Chapter <b>109 </b>
<b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>
<b>“</b><b>It </b><b>was </b><b>a </b>defamation <b>case</b><b>. </b>We <b>were </b>representing the intiff,<b>” </b>Charlotte said, taking a sip of her drink. <b>“</b>You have no idea how hard it was to gather evidence for <b>that </b><b>one</b>, Sean. The client barely gave us anything to start with. I ended up spending over a month helping him <b>piece </b>everything together.<b>” </b>
“A month?” Sean ced a peeled shrimp into her bowl. “That was right before our engagement, wasn’t it? Sounds exhausting.”
<b>“</b><b>Yeah</b><b>, </b><b>it </b>was during that stretch.” Charlotte dipped the shrimp into sauce. “It was tough<b>, </b>but totally worth it <b>once </b>we got the ruling in our favor.<b>” </b>
As she spoke, Charlotte pulled out her phone with a bright smile. “Oh<b>, </b>right! My client actually sent me a thank–you gift after the case. Look!”
She opened her photo gallery and scrolled to a picture of a beautifully arranged gift basket<b>, </bplete with a handwritten card. Her eyes sparkled with pride. <b>“</b>It’s the first time <b>a </b><b>client’s </b>ever done something like this <b>for </b>me.”
She looked just like a kid who’d gotten a gold star in school–grinning with excitement, her whole face lighting up<b>, </b>clearly hoping for a little praise<b>. </b>
Sean’s expression softened, his voice warm and full of affection. <b>“</b>Our brilliant attorney. I’m so proud <b>of </b><b>you</b>.<b>” </b>
Charlotte blinked yfully and grinned. “It’s no big deal<b>. </b>Just doing my job<b>.</b>”
Across the table<b>, </b>Zac felt his chest tighten. His back stiffened.
He had always assumed that Charlotte and Sean were in a marriage <b>of </b>convenience, <b>a </b>cold business arrangement. He thought if he cleaned up his <b>act</b>, he still had a shot at winning her back
But now<b>, </b>he realized <b>how </b>wrong he had been.
They were acting like <b>a </b>couple <b>deep </b>in <b>love</b><b>. </b>
Back when they <b>were </b>in Harbor City, Charlotte <b>would </b>sometimes talk <b>to </b>him about her work <b>too</b><b>. </b>But he had only found itughable at the time.
He once told her she was wasting her time working <b>so </b>hard for a monthly sry that couldn’t <b>even </b><b>cover </b><b>one </b>night <b>out </b>with his friends.
What he never knew was that she <b>came </b>from wealth. She didn’t need a job. She wanted to work <b>to </b>challenge herself and find her own value.
<b>Now</b><b>, </b><b>as </b>she spoke about her <b>case </b><b>with </b>Sean, her <b>eyes </b>were lit with joy. She glowed from within<b>, </b>like a <b>wless </b>gem sparkling under the light.
But that <b>gem </b>no longer belonged <b>to </b>him.
Watching her sitting <b>so </b><b>close </b><b>to </b>Sean<b>, </bughing and chatting like nothing else in the world <b>mattered</b>, Zac felt <b>jealousy </b>eating him alive<b>. </b>
These <b>were </b>the little moments she should have <b>been </b>sharing with him.
<b>Her </b><b>joys</b><b>, </b>her thoughts and her smiles <b>used </b><b>to </b><b>be </b>his<b>. </b>
And <b>now</b><b>? </b>
Now she <b>didn’t </b>even look in his <b>direction</b>.
<b>He </b><b>suddenly </b><b>regretted </b>following her here<b>. </b>
<b>At </b><b>first</b><b>, </b>he <b>just </b>wanted <b>to </b>stir the pot<b>, </b><b>mess </b><b>with </b><b>Sean’s </b>mood<b>, </b><b>maybe </b><b>drive </b>a <b>wedge </b><b>between </b>them.
<b>But </b><b>in </b>the <b>end</b><b>, </b>the only <b>person </b><b>left </b>shaken <b>was </b><b>himself</b>.
He sat there<b>, </b>watching the woman he <b>loved </b>show <b>affection </b><b>to </b><b>another </b>man. His heart <b>twisted </b>with jealousy and bitterness. Each beat <b>felt </b>like a sharp<b>, </b><b>painful </b><b>tug </b>in
his chest.
<b>Just </b>then<b>, </b>the waiter brought <b>out </b>the food.
<b>Eugene </b>picked <b>up </b>his utensils, ready <b>to </b><b>dig </b><b>in</b>.
Suddenly<b>, </b>Zac across from hiro stood <b>up </b>with a loud <b>scrape </b><b>of </b>his <b>chair </b>against <b>the </b><b>tiled </b>floor.
The harsh sound turned heads. Diners all around the restaurant nced <b>over</b>.
<b>Zac </b>got to his feet and walked out without saying a word<b>, </b>not even looking back.
Even from behind, it was clear just how furious he was.”
<b>In </b><b>the </b>end<b>, </b><b>it </b><b>was </b>Zac <b>who </b>couldn’t take <b>it </b>anymore.
Eugene let out a sigh, picked <b>up </b>a <b>bite </b>of food<b>, </b>and mumbled<b>, </b><b>“</b>If he’s not eating<b>, </b><b>I </b><b>will</b>. <b>Haven’t </b>eaten <b>all </b><b>day</b>…”
Zac returned to lus car and <b>lit </b>a <b>cigarette</b>.
The <b>city </b>lights had juste on<b>, </b>and neon signs flickered outside <b>the </b>windows, <b>casting </b>a dizzying glow.
Inside the <b>car</b>, smoke <b>curled </b>into the air.
Zac <b>stared </b><b>out </b><b>the </b>window<b>, </b>his mind drifting back to all the times he <b>and </b>Charlotte <b>used </b>to eat together. She always sat across from <b>him</b>.
Back then<b>, </b>he never thought anything of it.
But tonight, he saw her sitting on the same side as another man.
The table <b>wasn’t </b>big. It looked a little cramped for two on one side but <b>still</b><b>, </b>she chose to sit close to Sean.
<b>He </b>even saw her casually resting her leg across his<b>. </b>
She had never shared that kind <b>of </b>closeness with Zac<b>. </b><b>Not </b>once<b>. </b>
He kept reying the scene in his mind like some cruel punishment<b>, </b>over and over again.
It <b>wasn’t </b>until the cigarette burned down to his fingertips, stinging his skin<b>, </b>that he finally snapped out of it.
<b>He </b>pulled out his phone and sent a <b>message</b><b>. </b>
<b>“</b>I’m in<b>. </b>I’ll work with you.”