My Unborn Baby Chose My Husband for Me novel Chapter 278

Two simple words, yet they were laced with pure ice.

Terrified by the raw venom in his gaze, Melody stiffened, her fingers mechanically sliding off his sleeve.

Lucian stood up, adjusted his cuffs, and cast a dead-eyed glance over her before turning to Julian. "I'm out. Enjoy the rest of the night."

"Yeah, sure, man. Let me walk you out," Julian muttered, trailing after him.

Rooted to her seat, Melody watched his broad shoulders disappear through the doorway, the seductive smile finally shattering on her face.

She grabbed a full glass from the table and downed it in one agonizing gulp. Then she poured another and threw that back just as fast.

A guy nearby had intended to hit on her, but seeing her current state, he wisely kept his mouth shut.

Out in the quiet corridor, Julian lowered his voice. "What the hell was up with Melody tonight? Who let her in?"

"No idea," Lucian replied, not breaking his stride.

"I think she was gunning for you," Julian clicked his tongue in disbelief. "Is she completely delusional? You're married with a kid on the way, and she's still pulling this desperate act?"

Lucian remained silent, his expression stormy and grim.

Julian clapped him on the back. "Alright, man, get out of here. Don't leave your wife waiting. Next time I host, I'm personally vetting the guest list. No crazies allowed."

"Yeah," Lucian muttered, striding out of the club.

......

After Lucian left, Melody found herself entirely numb. She threw back a few more drinks before finally making up an excuse to leave.

The alcohol was hitting her hard, making her steps a little unsteady, but she forced her spine straight.

It was a habit ingrained in her since childhood—no matter the situation, she would never lose her poise.

She was a top-tier socialite, after all.

Stepping out into the night, the biting wind made her shiver. The flimsy slip dress offered zero protection against the chill. She scanned the street, planning to call a driver, only to discover her phone had died somewhere along the way.

"Dammit," she cursed under her breath.

When it rained, it poured.

The entrance to the club was dimly lit. Just as Melody turned the corner to head back inside and ask for help, a figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Looked enough, Ms. Monroe?" the man teased.

Melody's pupils constricted, the alcohol instantly burning off. "You know me?"

"The beloved heiress of the Monroe family? Who doesn't?" The man's lips curved into a smirk that was a near carbon copy of Lucian's, yet infinitely more playful. "But I doubt you know me. I'm Landon Langford. I just got back from overseas."

Landon.

Melody froze.

Of course she knew Landon—the only son of the Langford family's other branch, Lucian's cousin.

She had vaguely crossed paths with him a couple of times in the past, but he never left much of an impression.

She went abroad, he went abroad, and their circles never overlapped.

The rumors about him in high society were endless—partying, blowing cash, coasting through life as a useless playboy. None of it was flattering.

But the man standing in front of her right now didn't seem to fit those rumors at all.