LOGINThe sudden stop threw Christian and Nancy forward against their seatbelts. The screech of tires cut through the intersection loud enough to turn heads.Three men standing together near the curb all looked over at the same time.The one in front pinched out his cigarette and flicked it neatly into a trash can. Every motion was smooth and unhurried.Quentin strolled over to the edge of the road and stopped about 15 feet from Christian's car. With his arms folded and a grin stretching from ear to ear, he leaned in just enough to be heard."Mr. Lane, what a coincidence. That's twice tonight. Driving a little distracted, aren't we? Something on your mind? You really should be more careful."Lucas and Seamus spotted Christian's car and followed Quentin to the curb.The moment Quentin finished speaking, Lucas jumped right in. "Seriously, though, Mr. Lane. Our boy Quentin's looking out for you here. If you get banged up, that's one thing, but you've got a beautiful woman in that passenge
The wineglass exploded against the wall with a sharp crack that made William flinch. The two other men at the table kept their heads down, neither of them willing to get caught in the crossfire.William slowly lifted his gaze to meet Christian's. "I don't mean anything by it."His detached, indifferent tone only made Christian angrier. "If you don't want to celebrate your birthday, then you can get the hell out, too."William didn't hesitate. He stood, grabbed his jacket, and draped it over his arm.He looked at Christian one last time. "Yeah. I probably should."Then he turned to the other two men and said, "Let's go."They practically leapt out of their chairs, grateful for the excuse, and all but fled the room.William walked out without looking back. As he stormed through the door, he slammed it shut behind him hard enough to rattle the frame.Nancy's heart jumped at the sound.In the very next second, Christian grabbed the bottle of red wine off the table and smashed it a
Julian's eyes darted away. He glanced at Nancy almost involuntarily, then rushed to explain himself. "I wasn't ignoring it. I just hadn't gotten the chance to say anything yet. You walked in before I could."That only made Christian laugh, though there was nothing funny about it. "Hadn't gotten the chance? Or just didn't want to bother?"Julian's temper flared. "What are you trying to say, Chris? What exactly is your point?"Christian didn't answer him. Instead, he turned to look at Nancy, and in one swift motion, he pulled her into his arms.Then he looked back at Julian. His gaze was glacial, and his voice dripped with contempt. "That's my point."Julian opened his mouth, but Christian cut him off before he could get a single word out. "You don't even have the right to stand in front of her anymore. You never deserved to."Something shifted in Julian. The anger drained from his face, replaced by an unsettling calm. "If you really care about her, then treat her like she matters
Christian waited outside the door for what felt like an eternity, but not once did he hear Julian speak up in Nancy's defense.Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He kicked the door open.The violent crash silenced the entire room. Everyone inside froze, startled by the sudden intrusion, and when they turned to see who was standing in the doorway, a wave of collective guilt rippled through them.Nancy could sense the rage radiating off Christian in waves. She instinctively reached for his arm, hoping to keep him from causing a scene.But he didn't storm inside the way she'd expected. He didn't flip the table or start throwing punches. He just stood in the doorway, his face carved from stone, not a trace of warmth anywhere on it.He wasn't shouting, but the cold fury rolling off him was impossible to miss. Everyone in the room could feel it settling over them like frost.When he finally stepped inside, he caught Nancy's hand and laced his fingers through hers. They walked in tog
Quentin had been watching Christian's side the whole time, so the instant Nancy looked his way, he caught it."Ms. York, staring at me like that might give Mr. Lane the wrong idea."The bluntness of his words rattled Nancy. She panicked for a split second and quickly looked away.Christian turned and glanced at her, but all he saw was Nancy gazing out the opposite window. When he looked back at Quentin, he couldn't help but sneer. "Mr. Henderson, you really do have an overactive imagination."Quentin smiled at him. "Whether it's my imagination or not, you'd have to ask Ms. York."The light turned green. Christian didn't bother responding. He simply hit the gas and pulled away.Quentin was still waiting for the left-turn signal.As he rolled his window back up, he studied Talia's expression. She looked completely unbothered, not a ripple of emotion on her face. He couldn't help but smile.Talia heard the quiet laugh. "What's so funny?""Nothing," Quentin said. "I'm just happy."
The thought brought a fresh sting to Talia's eyes, and before she could stop it, they were brimming again. Quentin saw the tears and immediately assumed his little tough-guy act had upset her.He grabbed her hand in a panic. "Talia, okay, I admit it. That was stupid of me, trying to act all brave in front of you. But come on, what guy isn't scared of his wife's older brother?"That startled a laugh out of her.The sound of it visibly relaxed him. He pulled her into his arms and softly said, "You must've been worried sick."Talia pressed her cheek against his chest. "Not really."His voice rumbled low near her ear. "I heard you went to see Christian last night. I'm guessing that didn't go well."Talia smiled bitterly. "I'm used to it."Quentin's arms tightened around her, and his voice turned dead serious. "No matter what happens from now on, don't ever go to him again. He's not worth it."Talia nodded, her voice catching. "Okay. I'll remember."He held her a while longer, clea
Nancy held Yvonne and rubbed her little cheek affectionately. "It's all my fault. I made you sick."Yvonne shook her head. "No, it's not! It's because I don't have good immunity."Nancy's eyes reddened, her tone full of guilt. "If I'd known you'd get sick, I never would have let you come to the ho
Garrett stood at the top of the stairs holding his laptop bag, watching as Quentin carried Talia away. The accusatory words on the tip of his tongue died when he saw how flushed Talia's face was.Quentin ran into Paige, who had just come back, as he descended the stairs. Even while carrying Talia,
That evening, Talia worked an extra half hour. When she left the hospital, a colleague asked her to go out for dinner.After eating and returning to the Stewart residence, it was already 11:00 pm. Since leaving the hospital where Yvonne was staying that morning, Christian hadn't called Talia once.
Talia released Franklin's arm. After Christian helped him walk away, she turned to Henry and said, "Henry, don't take Franklin's words to heart. Just be yourself."Henry understood that Franklin was trying to humiliate him, and that he was deliberately tempting him with what seemed like the easiest







