Chapter 1336:
Just before the car pulled away, he gripped the window frame. “Will you give me one more chance?”
Melany kept her gaze forward, her expression cool and distant, and raised the window.
The car disappeared into traffic.
That evening, Deandre sat drinking at his private club, surrounded by a few friends he had met over the years of building his business—each one a leading figure in their own field.
Marcus fiddled with his cards and glanced over. “You’ve already dropped a million tonight. Why do you keep zoning out?”
Gill Kennedy, a striking woman known for her sharp wit and easy confidence, laid down a card with a grin. “If you keep losing at this rate, I might just buy myself another house tonight.”
“I don’t know—just feeling off.” Deandre took a long drag from his cigarette, tossed his cards onto the table, and pushed back from his seat. “My head’s pounding.”
T𝗁𝗈us𝘢ո𝘥s 𝘰f 𝗿𝖾аdе𝗿ѕ 𝘰𝗇 𝘨а𝗹𝗇ov𝖾𝘭𝘀.cо𝗺
“Which project has you this wound up?” Keith asked with a grin. “It must be serious to have you looking like that.”
“It’s not a project,” Deandre murmured.
Keith Schultz’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re not still hung up on that woman from before, are you?” He shook his head. “It’s been ages. Time to move on.”
“Yeah,” Deandre said slowly, though in his chest, moving on wasn’t that simple.
Gill smirked. “Who is this woman that’s got you so tangled up, Deandre? Is she even half as pretty as me?”
Deandre glanced her way. “Not even close to you.”
It was the plain truth. Gill was stunning, confident, and magnetic—nothing like Melany in style or temperament. Yet her appeal didn’t come close to what Melany meant to him. There simply was no comparison.
Gill raised an eyebrow. “So why not give me a chance? You won’t regret it—every man I’ve been with has only good things to say.” Playful as her tone was, there was a quiet sincerity beneath it.
Deandre laughed softly. “I’m not the man for that.”
“I wanted to ask you something,” Marcus said, setting down his cards. “I heard you ended up at a police station abroad and the chief personally had to sort it out. What happened?”
Deandre’s voice dropped. “She came back into the picture.”
Silence settled around the table. Marcus raised an eyebrow but kept his composure. “Ah—that explains it. So what’s the problem? Did Melany turn you down?”
Gill let out a teasing laugh. “Even you can get rejected? Don’t tell me she’s just keeping you on your toes.”
Deandre glanced at her, a faint and unreadable smile forming. “If that’s the game she wants to play, I’ll happily follow along.”
Gill laughed, caught slightly off guard. “Alright, alright. She’s the one who matters.”
He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “The question is—how do I get her back? The old methods won’t work anymore.”
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