Chapter 100
Issac stood motionless, head down. His hand slowly rose.
“Don’t you dare!” Charlotte blurted, lunging to grab him.
If he hit Zarek, gossip would spread like wildfire that the CEO of Dominex got punched because of her. She’d never live it down.
Issac’s hand froze mid–air.
He turned to look at her, his eyes brimming with theatrical hurt: So now you only care about protecting him? You
heartless woman!
Charlotte mentally rolled her eyes: Seriously? We literally got divorced YESTERDAY. Did you already forget? Do you have actual memory issues?
Issac’s lips curled into a bitter smile.
Charlotte forced a fake smile in return: Playing the victim much?
Their silent exchange continued. Him: wounded hero. Her: completely over it.
Issac turned back around and, as everyone braced for violence, simply placed his hand on the table, spun the lazy Susan, and grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass.
Zarek’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I wasn’t being sincere enough earlier,” Issac said, pouring himself a drink. “I’ll punish myself with three glasses.” He downed the first in one gulp.
Then a second. Then a third…
The group stared in disbelief.
They’d expected Issac to throw a punch, but instead, he was… apologizing?
Among Manhattan’s business elite, Issac was notorious for his pride.
If business interests weren’t at stake, he probably would have decked Zarek the moment he saw him with Charlotte.
Jayden, who had spent ten minutes talking Issac down, thought: I told him to be professional, but this is unexpected.
As everyone processed Issac’s surprising humility, they gradually realized something was off.
He’d promised three drinks, but he was now knocking back his seventh.
“That’s enough, man!” “You’re way past three, Issac.” “Someone take that bottle away!”
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Everyone chimed in at once.
Anyone brave enough to reach for his glass was either pushed away or withered under his glare.
This wasn’t an apology–it was an excuse to drink himself stupid. A silent middle finger to Zarek for stealing his wife.
Zarek let out a cool laugh. “Someone get this man an Emmy.”
Issac ignored him and kept drinking.
After emptying the bottle, he finally spoke. “Satisfied with my apology? Or should I get on my knees next?”
Zarek scoffed. “The martyr act is getting old.”
Issac suddenly swayed dramatically.
He tipped backward, falling toward Charlotte.
She quickly stood to catch him–otherwise, given his build, she’d have been flattened.
Issac smoothly used the momentum to wrap himself around her.
“Back off!” Charlotte snapped, glaring daggers at him.
If he wanted to make an ass of himself, fine, but she wasn’t going down with him!
Issac’s face contorted in apparent agony as he wrapped an arm around her waist and dropped his head on her shoulder. “My stomach…”
Charlotte wanted to knee him where it hurt.
She yanked at the arm circling her waist. “If you’re sick, call a doctor. I’m not WebMD–hugging me won’t cure you!
Let. Go.”
Issac suddenly developed selective hearing. He groaned pitifully.
One night as husband and wife should count for something, he thought. How could she be so cold?
The room fell into awkward silence. Was this actually happening? His performance was… something else.
Frost seemed to emanate from Zarek’s face.
Without a word, he stood and stepped forward, grabbing Issac’s arm from the side and forcefully pulling it from Charlotte’s waist. “I’ve got you.”
“Get your hands off me!” Issac snapped, jerking away from Zarek’s grip.
The moment Issac released her, Charlotte bolted for the door, completely indifferent to appearances as she fled the
room.
Issac’s expression darkened.
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When he tried to follow her, Zarek blocked his path.
Seeing Issac’s rage about to explode, amplified by alcohol, Jayden quickly jumped in to “support” him.
“You’re wasted, man!” Jayden exclaimed.
Leif put on his serious business face. “Mr. Wood is clearly too intoxicated for us to continue. Jayden, why don’t you get him some air?”
The subtext was crystal clear: get him out before he causes more damage.
Jayden knew the meeting was a lost cause and quickly addressed Zarek, “We’ll reschedule, if that works for you?”
Zarek neither confirmed nor denied.
Instead, he spoke with mock concern: “Issac seems unwell. I can recommend a doctor–you should get him checked
out.”
Jayden readily agreed.
The actual recommendation wasn’t the point; Zarek’s willingness to maintain contact meant the door wasn’t completely closed.
Zarek added Jayden to his contacts.
After Jayden managed to drag the human grenade that was Issac out of the room, he received a message.
Opening it, he found a doctor’s business card from Zarek. Dr. Patrick Stark, Chief Psychiatrist.
Jayden sighed deeply.
How was he supposed to fix this disaster? If he’d known his sister’s relationship with Issac would create such a catastrophic mess, he would have done everything to stop it from day one.
Issac shook off his supporters and walked ahead on his own. His stride perfectly steady, showing zero signs of
intoxication.
Jayden stared after him, speechless. So the whole drunk act had been exactly that–an act.
Meanwhile, Charlotte was hiding in the women’s restroom.
She’d fled because her presence was clearly making everything worse.
With her gone, Issac might lose his target and actually calm down.
She just hoped Zarek wouldn’t get caught in that lunatic’s crosshairs…
After waiting a moment, she left the restroom and cautiously peeked around the corner.
Just then, she spotted Issac and Jayden with their entourage heading her way. She quickly ducked back into the
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restroom.
The hallway echoed with approaching footsteps.
Suddenly, a phone rang, followed by Jayden’s urgent voice. Within seconds, another phone rang, and this time it was Issac speaking….
Their voices overlapped in a chaotic jumble, the tone suggesting some sudden, major emergency had erupted.
Charlotte couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying.
After making sure they had left, she returned to the private room.
The dinner was wrapping up.
As they stood to leave, Leif Hara offered multiple apologies before adding, “The Reverie Resort’s phase one inspection is next Wednesday. My father and I are quite interested in this project. If your schedule allows, perhaps you could join us?”
Zarek replied coolly, “I’m aware. I’ve already made arrangements.”
Leif patted his chest with apparent relief. “Excellent. We’ll see you there.”
Zarek politely said goodbye before leaving with Charlotte and Rex.
Steven remained behind, still in conversation with Leif.
Outside, Zarek removed his jacket and handed it to Rex. “Trash this.”
Rex nodded, “…Sure thing.”
Charlotte thought: Germaphobe much?
The three of them left the restaurant and took a car back to the office.
Sitting in the back seat, Charlotte couldn’t help wondering about what she’d overheard in the hallway.
What kind of emergency had happened with Issac and Jayden?
