After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 48

Jeffrey’s gaze grew darker.

E

Jason sensed the tension in the air and cautiously said, “Mr. Hanson, how about you and Rebecca keep drinking? I’ll step out and take a call.”

“Mm,” Jeffrey responded indifferently.

Jason shot a look at the others, and everyone quietly slipped out. Rebecca, her mind a little foggy, didn’t even notice them

leaving.

As soon as the door to the private room closed behind them, one of the execs whispered, “Is it really okay for us to just leave like this?”

Jason felt more certain about his guess. “It’s fine.”

“What about Rebecca?” Charles glanced at the door. “Should we really leave her alone with Mr. Hanson?”

Rebecca was gorgeous, and the only woman there. All they’d heard about Jeffrey were secondhand stories and rumors. None of them really knew what kind of guy he was, so of course they were a little uneasy.

“Mr. Hanson isn’t the type to do anything shady,” Jason said quickly, withholding his guess to avoid fueling gossip. “You all go ahead. I’ll wait out here.”

No one made any objections; they all took the hint and left one after another. Only Elmer stayed behind, too uneasy to go. He was the one who brought Rebecca here, and honestly, leaving a young woman alone in there was making him nervous.

“Starting tomorrow, you don’t need to show up to work,” Jason told Elmer, sounding casual.

Elmer felt his heart clench. “Mr. Smith, I-”

“This comes straight from Mr. Hanson,” Jason explained, laying it out. “Take a break. Do whatever you want. Have some fun, if you like. Just don’t hang around the office. You’ll still get your paycheck as usual.”

The realization finally hit Elmer. He noticed the secret tension between Rebecca and Jeffrey. Taking the message loud and clear, he left with a smile.

Now, only Jason remained in the grand hallway. He considered peeking into the private room but recalled how touchy Jeffrey could be and decided against it. Instead, he pulled out his phone, determined to find out what was really going on between Jeffrey and Rebecca.

Inside the private room, Rebecca downed her fourth drink and slammed the glass on the table. The buzz from the alcohol meant she wasn’t holding back her temper anymore, a hint of stubbornness clear in her tone. “I’m done.”

Jeffrey lounged back in his chair, giving her a slow, appraising look.

The alcohol had swept away most of the chilly distance and disdain from her face, but her eyes—clear and moist–were

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19 Sept

Chapter 48

at him. Noticing his stare,

I said I’m done,” Rebecca shot back, her

37%

+20)

of wine. His large, warm hand reached over, and with his rough

sensation and knocked his

her while she glared back at him, cheeks puffed

to,” Rebecca snapped, her thoughts all in knots with nothing but booze holding her together. “You want to make my life hell, hoping I’ll beg to come back to you. Well, here’s the deal. I’m not backing

and for some reason, that little response made

if I finished this, you’d drop what happened just now,” Rebecca said, her hand gripping the bottle

emphasis.

eyed her, amusement flickering in his gaze as he arched a brow. “Mm.” Even totally buzzed, she was still stubborn enough

it now, so you’d better keep your word,” Rebecca said. She grabbed the bottle and poured, but her glass filled too quickly. Frowning, she switched to a larger, unused wine

he watched her little stunt,

the wine glass, now brimming with clear liquor, her tone defiant. “Wanna check if it’s

here,” Jeffrey said,

and handed him the glass. He set it aside, and then took her wrist

into his arms.

knew it, she was wrapped in his warm, familiar embrace, comforted by his scent. For a moment,

was speechless for a

fixing her gaze on him. “You

checked. It’s booze,”

reached for

in his large hand. “I wouldn’t hold it against you. That’s enough. You don’t need to drink

drink to force him to

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13:15 Fri, 19 Sept

Chapter 48

wrapping her fingers in his own.

huffed, “Yeah,

0 N ཊཱི 37%–

+20)

a look that was both amused and a little helpless. “When

back, “You said over at Harmony Estate you wouldn’t mess with me, but look at

idea what ‘making things hard‘ actually means, do you?” Jeffrey teased softly, all patience and indulgence, even though he knew she was tipsy and wouldn’t listen

whole years, never letting her get hurt and never once speaking harshly to her. If she ever said she