bhapter /bb337 /b

    Jared looked caught off guard and then gave a small, helpless smile. “Did you see me talking to her at the café? I only talked to her for a few minutes before I left.”

    I replied coolly, “I don’t care where you hang out with her, but bringing her to my workce and acting all flirty? That’s such a turn–off. Honestly, it’s gross.”

    “You’re misunderstanding,” Jared said, noticing me struggling with Yvonne. He turned to head inside. “Why don’t you put Yvonne down? I’ll go change.”

    “Don’t bother,” I replied. Thest thing I wanted was to step into his room and get hit with that disgusting smell.

    Jared paused and looked back at me. “Tracy came with Quinn. I didn’t know they wereing. They had just gotten to the café when I showed up.”

    “Ms. Darwin’s been chasing after you like crazy. How could you break her heart like that? You handed the kid over ito /ime just so you could spend time with her, right?” I said.

    “Victoria, I didn’t mean it that way,” Jared shot back, clearly irritated. “I just brought the kid to you. I never nned to get involved with anyone romantically here.”

    My arms were starting to ache, so I went into the room andid Yvonne down on the bed. I lowered my voice and said, “If you want to spend time with Tracy, let your sister look after her for a bit.”

    “Do you have ns tonight?” Jared asked, frowning. “Yvonne said she wants to sleep with you. Since you’re alone, why not let her stay the night?”

    “Who says I’m sleeping alone?” I raised an eyebrow.

    Jared’s expression stiffened, and his tone turned sour. “Is someone else in your room?”

    Treplied coolly, “Nathan just stopped by. He’s waiting for me right now. Yvonne’s all yours.” With that, I turned to leave.

    Jared suddenly grabbed my arm, almost desperately. “He’s in your room?”

    I looked down at his hand digging iinto /imy arm, the pain sharp and clear.

    “I don’t believe it. You’re lying to me,” Jared said, his face turning cold. “You’re just saying that because Tracy showed up, right? Victoria, when did you get so stubborn about winning?”

    1 yanked my arm free and mocked him, “Nathan really is in my room. If you don’t believe me, ask your sister. She ran into him in the lobby.”

    Jared’s face went even paler. He was finally starting to believe nie.

    1 didn’t want to waste another second on him, so I moved toward the door.

    But Jared suddenly rushed to the door and grabbed my wrist. “Victoria, please don’t stay with him tonight, okay?”

    I was honestly shocked to hear him beg like that. I wondered if he had swallowed all his pride.

    “No way,” I replied coldly. “He flew all the way here from Aurelia just for me. How could I possibly shut him out?”

    Jared looked like I had pped him. His face wery from red to pale. He’d never tried to please women before. Maybe he did for Tracy, but twouldn’t

    know what that felt like.

    After we got married, the effort he made for me kept dropping year after year.

    Eventually, he stopped altogether, just handing me money band /btelling me to buy whatever I wanted. But it was just not the same as when a guy actually picked something out for me,

    08:55 Sat, 23 Aug M

    Now, Nathan was doing all the things Jared used to mock, and Jared was losing his cool.

    “He’s really going all out to steal you away,” Jared muttered through gritted teeth.

    I looked at him,pletely unfazed. “Because he’s actually making an effort for me, I’m not going to send him away disappointed.”

    ?