“Right on time as always,” Jessica said to Zachary.Â
Zachary hummed in response as his gaze naturally fell on Jessica.Â
Feeling a little uneasy, Jessica walked over and sat beside him.Â
His lips curved into a faint smile as he lowered his voice. “Did you sleep well last night?”Â
“I woke up with a stiff neck.” As she spoke, Jessica rubbed her neck with a hint of annoyance.Â
Zachary chuckled softly.Â
They’d kissed for over ten minutes last night. Her head had been tilted back the whole time, soÂ
it was no wonder that her neck was now sore.Â
If she hadn’t fallen asleep in the car halfway home, he’d probably have made her stay up the whole night.Â
As if to prove the point, it had taken several cold showers before Zachary had managed to calmÂ
himself down.Â
“No more drinking tonight,” he sternly said.Â
Jessica was rendered speechless. The blatant implication in his tone made her even moreÂ
nervous.Â
“Hey, you two aren’t alone, you know. Show a little respect, please.” Elsa couldn’t help getting irritated as she watched the two whisper to each other.Â
This dinner was supposed to be a welcome–back gathering, yet somehow, the guest of honor was being left out.Â
Zachary said with a smile, “Don’t worry, Ms. York. I’ve already ordered the food.”Â
Soon, the dishes began arriving one after the other. Joshua entered as well after having parkedÂ
the car.Â
Everyone in the group was drinking apple cider instead of wine that night.Â
During the meal, Jessica said, “Elsie isn’t planning to leave this time. She wants to open a studio somewhere around the city. Do you know any good spots?”Â
As she spoke, she placed a piece of meat on Zachary’s plate.Â
Zachary replied, “That shouldn’t be a problem. Send me the space requirements later, and I’llÂ
Chapter 106Â
ask some friends to keep an eye out.”Â
“Then I’ll thank you in advance, Mr. Jones.” Elsa lifted her glass of cider toward him.Â
2/3Â
After dinner, Susan and Joshua sat on the couch outside the private room, busying themselvesÂ
with work.Â
Meanwhile, Elsa, who hadn’t been back in the city for some time, happily praised the food with a satisfied grin on her face.Â
While Jessica went to the restroom, Zachary took out his phone and began scrolling through Madame Mayhem’s profile, studying it intently.Â
As he browsed through her posts and profile info, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.Â
Meanwhile, on her way back from the restroom, Jessica passed a half–open private room door and froze when she heard a familiar name.Â
“That Sasha…”Â
The voice belonged to a middle–aged man with a fleshy face that held a lecherous expression.Â
Jessica stopped in her tracks.Â
“She’s already dreaming of fame and fortune only two days after her opening? Life’s not so giving, is it?”Â
“She’s running around calling us up for meetings like she owns the place. What an eager littleÂ
thing.”Â
“Eager, sure. But what exactly is she so eager for?”Â
The room erupted in rambunctious laughter.Â
A sultry female voice teased, “Don’t scare the poor woman. She still has to do business with you lot.”Â
“Business must be done, but can’t other things be negotiated, too?”Â
More laughter followed.Â
“Alright. Jokes aside, I’ll make sure whoever gets her to drink this glass will get my company’s next project.”Â
Needless to say, that glass was probably spiked.Â
Jessica smiled faintly and happened to see Sasha walking toward her from the other end of the hallway.Â
Chapter 106Â
3/3Â
“What a coincidence. We meet again.” Jessica stepped forward to greet Sasha, who ignored herÂ
completely.Â
“Don’t be in such a rush to leave.” Jessica shot her a meaningful look and stopped at a cornerÂ
nearby.Â
“What? Are you running low on cash? Are you out here hustling for work now?” Sasha spat.Â
Jessica smiled in response. “How could I be? It took me ages to crawl out of bed, so I figured I should treat myself to something good. Otherwise, I’ll have suffered nothing.”Â
Sasha had a feeling she would never win an argument against Jessica.Â
“If you’ve got something to say, hurry up and spit it out.” Sasha glanced impatiently toward the private room.Â
Jessica reached over and tugged her shirt collar up a little, covering the exposed skin of herÂ
chest.Â
Sasha swatted Jessica’s hand away with a scowl on her face.Â
Jessica smiled. “You’ve had plenty to drink tonight. Don’t take another glass, or you might not know where you’ll wake up tomorrow.”Â
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sasha asked.Â
Jessica replied, “It means exactly what it means.”Â
Then, Jessica left, but not before saying, “You’re a smart woman.‘Â