Chapter 87

Julie didn't think a simple business dinner with Zachary would result in a sudden encounter with Zayn, who barged into their VIP dining room.

Zayn's expression was stormy. He stared at Julie before sneering quietly and saying, in a mocking tone, "You sure aren't picky with your food, Julie. Looks like you can stomach just about anything."

Julie remained expressionless. She sat silently.

Amaya, sitting next to her, couldn't bear to watch any longer and exclaimed angrily, "What does Julie's choice in food have to do with you? I'm afraid you may have forgotten, Mr. Peyton, that you two have broken up."

Zayn gritted his teeth, his eyes glinting maliciously. "This is between me and Julie. What right do you have to judge?"

Amaya ignored his dark look and snapped back, "I'm Julie's best friend and confidante. What makes you think you're qualified if I'm not?"

Julie lightly tugged on her arm and admonished softly, "Alright, that's enough. He's a psycho, so don't antagonize him."

Amaya frowned. "Are you afraid of him?"

"That's not it," Julie said exasperatedly. "I just want to have dinner in peace."

She looked up at Zayn and asked calmly, "Was there something you needed, Mr. Peyton?"

Zayn's anger surged in the face of Julie's detachment and indifference.

But before he could say anything, Zachary, who had remained silent, spoke first.

"We're friends, Zayn, so don't make things difficult between us."

The word "friends" seemed to hit a sore spot for Zayn. He pursed his lips and chuckled soundlessly, but his laugh seemed to carry a hint of anger and ridicule.

"Friends?" he echoed. "While I consider you a friend, Zachary, you seem to be trying to steal what's mine."

Zachary stiffened.

Before he could respond, Zayn's mocking voice carried into his ears. "I've had my way with Julie multiple times. Don't you find her disgusting? Do you really like leftovers so much?"

Following his words, the temperature in the entire VIP room seemed to drop to freezing.

Julie clenched and unclenched her hand. She admitted that she had stayed by Zayn's side for so many years due to personal reasons.

However, over the three years they had been together, she had never done anything to feel guilty toward him. He had always come first in her heart.

But now, Zayn was using vile and unpleasant words to humiliate and slander her.

She had originally felt a little guilty for treating him as a substitute, but her last shred of remorse was gone.

She struggled to calm herself down.

Amaya, on the other hand, had a bad temper and was the first to snap.

"You call yourself a man, Zayn Peyton?" she yelled angrily.

She stood up, about to attack Zayn.

Fortunately, Julie reacted quickly enough to restrain her.

"Alright, Maya. Don't be rash," she said pacifyingly.

Just as she managed to calm Amaya down, she heard a loud smack.

When she looked up, she saw that Zachary had stood up, kicked a chair aside, and punched Zayn.

"It's so fucking embarrassing to be your childhood friend, Zayn," he shouted angrily, throwing another punch. "How dare you slander a woman like that?"

He kept cursing as he punched him. "Julie doesn't even want to speak with you anymore, and yet you still insist on approaching her and groveling for her attention! How shameless can you be?"

"So what if I try to steal your partner? That's on you for not knowing how to cherish her!"

When Zayn heard Zachary admit to courting Julie, he could no longer suppress his rage.

He kicked Zachary in the gut, bellowing, "Who the hell do you think you are? As if you're worthy of stealing my partner!"

He sat on top of Zachary, who had fallen to the floor, and punched him in the face. His eyes were red with anger.

Soon, the two men were wrestling.

Julie wanted to break them apart, but Amaya stopped her.

"Let them fight," said Amaya. "Zayn deserves it."

If not for Julie being there, she would have wanted to kick Zayn too.