Marcus Quinn heard the landlord's voice, frowned slightly, then went to open the door.
The man was tall and burly, about 1.9 meters, and he immediately wedged himself solidly in the doorway. The one coming to collect rent was the slum's rent overlord; this whole building was a block of apartments his family had built themselves. It wasn't even rent day today, but the landlord had seen Marcus carrying takeout and fruit home every day lately, and today he even saw Ada come out. He was instantly stunned—like she was a celestial being—and just stood there staring.
The landlord was in his thirties, divorced with a kid, considered well-off in this urban village. He'd always wanted to find another partner, but this one didn't suit him, that one didn't suit him. The moment he saw Ada, his backside might as well have been on fire—he couldn't sit still anymore. As soon as Marcus came home, he used "collecting rent" as an excuse to come over and snoop.
