Chapter 99 Stark Contrast

It was at that moment that Levi shouted, “Help! There’s a man behaving inappropriately here!”

I immediately snapped out of my daze after hearing Levi’s voice. I then gently pushed Eric in and closed the door.

Eric’s displeasure was evident as he turned to me and said, “Your junior sure loves to stick his nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

“It’s better than having someone who doesn’t give a damn about other people’s affairs,” Levi said as he settled into his seat, looking at Eric with a challenging glint in his eyes. “If I hadn’t stepped in, Jane would’ve been hurt by Jeremiah. Where were you when all this happened, Mr. Flint—the one who stays out of it all? I’ve been staying by Jane’s side, protecting her. And you?”

Their previous conversation had been filled with yelled threats; their current exchange was downright hostile.

Eric sneered and said, “If you couldn’t even protect Jae while you were right there with her, you might as well just pack your belongings and get out of here.”

Before Levi could say anything, I quickly interrupted, saying, “It’s actually a good thing that Jeremiah visited me today. It gave me another piece of evidence for the divorce case.”

Levi immediately turned toward me, his expression one of curiosity. Eric, on the other hand, turned toward me with an indifferent expression.

“Although Jeremiah’s slap didn’t land on my face, it was still pretty much an act of domestic violence,” I explained as I pulled up surveillance footage on my phone. The camera had captured the entire scene of Jeremiah trying to strike me.

I had known from the moment I hung up the phone that this would happen. It was all part of my plan to intentionally provoke him.

After watching the surveillance footage, Levi’s face lit up with admiration. He then gave me a thumbs-up and said, “You’re a genius, Jane.”

“I thought that since we’re so busy with the studio, it’ll be more convenient to meet at my place. It’ll be perfect this way since he’ll lower his guard, and I won’t have to worry about someone else tampering with the surveillance footage.”

Eric, unlike Levi, wasn’t as excited. He leaned in to check my face, and after confirming that I was truly alright, he said worriedly, “It’s way too dangerous, Jae. You shouldn’t do something like that again.”

Levi shrugged it off and said, “You don’t have to worry about that since I’m here. I’m living with Jane anyway, so I’ll make sure to keep her safe. You’ve got nothing to worry about with me around.”

Eric sneered and said, “I’m even more worried with you around! I don’t even know what ill intentions you’re harboring toward Jae.”

Before Levi could retort, Eric turned to me and shot another remark at Levi. “I wonder how someone can actually be so dense? You’ve been working all day, so you must be drained and starving right now. And yet, he hasn’t even thought of making you something to eat.”

Levi was rendered speechless and immediately turned to me.

I nodded and said, “I’ve been working all day, so I am actually quite hungry right now.”

In an instant, Levi rushed into the kitchen, saying, “I’ve got this, Jane! I learned so many new recipes while I was abroad, so I’ll whip something up for you in no time!”

I merely looked up and caught Eric’s gaze.

Eric looked at me from above, his eyes filled with emotions I couldn’t make sense of. He then sighed heavily, pulled me over to sit beside him on the couch, and said, “I regret not showing up here sooner. If I had, Levi wouldn’t have had the opportunity to show off before me.”

I was so taken aback by the remorse in Eric’s voice that I almost didn’t believe it. I felt my cheeks burn. I wanted to respond to him, but then I saw the pity in his eyes as he stared at me intently. It was a stark contrast to his usual demeanor.

I tried to calm my racing heart, pretending to be composed as I looked into his eyes.

“Is that why you came over here just so you can show off before me?”

I merely asked that as a joke, but Eric nodded solemnly and said, “Of course! If I don’t step up, I’m worried you’ll actually fall for this junior of yours. And besides, when is he getting his own place?”