Chapter 40

Bruce looked up and saw Joanna. She wore a black, below-the-knee skirt that accentuated her delicate swan neck and collarbone. Although the dress wasn't revealing, she looked gorgeous and alluring. It was the first time he'd seen her in such attire. Her collarbone and calves were exposed.

Bruce frowned, feeling a surge of inexplicable anger. This anger intensified when he saw Jaydon intimately holding Joanna's shoulders and gazing at her adoringly. Jaydon's eyes clearly showed his affection for her. The thought of them becoming intimate after dinner irritated him. Overwhelmed by complicated emotions, Bruce coughed awkwardly, loosened his cravat, and adopted an icy expression.

"Bruce, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Please place the order," he replied.

Roxanne's face fell. She had just ordered.

"Bruce, why are you so distracted?"

"No, I'm not!" He tried to hide his irritation, but couldn't look away from Joanna.

Roxanne finally realized something was amiss. She followed Bruce's gaze.

"Joanna!" she exclaimed, gaping at the sight of Joanna and instantly consumed by jealousy. "No wonder Bruce reacted like that. He's seen Joanna," she mused. "Why don't you say hello, Bruce?" she said sourly.

"What for? Let's toast." Bruce raised his glass of red wine. Roxanne touched her glass to his.

"Cheers"

Bruce finished his wine in one gulp, emptying the glass. This enraged Roxanne, clouding her complexion.

Chapter 40 (continued)

"Why is this woman everywhere? It looks like today's atmosphere will be ruined again," Roxanne thought.

Bruce poured himself another half glass of red wine and drank it quickly.

"Bruce, what are you doing? You'll get drunk! You can't drink Conti like that!"

This bottle of Romanée-Conti was worth tens of thousands of dollars. People usually savor it, but Bruce was gulping it down like water.

Meanwhile, Jaydon and Joanna, having bypassed Bruce and Roxanne, sat at a table on the left side of the dining room. They had booked a better table but chose this one to avoid Bruce and Roxanne.

The restaurant was air-conditioned. "Are you cold?" Jaydon asked with concern.

Joanna rubbed her arms. "A little."

Jaydon called the waiter. "A shawl, please!"

"Yes, Mr. Grim. Right away, sir!"

The waiter brought a shawl. Jaydon draped it over Joanna's shoulders.

"Thank you!" They exchanged smiles.

Today's press conference was a success. Jaydon's PR team had successfully portrayed Joanna as an independent, strong, beautiful, and inspiring woman. Articles and videos were circulating online, and her reputation was recovering. The Haynes Group and CI Technologies partnership eased investor concerns, stabilizing Haynes Group's share price by mid-afternoon.

Jaydon's help led Joanna to treat him to dinner. He looked at her tenderly. "What would you like?"

"Steak and salad!"

Jaydon looked at the menu. "Two, then!"

"No problem!" The restaurant's prime beef was a must-try.

"Movie after dinner?"

Joanna's eyes flickered. "Jay, you know I need to go home to Lilia."

"It's just a movie."

"I'm tired." She politely declined.

Jaydon smiled and gently took her hand. "It's a film my company produced. Tonight's the premiere. I'd like you to come with me!" Joanna flinched. "I don't know I"

She knew agreeing would mean being his girlfriend.

"Joann, I went to the press conference. It's only fair you come to the premiere."

"I'm not good with big events!"

"You don't have to do anything. Just be with me."

Joanna smiled. "There are many beautiful women in your company. Why not ask them?"

Disappointment flickered in Jaydon's eyes. "Would you rather them come? Do you understand what that means?" Joanna was silent. She knew he wanted her as his girlfriend, but she didn't want another relationship.

Jaydon squeezed her hand, watching her silently. "Joann, are you sure you don't want to give me, and yourself, a chance?"

The extraneous website promotion has been removed. The text has been cleaned up for grammar, punctuation, and style consistency. The name "Romanée-Conti" has been corrected as it's a proper noun and should not be hyphenated. Some phrasing was altered for clarity and flow.