Chapter <b>176 </b>


    Reba froze, and in that instant, everything clicked.


    Neither she nor Jessica had guessed the full picture. Jessica’s exnation wasn’t wrong, but Jeffrey’s purpose went deeper. By making her give in and ept those bodyguards, he hadid the groundwork to justify <b>his </b>demand just now.


    He really was as calcting as the rumors imed, leaving no possibility unconsidered.


    “What do you think?” Jeffrey’s hand pinched the small curve of her waist.


    Seeing this, the others quickly slipped away–they didn’t want to be the third wheel here.


    “Does it even matter what I say?” Reba felt her heart sinking lower and lower. She knew there was no way out of his game. “You’ve already nned it all. Why pretend to ask for my opinion?”


    “You’re my wife. Your opinion matters.” Jeffrey was used to speaking pretty words.


    The calmness in his face unsettled her.


    He hadn’t always been like this. Before, his kindness toward her had been genuine, and she hadn’t felt this unease. But now every word, every move of his was full of intent, and all she could feel was disgust.


    “If you really valued my opinion, you wouldn’t force me to do things your way,” she said, tearing through his mask.


    Jeffrey leaned closer, his voice low. “Are you ming me?”


    Reba didn’t bother hiding her feelings. “I just hate the way you’re doing this.”


    “Since I got back from that trip, I’ve been trying hard to treat you well.” With a sudden pull, Jeffrey trapped her in his arms. “If I’m falling short somewhere, tell me. I’ll try to make it up to you.”


    She didn’t even feel like answering.


    On Andrea, he wouldn’tpromise. On divorce, or making their rtionship public, he wouldn’t budge. Since those things weren’t open for discussion, she had nothing to say.


    “Say something,” Jeffrey pressed.


    <b>“</b><b>Just </b>be straight with me,” Reba said, tired of the back–and–forth. “What exactly do you want from me? Spell it out. And don’t drag up the past–be specific.


    “I want you to kiss me, to hold me, to look at me with joy in your eyes. His whisper tickled her ear, deep and maic. “I want you to let me take you out on weekends…”


    “Dream on,” Reba shot back before Jeffrey could finish.


    Jeffrey didn’t seem bothered <b>at </b>all.


    9:01 Tue, Sep 30


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    Reba met his gaze, speaking slowly. “What you want is nothing but a daydream.”


    “Exactly,” Jeffrey replied, unfazed. “That’s why I’m here–hoping you’ll make my dreamse true.


    Reba pushed against him, trying to break free, but he didn’t move an inch.


    “I’ll give you plenty of time to adjust,” he murmured, his arms holding her firmly, not painfully, but right enough to keep her from slipping away. “But that time isn’t for you to figure out how to leave me.”


    Reba hadn’t expected him toy it all out so directly.


    “When that time is up, if you’re still treating me like a stranger, then I’ll find my own way to make those dreams happen.” His tone stayed gentle, but the words were a veiled threat. “Do you understand?”


    “Let me go first,” Reba said, avoiding his question.


    Jeffrey let her go.


    Reba, stubborn as ever, rolled her eyes. “So all this talk is just about your own selfish desires, isn’t it?”


    No matter how much he tried to make it up to her, no matter how kind he acted, it was still only about having both <i>a </i>wife and a mistress.


    Even if he didn’t love Andrea, that didn’t change what he was. Andrea wasn’t his family, yet he still kept her on his payroll. At the core, he was no different from any man who kept a mistress.


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    “Exactly,” Jeffrey admitted without hesitation, though he didn’t really know what Reba was thinking. “As long as I can keep you by my side, I’ll use any means necessary–even if it makes you hate me in the end.”


    “Psycho!” Reba spat at him before storming off. She couldn’t stand another second with him.


    Leaving the attic, she picked up a car in the garage and headed straight for Jessica.


    Reba’s manor felt like nothing but a prison to her.


    Upstairs, Jeffrey stood at the window, watching her car grow smaller and smaller in the distance. His tone was unhurried as he said, “Gregory.”


    Gregory appeared at once. “Mr. Hanson?”


    “When she meets up with Jessica, send people to put on a little show.” Jeffrey didn’t even have to guess–he knew that’s where she was going. “Let her understand what it means to break our deal. She needs to see there are consequences.”


    Gregory hesitated. “Aren’t you worried she’ll be angry?”


    “Isn’t she already angry?” Jeffrey shot back.


    He had all the patience in the world to coax her, to shower her with care–so long as it softened her, drew her closer. But if all she did was shut him out, then kindness alone wasn’t going to cut it.


    9:01 Tue, Sep 30 <fn5ae1> Read full story at </fn5ae1>


    She hade back. To him, that meant she had to keep her word.


    Gregory swallowed his doubts. “How far should it go?”


    “Scare them,” Jeffrey said. “But don’ty a finger on them.”


    Gregory nodded. “Got it.”


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    Reba had no idea what Jeffrey was plotting. All she wanted now was a way to vent the frustration burning inside her.


    Jessica had just wrapped up work when Reba asked her out. When she saw the bar Reba had chosen, she raised a brow. “You? Asking me to meet here? What’s going on?”


    “What do you want to drink?” Reba asked straight up.


    “Anything’s fine.” Jessica slid into the seat across from her.


    Reba ordered the drinks Jessica usually had. But when Jessica noticed she hadn’t ordered anything for herself, she blinked. “And you?”


    Reba replied tly, “Lemon juice. No sugar.”


    Jessica shouted in disbelief, “They actually have that?”


    “Money talks,” Reba said simply.


    Jessica gaped at her like she’d just seen a ghost, utterly lost for words.


    A momentter, the bartender returned with several tall sses of unsweetened lemon juice, setting them down politely in front of Reba. “Enjoy.”


    “You sure you don’t want alcohol?” Jessica leaned back, wrinkling her nose as the sharp citrus scent hit her. Her mouth watered against her will. “Nobody drinks this stuff.”


    “Alcohol makes me drunk too easily. I’m not about to let Jeffrey drag me home over his shoulder.” Reba was clear–headed. “I just need a way to let out my emotions. Lemon juice works as well as alcohol.


    Jessica asked, “What did that bastard do to you this time?”


    Reba raised a ss of lemon juice and clinked it toward her. “Don’t ask. Just drink.”


    Jessica eyed the pale yellow liquid with dread, but still lifted her own ss. The sharp clink rang out between


    them.


    Reba took a sip. The sourness hit so hard her whole face scrunched up.


    At that moment, the anger in her chest gave way to a different kind of torment–the raw, stinging bite of


    citrus.


    9:01 Tue, Sep 30


    “You don’t have to torture your teeth and stomach like this.” Jessica couldn’t even watch anymore. She had to admit, she kind of admired Reba. “Honestly, drinking that’s worse than drinking alcohol.


    It took several lemons to fill a single ss. Reba had probably downed the juice of a whole lemon in one gulp.


    “Jessica…” Reba started, wanting to say something.


    “Spit it out,” Jessica said, not missing a beat.


    Reba pressed her lips together.


    Right then, a fight suddenly broke out at the table next to them. One guy swung a bottle that nearly smashed into Jessica.


    “Shit!” Jessica shot to her feet, yanking Reba with her, her heart pounding. “Good thing I ducked- otherwise that bottle would’ve cracked my head open.”


    Reba quickly looked her over, making sure she wasn’t hurt, then finally let out <i>a </i>breath.


    Just then, Reba’s phone buzzed.


    It was a message from Jeffrey: [This was just a reminder. I don’t like it when you say yes and then break our deal. Got it, Reba?]