Chapter 59

The weight of his stare was suffocating. I played dumb. “A love song? My Englysian isn’t great, and I didn’t catch that. But wow, you sounded flawless. No surprise, though, Mr. Ivy League.”

Jared let out a quiet scoff. “You’re getting worse at lying. The only reason I sang with Tracy was to save face for her. Half the board was there, and she’s VP now. If I humiliated her, she’d lose credibility with them.”

“VP?” I blinked. “Since when? I thought she was your assistant.”

“Board promoted her last week,” he said matter-of-factly. “She earned it.”

A sharp twist of jealousy hit me. Tracy’s rise had Jared’s fingerprints all over it. Suddenly, I didn’t want to talk anymore. I just muttered, “Oh,” and turned away.

Jared caught my shift instantly. “Now you care?” he taunted. “Bit late for that.”

“I don’t,” I forced myself to reply flatly. “Tracy’s competent. Everyone knows that. She got the job on merit, unlike me, who got Harmonia Hotel’s manager title just because of you.”

His frown deepened. “You are my wife. That’s not the same.”

“Got it. Goodnight, dear.” I shut my eyes, done with the conversation.

Jared didn’t miss my dismissal. In one swift motion, his arms locked around me from behind, his lips grazing the nape of my neck.

I tensed. “I’m still not feeling well.” My voice was stiff as I shoved at his chest.

“I’ll be gentle.” The words were soft, but his grip wasn’t.

Before I could react, he flipped me onto my back, pinning me beneath him. His mouth crashed into mine, hot and insistent. I twisted away, but he caught my wrists and wrenched them above my head.

“Jared… I’m sick—no, you’ll catch…” His kiss swallowed the protest.

He wasn’t gentle. He wasn’t even present—just furious, relentless, like he was exorcising something. I stopped fighting. What was the point? Maybe this was his frustration over holding back with Tracy tonight. Maybe I was just the convenient stand-in, the warm body to take the edge off.

His hands yanked me onto my knees. When my arms buckled, he hauled me back against him, fingers digging into my hips. He never looked at me, just moved, methodical and detached. It explained everything. I was just Tracy’s replacement, definitely.

Time passed—I wasn’t sure how much. Eventually, he stopped. His body was satisfied, but his expression was still dark, like it hadn’t lived up to whatever he’d been hoping for.

“Victoria, what’s going on with you tonight?” Jared’s voice cut through the silence from the other side of the bed.

My back and knees ached. A cold, weak feeling settled over me, and I yanked the blanket up to cover myself. His accusatory tone only stoked my anger. Did he really see me as nothing more than Tracy’s replacement? Just some tool for his pleasure?

I snapped, “What do you mean? I’ve been really sick and just recovered—”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Jared muttered, his voice low and tense. “You’re just not into me anymore.”

My pulse jumped. I turned to face him, and the look in his eyes—anger and suspicion—sent a chill through me.

“Oh yeah?” Jared pulled on his robe and stood beside the bed, glaring down at me. “Are you seeing someone else?”