Jocelyn shook her head so hard that her ponytail whipped across her shoulders. "No. I won''t sleep unless I know he''s safe. I have to find him, Yannick."

Her determination had left her distracted for days. Yannick''s patience finally cracked, and the question slipped out before he could stop himself.

"Jocelyn... do you still love him?"

The question hit her like a p. She froze, breath caught halfway.

Hershes lowered, shielding eyes that suddenly dared not meet his.

Yannick watched that tiny, telling movement and felt the truth drop like a stone in his chest.

She had warned him from the start, had exined every tangled feeling in clear words, yet the actual sting of it still surprised him.

Jocelyn''s fingers curled into a tight fist. She opened her mouth to answer.

Yannick raised a hand. "Don''t worry about it. I asked on impulse. You don''t owe me an exnation."

The air between them thickened, his own emotions crowding his lungs until every breath felt shallow.

Jocelyn was not the most perceptive woman, but even she sensed the weight pressing on him now.

She lifted her chin and managed to meet his gaze atst. "Yannick... I''m sorry."

He forced a crooked smile. "For what? You haven''t done anything wrong."

Words clogged her throat, as though stuffed with cotton.

Yannick cleared his voice—and the moment. "Come on. I''ll drive you."

She stayed rooted to the pavement, shaking her head.

"No, I''ll take a cab. You should get back to work." Her refusalnded with quiet finality.

After all, what fiancé spends the night searching for the man his fiancée pines for?

Yannick''s shoulders sagged. "All right. If you need me, call."

He made no further protest.

She nodded once. "Mm."

A taxi slid to the curb. Jocelyn climbed in, then looked back through the open window. "Thank you."

etlyfn4082 Chapters first released on Find~Novel/fn4082

Yannick said nothing. He simply watched the taillights disappear into the street''s glow.

Only after the cab vanished did he drop into his own car and smash a fist against the steering wheel, the leather muffling his muted curse.

"What on earth does Nichs Rainsworth have that I don''t?"

No answer came-only silence and the echo of his question in the cramped cabin.

Then his phone rang. Hope red surely it was Jocelyn, already regretting her choice.

Yannick''s phone buzzed against the polished bar top. He snatched it up, half expecting a different name, then exhaled when the caller ib, glowed: Calvin  s

Disappointment flickered across his eyes, gone almost before it showed. "Calvin, what''s up?"

"Swing by Sven''s ce. I need to know he''s all right." Calvin''s voice was low, unhurried, yet it carried an edge that meant business.

"What could happen to Sven? Whoever tries must have a death wish."

Calvin''s tone sharpened. "I said go. Once you see him, call me. Tell him I want a message back."

Faced with that tone, Yannick could only sigh and nod.

"Fine, I''ll head out in a minute."

He was nning to check on Jocelyn and see if she would find Nichs.

"No-go now," Calvin cut in, leaving no room for debate.

"All right, all right, I''m on my way," Yannick muttered, rubbing his forehead.

"Calvin, let me ask you something," Yannick began hesitantly. "If a woman t-out tells you she doesn''t like you, would you still chase her?"

"For the record, Ceci and I are just friends."

Calvin assumed, with a pinch of irritation, that Yannick was taking another jab at him.

"I''m not talking about you and Ceci,"

Yannick rushed on. "I mean... a

friend of mine. His wife admits she loves someone else, vet promises she''ll never betray him. He''s

ve

torn should he stay in the marriage or walk away?"  s

A friend? Calvin was skeptical.

Standing on the balcony with the night wind tugging at his shirt, he let a small, knowing smile curve one corner of his mouth.

"That friend of yours is you, isn''t it?"

"Couldn''t you just y along and not call me out?" Yannick groaned.

Calvin sparked a cigarette, inhaled once, then spoke through a ribbon of smoke.

"That depends on how deep your friend''s love really runs. If it''s nothing more than fondness, letting go would hurt less in the long run."

Yannick honestly didn''t know how deep his feelings for Jocelyn went all he knew was that the idea of her turning to Nichs left his mind in knots. . s