Chapter 1654:
Nate’s commanding presence was proving increasingly problematic for everyone in the household.
The dark night cloaked the city, yet it also brought to life its flashy and hedonistic side.
No place captured that duality better than Lyhaton’s notorious bar street.
Waldo handed off his car keys to a valet and stepped through the entrance casually.
Inside, neon lights flashed like sirens, music throbbed like a pulse, and the air reeked of spilled liquor and reckless abandon.
On the dance floor, men and women moved to the rhythm, brushing against each other now and then, trading flirtatious looks that hinted at all sorts of endless outcomes.
Wearing a well-tailored suit, Waldo instantly drew eyes from every corner of the room.
His sleek silver glasses gave him a deceptively mild appearance—a predator wrapped in charm.
A handful of women, dressed to entice, wasted no time approaching with flirty invitations to dance.
Instead of indulging, Waldo launched into a dry monologue on legal ethics.
Their faces twisted in mock dismay, lamenting how someone so attractive could be so maddeningly dull.
Unbothered, he kept his gaze detached, scanning the crowd with the clinical precision of someone hunting for something—or someone. The moment he spotted a familiar figure by the bar, he frowned, and a cold glint flickered in his eyes.
She wore a flowing white shirt that hinted at grace without trying. Legs crossed, short waves skimming her jawline, she leaned into her seat, one hand supporting her chin, the other cradling a wine glass as she chatted freely with someone beside her.
g∆𝗅𝑛𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.𝗰𝓸𝗺, – 𝓃𝑒𝓍𝓉 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝗈𝗇
Her face bore no makeup aside from a bold slash of red lipstick that drew the eye and lingered.
While the other women flaunted skin, her understated allure drew even more attention—hungry, lingering stares from men who didn’t bother hiding their interest.
Waldo never questioned Jolene’s power to attract, but the possessive side of him made it unbearable to see her attract other men, no matter how unintentional.
Watching her speak so freely with another man lit a fire in his chest.
Jealousy coiled through him like smoke.
He wanted to lock her away, to make her beauty exist for him alone. A distant smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, while the chill behind his glasses betrayed the heat within.
Adjusting his glasses, Waldo strode straight for her.
As he neared, the man beside her casually pulled out his phone.
“Let’s exchange contacts to stay in touch.”
“Maybe we should…”
Jolene never finished the sentence before a hand closed around her wrist, firm and uninvited.
Looking up, she scowled at seeing Waldo.
“What are you doing here?”
The moment her expression changed, Waldo’s face darkened. A tight-lipped smile stretched across his face.
“Am I interrupting anything?”
Sensing the shift in Waldo’s mood, Jolene felt her heart stutter.
She knew him better than anyone ever could.
To the world, Waldo was the picture of refinement—a perfect gentleman, celebrated as a prince in the legal field. But only a handful knew the truth about his fierce possessiveness and the cruelty that simmered beneath his charm. Flashes of nights tangled in sheets and fire raced through her mind, making her hands tremble.
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