted him, concern etched on their faces.

“Are you kidding? Mars always picks up the tab when we go out. If you leave now, who’s going to pay?”

“Dude, aren’t you and Autumn heading to the office together tomorrow? Just ask her then.”

“Yeah, yeah, asking her tomorrow is just as valid,” they chimed in, successfully coaxing Mars into staying put.

Mars reveled in the feeling of being needed, the admiration from his friends fueling his ego. A smile broke across his face. “Alright, I’ll ask her tomorrow.”

After all, it wasn’t like Autumn could just vanish. The security footage was being restored, and he was determined to uncover the truth one way or another.

“Order whatever you want! Tonight’s on me!”

The crowd erupted into cheers, their excitement palpable.

“You’re the man, Mars!”

“You’re a legend, Mars!”

The praise washed over him like a warm wave, and Mars felt his confidence swell. He raised his glass high and declared, “I’m about to land a major project tomorrow! You guys have been my ride-or-dies for years. Don’t worry, as long as I’ve got food on my plate, I’ll make damn sure you never go hungry!”

The cheers grew even more thunderous, nearly shaking the very foundations of the VIP room.

“Mars, since we’re all feeling so good, why don’t we invite some people over to spice things up?”

Mars considered Lydia for a moment, hesitation creeping in.

Lydia was nothing like Autumn. She thrived on chaos and had a famously fiery temper.

Still enraptured, Mars looked down, confusion clouding his mind. “What are you waiting for?”

Had she gotten him all worked up just to play hard to get now?

When the DJ remained motionless, Mars urged her on, impatience creeping into his tone. “Didn’t you hear me?”

He fished out his wallet, pulled out a credit card, and tossed it at her. “Is this enough for you?”

Contempt dripped from his eyes, a wave of disgust washing over him.

These women were all so unreliable, always playing games just because they had a few tricks up their sleeves.

What kind of beauty hadn’t he, Mars Wright, encountered? The Lopez sisters, for instance, were in a league she could never hope to reach.

If he hadn’t already crossed a line, he would have kicked this ungrateful woman out on the spot.

“Hurry up!”

Mars growled, yanking her hair and forcing her head down.

The DJ, her scalp screaming from his grip, snapped back, “You want me to hurry? Then give me something to work with!”

“Or am I supposed to work my magic on a wet noodle?”

As fate would have it, when the DJ paused her mixing, the heavy beat faded, and her words were amplified through a nearby microphone, echoing throughout the VIP room.

For a brief moment, the atmosphere turned as silent as a graveyard.

A dead hush enveloped everyone.

Mars seethed at the DJ’s words, but he quickly realized she had a point—down there, he had nothing to offer. Blood rushed to his head, and with a strangled gasp, he collapsed, unconscious.

“Maaars-!”

**Conclusion**

In the aftermath of Mars’s collapse, a profound stillness settled over the chaotic VIP room, contrasting sharply with the earlier exuberance. As his friends rushed to his side, concern etched on their faces, the reality of Mars’s choices loomed heavy in the air. The thrill of power and influence that once intoxicated him now lay shattered alongside his unconscious body. In that moment, the bravado he had so fiercely clung to crumbled, revealing a vulnerability that had been masked by arrogance. His pursuit of fleeting pleasures and distractions had led him to this precarious edge, a stark reminder that the chase for light can sometimes obscure the path to genuine peace.
As Mars lay there, the urgency of his earlier mission to uncover the truth about Autumn and Owen faded into the background, replaced by a sobering clarity. The chaos he had embraced was a facade, a misguided attempt to fill an emptiness that could only be addressed through honesty and connection. The journey ahead would require more than just ambition; it would demand introspection and accountability. In the quiet that followed, as his friends rallied around him, a flicker of hope emerged—perhaps this moment would serve as a catalyst for Mars to confront his demons, to seek the peace he had long chased but never truly found.