?Chapter 1036:


    He epted it, chewing slowly. The sugar melted on his tongue, and for a brief moment, a slight furrow appeared between his brows.


    “Not a fan?” Corrine asked, taking another bite. The creamy frosting lingered on her lips.


    Nate’s gaze darkened. His throat bobbed as he swallowed slowly. Maybe he wasn’t a fan of the cake’s sweetness. Maybe the real indulgence sat beside him.


    Without a word, he reached out, brushing his thumb over her lips to wipe away the frosting. Then, he brought it to his mouth and licked it clean.


    Corrine’s face flushed. She dropped her eyes, focusing on her dessert, pretending nothing had happened.


    From across the table, Rosalie watched everything unfold.


    She had grown up alongside Zack, always lingering at the edges of Nate’s world.


    In her mind, Nate had always been distant—unmoved by people, uninterested in anything.


    But just now, she had seen something different. The way he looked at Corrine, the quiet way he indulged her—it was unlike anything she had witnessed before.


    In that moment, it hit her—Nate wasn’t incapable of feeling.


    Rosalie’s fingers trembled slightly as she took a deep drag from her cigarette. The thick smoke curled around her face, hiding the disappointment settling in her eyes.


    She had harbored feelings for Nate since childhood.


    If he had been just another man, she wouldn’t have given it a second thought. But he wasn’t. Liking him had never felt shameful.


    On the Independent Continent, countless women admired Nate. Even the arrogant heiress of the Quinn family had boldly thrown herself at him.


    Rosalie used to find it amusing. That woman had swallowed her pride again and again, yet Nate had never acknowledged her. When faced with power, even the proud had to bend.


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    But none of it had mattered. Nate had never once looked her way.


    Corrine wasn’t like the others.


    Watching the two of them so openly disy their affection, Rosalie couldn’t even force a smile. Jealousy coiled in her chest, tight and bitter, no matter how much she wanted to ignore it.


    She took a deep drag from her cigarette, letting the nicotine settle the ache before it swallowed her whole.


    As she crushed thest embers in the ashtray, the restaurant door swung open.


    Herbert strolled in, d in a sharp striped suit. Another man trailed closely behind him.


    Moses slowly nced up beforementing, “Took your time, didn’t you, Mr. Burton? Kept us all waiting.”


    Herbert smirked. “Are you waiting for me or for my vintage wine?” He gestured for the man behind him to step forward. “Straight from my grandfather’s cer. A good thirty, maybe fifty years aged. You’re in for a treat.”


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