With a glass of wine in hand, Jessie slowly turned her head to look at him.
After a long pause, she asked softly, âAre you aiming to marry me or just looking for a fling?â
The man chuckled awkwardly.
âIâd love to marry you but, letâs face it, reality bites! Remember, Iâve got a wife already.
Sheâs pretty strict.
So, letâs keep it casual, just a few rendezvous here and there.
If it happens too often, sheâll catch on.
How about it? A multi-million dollar deal in exchange for a couple of outings.
Seems like a fair trade, doesnât it?â
In reality, Jessie had encountered plenty of guys like him before.
It was just surprising that even folks from the same social circle were pulling stunts Like this.
She raised an eyebrow and grinned, âSure thing! But Iâm going to have to pass.
Find someone else!â
Patrick didnât expect to get shut down like this.
Instantly, he got ticked off.
âJessie, quit acting all high and mighty! You think youâre still some noble lady? How deep in the red is the Green family, huh? And youâre no angel! Youâve been with Albert for ages, havenât you? You ran off to Heron with him.
But guess what? He didnât want you and marry someone else! Do you really still think youâre something special?
Well, tonight youâre drinking that wine, whether you like it or not!
Get off your high horse!â
Jessie splashed the red wine right in his face.
âWatch your mouth!â
Patrick wiped his face.
He glared at her and snickered, âHaha! Who do you think you are?
Youâre just some cheap thing Albert played and tossed aside!â
Coincidentally, James, Marcus, and Melissa were heading upstairs together when they bumped into Albert.
He had some business here tonight, and as they exchanged pleasantries, they overheard the commotion from the roomâ¦
Albert winced as he heard someone else talking about Jessie like some disposable fling!
Heâd never thought of her that way.
Even now, he wanted to take care of her, afraid of tarnishing her reputation.
Melissa shifted but Marcus held her back.
Melissa glanced at Albertâs stern face, and then back at Marcus, who reached out, gently patting her head.
James stepped forward, taking charge.
He had organized tonightâs event but who wouldâve guessed Patrick would start causing trouble the moment he showed up? Already married, yet he still couldnât leave Jessie alone.
What a total jerk!
James shoved Patrick away, saying, âYouâve had enough to drink, buddy!
Get your wife to pick you up!â