The two men, Marcus and Ryan, walked back into the sitting room, expecting to find Clarissa still sitting on the couch. But to their surprise, she was nowhere to be found. The coffee that Ryan had offered her earlier remained untouched on the coffee table.

Marcus's eyes scanned the room, his brow furrowed in concern. "Where is she?" he asked Ryan, his voice tinged with worry.

Ryan shook his head. "I don't know. I thought she was still here."

The two men glanced at each other, and then started arguing about Clarissa's whereabouts and why she might have left.

"This is ridiculous," Marcus said, his voice rising. "We can't just...