Chapter 79

Thea gave him a cold glance and turned away, indifferent to his opinion. If the watch hadn't been so carefully handcrafted by Richard, she would have tossed it into the tea. Jake hurried after her, his tone displeased. "You really went overboard today. Once we're married, you need to tone down—"

Without looking at him, Thea responded, "Jake, you know about my collaboration with Richard. Others may doubt my connection to him, claiming I couldn't possibly know him or buy his watch, but you should know better." Jake was speechless, wanting to retort but hesitating, finally tugging at his clothes in frustration.

After a moment, he continued, "What I mean is, you could have handled this privately with family, like your mom or Max. Blowing up like that doesn't look good. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding?"

"Does it matter?" Thea scoffed. "Misunderstanding or not, it doesn't matter to me. If I'm unhappy, no one else should be. Look, if I treat my own family like that, what do you think I'll do to you if you try to mess with me?"

"You…" Jake gritted his teeth, looking angry and defeated. "Is there really no way? Can't we go back to the way we were? Thea, we were in love once. I don't believe you've completely forgotten about me. I haven't been able to get over the past eight years, and—"

All Thea heard was a dog barking. "Are you that bored? If you want, I can find something for you to do. How about calling your baby Madelyn? I've already sent her the recording. She's probably crying somewhere right now."

Jake's affectionate expression vanished, replaced by a twisted look. He grabbed his phone and rushed away.

Thea felt a wave of satisfaction, a sense of peace returning, only to be interrupted by a shadow falling over her. The familiar scent identified Nicolas. Her bold, fierce demeanor evaporated. She lowered her head and remained silent, her silence a defiant expression of displeasure. The events of the past few days were fresh in her mind, and she wasn't about to challenge Nicolas; she opted for the cold shoulder.

But her coldness had no effect on him. He wasn't the type to reach out first. Nicolas noticed her bad mood and chuckled softly. He glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Such a shame. A gift like that, wasted on someone who doesn't appreciate it." His words held a deeper meaning.

Thea understood he was defending her, which eased her mood slightly, though her tone remained chilly. "Not everyone has as good taste as you, Mr. Hendrix."

Nicolas raised an eyebrow. "Are you complimenting yourself?"

Thea cleared her throat. "That wasn't my intention."

Nicolas pulled out a gift box. "Even though it's Max's birthday, this is for you. I was wrong about what happened last time. I had too much to drink and lost control of my emotions." Thea was surprised; she hadn't expected an apology. She took the gift without hesitation. "Fine. I forgive you. But Mr. Hendrix, don't say things like that again. It makes me feel disrespected."

SEND GIFT