Chapter 2
Warren stayed out until the wee hours of the day before returning home.
It only took a split second for him to make that impulsive decision, but the past 20–odd years. had been anything but a dream. The feelings he had nurtured were undeniably real, and he wasn’t sure he could let go without glancing back
He decided to limit his interactions with Shailey over the next two weeks to avoid second- guessing himself.
When he returned to the family villa, the whole house was shrouded in darkness.
Warren dragged his exhausted body toward his bedroom without turning on the lights.
But a voice in the living room called out to him just then.
“Warren Gardner.”
He turned and noticed someone sitting on the couch.
“Is something wrong, Mr. Stratton?”
Jacob was wearing black silk pajamas.
He was all too familiar with it–Shailey had an identical set, except hers was red.
It was a couples‘ set.
Jacob’s lips pulled into a slight grin. “Shay bought this for me. What do you think? Does it suit me?”
As he straightened up, faint red marks peeked out from under his shirt. Against the black. fabric, they appeared even more suggestive.
He grazed a finger over the hickey on his neck and winced, letting out a low groan. He deliberately exclaimed, “Your sister–in–law might not have an eye for picking wedding dresses, but her taste in sleepwear is impeccable. She even claimed that my abs are the sexiest
she’s ever seen.”
Warren stood on the staircase and watched his act with cold eyes. The corner of his lips hooked up into a sneer. “Tone it down, Jacob.”
“Tone what down?”
“Your vulgarity.”
Jacob burst out laughing. “But this is exactly what Shay likes. The minute I get home, she can’t wait till I finish my shower. That’s when…”
“Stop right there,” Warren interrupted. “I don’t want to know.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you want to know or not. The fact is that she is obsessed with my
body. So what if for her for over 20 years? People ultimately choose the
you’ve had feelings
ones they connect with in bed.”
At that point, Warren couldn’t be bothered to entertain his nonsense any further. He turned to leave. “Keep up your little act if you wish. I don’t have the time to watch you.”
But Jacob wasn’t satisfied. He caught up to Warren with a few strides and called out, “I don’t think you can see the marks she left from so far away, can you? Don’t go, Warren. Come and take a closer look…”
As he spoke, Jacob grabbed Warren by his arm.
An overwhelming wave of nausea rose from the pit of his stomach. He subconsciously pulled away. “Don’t touch me!”
Not far away, Shailey emerged from the bedroom. “What are the two of you babbling about at this hour?”
Before Warren could respond, he noticed the sly smile on Jacob’s face.
In the next second, it morphed into an expression of terror.
Jacob yelled out in panic as he tumbled down the stairs.
“Jacob!”
Shailey set down her glass of milk and rushed over to him. She cradled him tightly in her arms, prodding, “Are you okay?”
Jacob lay weakly in her arms and murmured, “I’m alright. Don’t blame Warren, he didn’t do it
on
purpose.”
She lifted her head to look at Warren. Disappointment spilled from her eyes.
“Warren Gardner, no matter how upset you are with Jacob, you shouldn’t have pushed him down the stairs! Don’t you know how dangerous that was
When she turned back to Jacob, her tone softened immensely with concern.
She leaned forward and gently helped him back onto his feet. “Come on, let’s head back to the room. I can check to see if you’re hurt.”
Jacob’s cheeks flushed red as he suggested, “I think we should stop being so intimate with each other in front of Warren. He’s been by your side for so long, and now I’ve suddenly appeared. It’s only natural for him to feel possessive of you. It must be hard for him to accept this new norm. We should be more considerate and give him the time to adjust,”
Shailey replied coldly, “He’ll have to adapt sooner or later.”
As she helped Jacob back into the room, he glanced over his shoulder and flashed a victory
Chester
symbol at Warren.
It was at that moment that Warren felt as though the world he once knew had transformed completely.
Jacob’s presence had utterly shattered his world.
He couldn’t wrap his head around why Shailey would fall for someone like him.
Was it really as Jacob claimed? Did people deep down yearn for physical compatibility over emotional bonds?
Warren couldn’t understand it at all.
But at that point, he didn’t see a point to try.
Early the next morning, Warren made his way to the magazine company.
He had been working there as a feature photographer for three years and had built strong bonds with his colleagues.
Thus,
chief editor Maxwell Bennett was somewhat taken aback when he handed in his resignation letter. “Is it because of the pay? You can just let me know, and I’ll talk to the director right away.”
Warren smiled and shook his head. “Thank you so much, Mr. Bennett. But no, it’s not because of the pay.”
“What is it then?”
“I just have other plans for my life.”
Maxwell seemed to catch on and replied with a knowing smile, “Ah, are you getting ready to marry Shailey? That’s wonderful. She’s taken such good care of you all these years. It’s a happy occasion–I won’t stop you.”
When he began speaking, Warner wanted to clarify things.
Shailey was getting married indeed, but he wasn’t the groom.
However, as Maxwell finished speaking, he thought he’d rather not explain any further.
The complicated entanglement between Shailey, Jacob, and himself simply couldn’t be summed up in a few words.
Now, all he wanted was to finalize his resignation and leave this place of heartache two weeks from now.
“Wait, Warren, when’s the wedding? Don’t forget to send me an invitation. I’d love to toast to your happiness!”
Warren forced a polite smile.
Tihopter!
As if on cue, the receptionist, Wendy Faudet, knocked on the door excitedly and poked her head in. “Warren, your sister–in–law is here to pick you up! Looks like there’s a surprise in store for you!”
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Chapter 3
