Chapter 138
Manley stood there, watching the two figures disappear in a flash, and the door closed again.
As time passed, a sense of weariness settled upon his face, causing his features to grow dim. Eventually, he sank back onto the couch, fixing his gaze upon the floor. His beautiful eyes appeared distant and lost in contemplation, deep in thought.
Clement leaned in and asked with a smile, “You really like that little girl?”
Manley looked up at him, and after a while, he smirked, his expression wild and unrestrained, “How could I? It’s just fun to provoke Jonathan using her, don’t you think?”
Clement raised an eyebrow, “Be careful when you riding the tiger!”
Manley laughed nonchalantly, “I’m already fearless!”
Clement looked at him admiringly and poured him a drink, “Manley, you’re such a awesome guy!”
“Get out of here!”
Manley uttered a curse under his breath, a smile still playing on his lips. However, his attention quickly shifted as he noticed someone attempting to take away the cake from the table. Reacting swiftly, he exclaimed, “Hold on! Give me that cake!”
The person handed Manley the cake, “Manley!”
Manley looked at the words on the cake and said softly, “You guys eat the other cakes. Don’t touch this one!”
Clement laughed, “You say you don’t like her, but why are you keeping the cake?”
Manley smiled, “You wouldn’t understand. It’s my trophy; of course, I have to keep it!”
He thought of Estelle offering him the cake and wishing him a happy birthday, her clear eyes looking like a pool of water.
Frustration and disappointment seeped into Jonathan’s words as he contemplated Estelle’s apparent naivety.
He couldn’t help but judge her, feeling that her gullibility was the reason she had been deceived by Jonathan in the first place.
In the end, among all the gifts on the table, Manley only took the cake.
At the moment, in the hallway, Charlie leaned lazily against the wall, peeking at the scene in the private room. He saw Jonathan coming out with Estelle and raised an eyebrow in surprise, “What’s going on?”
Jonathan appeared visibly upset as he cast a cold glance at Charlie and tersely uttered, “You go ahead.”
With a firm grip, Jonathan pulled Estelle along, leading her out of Midnight Bar. Eventually, they found themselves seated in the car, engulfed in an oppressive and silent atmosphere.
Jonathan lit a cigarette, opened the window, his profile tense and distant. His voice carried an icy edge as he questioned, “It’s only been two weeks, and you’re already cozying up to Manley? Are you in such a rush? Is he wealthier than me, or perhaps more attractive?”
Estelle tried to explain, but her words were stuck in her throat. Her clear eyes were misted, and her face was as pale as snow.
Jonathan’s tone grew colder, “Even if you’ve found someone new, shouldn’t you have told me? Didn’t we agree to part on good terms?” Estelle clenched her teeth, choosing to remain silent, projecting an air of stubbornness and coldness.
Witnessing her silence, Jonathan’s suppressed anger resurfaced. He turned towards her, his gaze icy and mocking, ready to say something.
“Do you love him? Do you know that he approached you in the first place because of Lucille? Lucille promised that if you slept with Manley, she would give up the property from the Scott family. Now he’s pursuing you because he’s competing with me, trying to use you to provoke me! Do you think he’s genuinely interested in you when he announces you as his girlfriend in public and sweet talks to you? His words are even sweeter when he’s in bed with other women!”
He was about to say something else when Estelle suddenly turned her head. In the dim light, her beautiful eyes seemed to be filled with tears, and hidden in them were hurt and resentment, staring straight at him.
Jonathan’s heart constricted, preventing him from uttering any further unkind words.
Estelle swallowed, her voice hoarse as she spoke. “If I choose to let him toy with me, it’s my own affair. Why does it concern you, and why are you so enraged?”
