I jumped at the sound of his voice. Seeing how worked up he was, I let out a sigh. "I just said it offhand, you didn't have to take it so seriously."

Jared shot me a resentful look. "Don't go getting married again so easily. Just take some time to enjoy your life."

"Jared, honestly, you’re a pretty good friend. You’re not as distant or controlling as I thought," I said with a smile.

Jared gave me a helpless look. "Come on, get up. I’ll teach you how to play."

"It might not be a good idea, I came here with Mr. Wright," I said as I stood up.

Jared’s gaze lingered on my long, slender legs. I was wearing a sporty skirt with shorts underneath, and the outfit really showed off my figure–full up top, a tiny waist, and fair skin. Even I had to admit, I felt pretty lively in it.

Jared’s voice went husky. "I don’t like the idea of someone else teaching you. Let me do it."

"You’re being impulsive again," I said with a smile.

"Victoria, we know each other inside out by now. No other guy would be as much of a gentleman as me," Jared said, sounding pretty pleased with himself.

I nodded with a smile. "You’ve got a point there."

Honestly, I did want to pick up the game. It’s one of those things that really helps with work connections.

Jared took me over to the driving range and started teaching me how to swing. Mr. Wright had only given me some tips from the sidelines before–never actually guiding me hands-on like this. But Jared was right behind me, his hands wrapped around mine, showing me exactly how to hold the club.

He stood so close, carefully adjusting my grip and showing me how to use just the right amount of strength.

His familiar scent surrounded me, and with him this near, I couldn’t help but feel a little breathless.

While Jared was teaching me, I could sense him drifting off sometimes, his fingers tightening around mine whenever he did.

After swinging a bunch of times, I actually made a bit of progress.

Jared stood tall beside me, watching with a smile. "I used to say you were slow, but honestly, you’re pretty sharp–you’re picking this up faster than my own kid."

I smiled. "People have hidden potential. If you never push yourself, no one will ever see it. So, you shouldn’t sell yourself short all the time."

"Yeah, you’re way more confident now. And honestly, you look even better," Jared said, openly admiring.

"So, I wasn’t good-looking before?" Victoria joked, poking fun at him.

"Not at all," Jared replied with a grin. "You had this serene beauty about you, but you didn’t have much spark. Now that you’re moving, you’re way more vibrant and full of energy."

I swung hard, then rested the club on my shoulder and shot Jared a grin. "Mr. Holcomb, you’ve been talking to me more these days than you did all of last year."

Chapter 397

Jared’s handsome face turned a little red, and he deliberately looked away. "Feeling pretty proud of yourself, huh? Looks like I finally walked right into your trap."

I really did feel a bit smug. "Well, now that you’re caught in my web, you’ll just have to put up with my attitude. Think you can handle that, Mr. Holcomb?"

Jared lazily turned and sat down in a nearby chair, sipping his coffee. "Pain and pleasure–we’ve had our fair share of both, haven’t we? What’s there to complain about?"

Embarrassed and a little annoyed, I shot him a glare. "I’m trying to have a serious conversation here."

Jared looked at me, clearly amused. "Haven’t seen you blush in ages. Nice to see it again today."

"Jared…" I whispered, worried his voice might be too loud and someone would hear us–and that would be so embarrassing.

Jared set his coffee cup down, got up, and walked over to me. He gave my arm a playful tap. "You messed up your swing again. Let me show you how it’s done, one more time."

Annoyed, I turned my gaze away, only to catch sight of a tall silhouette at the second-floor window.

It was Edward.

He was up there, watching me from the second floor. My heart skipped a beat.

Jared grabbed my fingers, but I was so distracted I didn’t even react until he sounded a bit annoyed, "Quit spacing out, you gotta focus if you want to play."

Under his guidance, I took another swing, then quickly said, "I’m getting a little tired. I think I’ll go catch up with Mr. Wright about some work stuff."

"Let me walk you over," Jared said.

"No, it’s fine. Go hang out with your clients, I got this," I replied.

Grabbing my little bag, I made a quick exit from Jared’s side.

When I got back to Mr. Wright, they were all just chilling, sipping coffee and chatting–no more golfing.

The pretty girl on my team had Mr. Wright grinning ear to ear.

Maybe it was because he saw Edward come over to talk to me earlier, but Mr. Wright closed the deal on the spot. He even said he’d introduce me to some other clients.

I finally understood the allure of power and status. Edward had only chatted with me for a few minutes, and just like that, he’d effortlessly landed me a huge profit.

His words echoed in my mind–if I could just be a little more ruthless, I could surpass Jared.

Turns out, he wasn’t just selling me a dream. With his backing, maybe I really could achieve that kind of wealth.

Chapter 398