Mr billionaire's regret chasing his irresistible wife by Gabby Emmanuel

A fight to satisfaction

(JARED'S POV.)

I stood with one foot perched on the first of the short flight of steps leading up to Arielle's front porch. It felt like the door had hit me right in the face. And the blood vessels on my skin seemed very willing to visibly portray my embarrassment. And it had to be his fault. Dwayne.

I had just known about him a few hours ago, and he was already being a thorn in my flesh.

I turned around hotly on my heels and marched towards him.

"Now you see what you've done? All you had to do was get away from us, disappear from our lives, but no, you're so jealous you won't grow a brain!" I yelled in fury.

But he didn't answer. As soon as Arielle was out of sight, he fell silent, expressionless. The black suit he wore seemed to blend into the night, as though he was part of the shadows. The cold, intimidating presence I had felt at the dinner table returned, suffocating the air between us.

What the hell is wrong with this man? Was he acting all this long drive? For what? To make Arielle happy? I felt my anger boiling like I was being teased as a fool.

"Speak up, damn it!" I hissed, my voice sharp with fury. "Who the hell are you? How did you get into my family? What do you know about us?"

His reply was cold, too composed for my liking. "Don't put this on me, Jared. She's pissed because of you. You treated her wrong, made mistakes that cannot be forgiven. Don't act like you own her. She's not anyone's property. And if you ask me, the only thing she deserves is better than what you gave her."

I saw red. My blood was boiling, and I was about ready to punch something, preferably his smug face. He wasn't answering a single one of my questions!

"Don't you dare talk about her like that!" I spat. "She's the mother of my son. It's you who needs to stay the hell away."

He gave me a look that was a strange mix of amusement and irritation, as though I were a child throwing a tantrum. "Look, baby brother-"

"We're not brothers! I don't bloody know you from anywhere," I cut him short.

He let out a sharp laugh. "You think I want to be your brother? Become a Smith? Hell no. Here's how this is going to play out. You go back to your mother, and I'll head back to my hotel. My business is with Nana Jean and Arielle, not you."

"If you say her name one more time..." I said through gritted teeth.

Dwayne smiled, lips curling into a mocking grin. "What, are you jealous I know her better than you? Does it make you feel small, knowing your ex-wife is closer to me than you?"

I could hear the taunt in his voice and it worsened my already pent up anger.

"Look. I just need you out of our lives. What would that cost?" I asked.

grin only widened. "How about this," he said, a devil-may-care gleam in his eye. "Let's go have a drink. We'll talk about it, huh? What do

and gritted my

raised an eyebrow and turned to lead

at the windows, nursing the slightest hope that I would find someone looking down onto the street. I let out a defeated sigh and set my jaw in distaste

someone who had just entered our lives, Dwayne seemed oddly familiar with everything around him. He moved through the bar with the ease of someone who'd been

way to a high-end bar a few streets away from Arielle's place. I slid onto a high stool beside Dwayne at the counter, watching him signal the bartender as if he owned the place.

he nodded professionally at us. "What would you be drinking

Dwayne answered

a beer," I answered. I had to keep myself as sober as possible to have a reasonable conversation with the

yourself then,"

out what made him tick. He wasn't like me. There was no heat in his voice, no rawness in his eyes. He was cool, collected-too damn calm for my liking.

for the words to stumble out that way. I didn't

to know how much it would cost to keep me out of your lives,"

so he got the hint that I was not having the

into his mouth. "What use is that going

Sir," the bartender answered offhandedly, before catching himself. He looked from Dwayne to

my intuition was

to know why!" I demanded, pounding my fist on the counter. I got a couple of irritated grunts and snide remarks in response to

off, his face pale with fear. Then, turning back to

my friend," he finally turned to

need answers. And you're gonna give them to me," I stated firmly, doing nothing to

You talk more than you think and a man who does that would always lose," Dwayne said, his tone

I suppose you're the better man, huh? You pay people to spy on others. How exactly does that make you any better than myself? The hell how do I know

don't make the mistake of comparing yourself with me. We're two very different men. What I do, I do because I must and because I truly care. You're just a foolish prick who feels threatened by the presence of a better

the man is sucker!" I roared as I

his seat. He was a

wooden board floors of the bar, he overturned my body's weight and I found myself

from the crowd of onlookers inside the bar. Everyone sized us both up and I could see the way they looked at me with pity, already judging me out of the fight before it even began.

spontaneously mixed with ich

inside of my mouth in defiance. I struggled out

this fight before you

and

he dodged with his insanely quick reflexes and had his arm twisted around mine. He easily disarmed me of