Chapter 175



Jake kept his gaze lowered, masking the flicker of sarcasm and annoyance in his eyes from Sarah.

“Why invite Kallie to your birthday if you can’t stand her? What’s the plan? Going to use the party as an excuse to play some sort of game with her?” Jake’s words were pointed as he locked eyes with Sarah.

Caught in his intense, frosty gaze, Sarah felt a wave of dread wash over her. After a few seconds, she regained her composure. Pouting, Sarah said, “Don’t give me that look! Do you really think so badly of me?”

Jake let out a chuckle, the iciness in his gaze melting away as if it had never been there. It almost seemed like Sarah had imagined the whole thing.

Jake said in a flat tone, “You’re reading too much into it. But hey, if you’re planning on giving Kallie a hard time, maybe I could help tie up any loose ends. With Kallie backed by the Hayes family now, I wouldn’t want you to land in hot water.”

Sarah’s eyelashes fluttered, visibly moved by his show of concern. “Jake, I can’t believe you’re actually looking out for me like this.”

“So, you’re still not ready to tell me the whole story?” Jake raised an eyebrow, his tone lightly probing.

Sarah bit her lip, her emotions tangled as she wrestled with her thoughts. Finally, with a soft sigh, she said, “Honestly, there is nothing planned. I’ll be too caught up in my birthday party tomorrow to fuss over anything else. I just think, since you and she were once an item, it’d be better to part on good terms. Once she’s moved past everything, she won’t have any reason to disrupt your life anymore. That’s really it.”

Jake simply nodded. “I’ll have Edgar take care of it. She’ll be at your birthday party tomorrow, right on schedule. Don’t worry.”

Sarah’s face lit up with delight. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Jake in an attempt to kiss him on the cheek.

Jake was just about to push her away when Edgar conveniently entered the room, oblivious to Sarah’s affectionate gesture. Edgar interjected politely, “Mr. Reeves, it’s time for your video conference. Shall I set it up for you?”

Jake gestured for him to proceed. “Go ahead and arrange it.”

Frustrated by Edgar’s timely interruption, Sarah huffed and stormed out.

Jake exchanged a knowing glance with Edgar, who then followed Sarah out with a resigned expression.

Edgar quickly caught up to Sarah, a polite smile playing on his lips. “My apologies for earlier. I had no idea you were inside Mr. Reeves’ study. You know, he’s usually so particular about keeping his personal space and professional duties separate. It’s quite a privilege. No one has ever been allowed such access to his study before you.”

Sarah, who had been briskly walking away, slowed her steps, her stern expression softening slightly. “Is that so?”

“Indeed,” Edgar remarked, his grin growing wider as he tried to charm her. “And there’s something else. Since you departed quite hastily, you might not have caught Mr. Reeves’ invitation. He mentioned he’d like to meet you tonight in the small garden. It was quite nostalgic for him, remembering how you both used to spend time there. He seemed hopeful you’d be able to make it.”

Sarah’s demeanor changed at once, her eyes lighting up with renewed interest. “Did he really say that?”

Edgar nodded earnestly. “Absolutely. I wouldn’t dare make something like that up. I’m off duty now. Perhaps you should consider getting ready for the evening.”

Sarah’s face lit up, her grin wide as she reveled in the unexpected joy.

Despite their past interactions, Jake and Sarah had never actually been on a date. Sarah, leveraging her family’s prominence, had often sought Jake’s attention during their school days. The garden had been a favored rendezvous for couples back then, and although Sarah had invited Jake numerous times, he had always declined.

But now, seemingly out of nowhere, Jake had extended an invitation. The thrill sent Sarah’s heart racing, a blush of excitement coloring her cheeks.

Sarah rushed back to her place to dress up, instructing the servants to fetch the finest bottle of wine. Determined to create the perfect setting, she hurried to the garden to craft a romantic and intimate atmosphere. Then, Sarah directed the staff to keep their distance, ensuring privacy unless absolutely necessary.

With a quaint cabin tucked away behind the garden, Sarah anticipated that once the ambiance was set, they would be undisturbed. Opting for a striking red spaghetti strap dress that accentuated her features and enhanced her allure, Sarah was confident in her charm. This time, she believed, Jake would surely find it hard to resist her.

Unbeknownst to Sarah, Jake had no plans to meet her in the garden.

Twenty minutes after her departure, his relentless headache flared up again. A notification from Edgar appeared on Jake’s phone, a message confirming that Sarah had been successfully misled to the garden. Letting Sarah wait there was intended as a punishment for her recent defiance.

Despite Sarah not being forthcoming, Jake had a hunch that she would attempt something significant the next day. The specifics, however, remained unclear to him, adding to his frustration. The more Jake dwelt on the situation, the more his irritation grew. He couldn’t understand why he was still preoccupied with someone who had treated him with such indifference.

In a fit of annoyance, Jake turned to his liquor cabinet, pulling out several bottles. He chugged it down, the alcohol scorching his throat, providing a temporary relief from the pain, though it did little to quell it entirely.

As Jake sat there, the realization hit him. Edgar had been right all along. He was essentially trying to dull his senses with alcohol, seeking a brief respite in what he knew was essentially poison. Tapped by the weight of many, who were just waiting for a chance to exploit any vulnerability, Jake felt compelled to continue.

Before Jake knew it, he had consumed too much. With his eyes heavy, he wished the alcohol would lull him to sleep, but his mind was haunted by the image of a single person that he couldn’t shake off.

In another part of the house, Edgar had discreetly orchestrated for someone to leave the door unlocked for Kallie.

Unaware, Kallie carried on with her evening routine, taking a bath before preparing for bed. She took a moment to send a text to Irene, confirming the time and place for their meeting the next day.

Just as Kallie pressed send, the sound of the door creaking open caught her attention. At that moment, clad only in a bath towel, Kallie felt a chill run down her spine when she heard the unsettling noise.

Kallie whirled around, her hand snatching up a vase as she quickly flicked off the lights. Silently, she edged toward the source of the sound, her heart pounding.

As a shadowy figure loomed in the doorway, Kallie raised the vase high, ready to strike. But the intruder was quicker, seizing her wrist in a firm grip before she could bring the vase down.

The sharp, pungent odor of alcohol hit Kallie, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Then, a voice she knew all too well murmured close to her ear, tinged with a mocking tone, “You look like you’re ready to kill someone.”

Kallie’s eyes narrowed in recognition and alarm. “Jake? Why are you here at this hour?”

Kallie struggled against Jake’s grasp, her movements desperate to communicate the pain he was causing her. However, Jake remained unyielding, swiftly prying the vase from her grip and securing her other hand with ease.

Now, trapped and unable to either escape or vocalize her frustration through sign language, Kallie trembled with fury, her body taut as she stared at Jake with vigilant eyes.

With a flick of the switch, Jake illuminated the room, his gaze catching the wary look in Kallie’s eyes. He smirked, his tone dripping with mockery. “Now that you’re in my grip, it’s too late to be afraid.”

In defiance, Kallie turned her face away, refusing to meet his gaze any longer.

Jake, undeterred, leaned in closer, his head resting near her neck as he inhaled deeply. He was always intrigued by Kallie’s unique scent. It wasn’t masked by perfumes or detergents but was a natural essence that seemed to radiate from her very skin.

It was a pleasing, alluring fragrance that inexplicably soothed Jake, easing the tension in his nerves and even diminishing his headache—a relief he hadn’t experienced in a while.

Seizing the moment as Jake appeared momentarily lost in his senses, Kallie wrenched her hands free. She tried to push him away, only to find that his drunken state did nothing to lighten his weight, making him surprisingly difficult to move.

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