Chapter 54
“Is he… going to be mad?” Jessica asked carefully.
“Of course!” Joshua exclaimed. “He doesn’t have any feelings toward Evelyn anymore. Heck, he even wished she could stay out of his life forever. And look at what you
did.”
“It’s not like we’re anything serious-”
“Why would he do everything to keep you around if he wasn’t serious?”
She sensed something amiss. “What are you talking about?”
He sighed. “I can’t help you with everything. Anyway, we’ll have a long day tomorrow. Go to bed early. Goodnight.”
Joshua left, leaving Jessica alone at the hotel entrance.
Light snow had started to fall, barely noticeable at first. But under the hotel’s warm lights, it
became clear and soft.
The snowflakes took on a pale yellow hue, almost like golden osmanthus petals drifting down. She reached out her hand, and a crystal–shaped flake landed in her palm, melting instantly
upon contact.
Jessica stared at the road leading to the hotel, and for some reason, her chest tightened slightly.
She didn’t know how long she stood there like that until a familiar figure appeared in the reflection of her clear eyes.
He was dressed in a black coat, a perfectly tailored suit underneath. His hands were folded in front of him, and he walked steadily toward her. When he got closer, she was still frozen in place.
Snow had settled on his brows and dusted his shoulders in a soft white layer.
Under the warm yellow lights, he looked like he had been outlined in gold, the lenses of his glasses catching the glow and reflecting it gently.
Zachary looked at Jessica, whose cheeks flushed, eyes glistening with the trace of unshed tears. “Waiting for me?”
“No, just… watching the snow,” she said, snapping out of it. She reached up and gently brushed the snow off his shoulder. “Have you been crying?” he asked, eyeing her face closely.
Chapter 54
“Must be the wind,” she replied.
Maybe it was, or maybe it wasn’t.
In the cold, she had wondered if Zachary would turn out just like Derrick. Relationships could be fickle, all the more when it came to one not built on love.
Zachary smiled. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“Come here.”
After changing into his indoor shoes, Zachary walked over to the desk and finally put down whatever he had been carrying inside his coat. Jessica followed and realized he had been hiding something underneath it.
“Wow! That smells amazing!”
He opened the takeout box and pulled a chair over for her. “Dig in while it’s hot.”
“For me?” she asked, realizing it was a juicy beef sandwich.
She immediately recognized the logo. It was from her favorite sandwich store that she used to visit all the time.
The place wasn’t far from the hotel. He must’ve taken a cab just to pick it up and rushed all the way back here.
“For the backstabber,” Zachary said flatly.
Truthfully, Jessica hadn’t eaten much at dinner. Most of the dishes were a little spicy, and since she was on her period, she couldn’t have too much of them.
She didn’t expect him to notice, let alone go out of his way to buy her something afterward.
Zachary was… decent.
“Where’s Evelyn?” she asked, testing the waters.
Zachary shrugged off his coat and tossed it onto the couch, his back facing her. His broad, strong shoulders, highlighted by the clean lines of a tailored suit, exuded a distinct presence.
Then, a sigh slipped from his mouth. It made him sound tired, perhaps frustrated, but it was hard to tell what he was really feeling.
Jessica instantly regretted asking. Joshua was right–Zachary was mad.
“Jessica,” he uttered coldly,
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“Yeah?”
“It’s time you know your place.”
She could feel he was upset, yet he was obviously holding back his rage. His calm voice hit harder than if he had actually scolded her.
Evelyn was history to him, and that was something he had made clear since the beginning. He felt nothing but indifference when it came to her.
Now, how should he force Jessica to make it up to him?
Chapter 55
