You Had Me, You Lost Me, You'll Never Find Me novel Chapter 124

Her panic was so overwhelming that she completely forgot to answer Julian. He gently repeated, "Are you feeling unwell? It's really fine if we leave now."

Because he was leaning close, she caught the faint, crisp scent of alcohol on him. Seeing the genuine concern in his eyes, Sylvia forced a weak smile. "I'm okay."

She had a terrible premonition that if she walked out right now, Ashton would lose his mind and cause a massive scene.

Across the room, Ashton had become the absolute center of attention.

Tristan gripped his shoulders, shaking him. "Spill it! Come on!"

Biting down on an unlit cigarette, Ashton raised a single eyebrow, casually brushing Tristan's hands off before delivering his answer.

"The day before yesterday."

His posture was incredibly relaxed, his tone light, but there wasn't a hint of a joke in his eyes.

Reina's face instantly drained of color. The day before yesterday was Ashton's birthday.

She had assumed he would be at the Wyatt estate for a family dinner and had gone out of her way to bring him a gift. But he never showed up.

Harrison and Eleanor Wyatt had called him, but Ashton simply claimed he was busy with business. When they pressed Gideon Cole, the assistant kept his mouth shut, well aware of the brutal consequences Finley Harris had faced for talking.

Reina had left the gift and gone home without seeing him.

She hadn't expected him to be spending his birthday with another woman. She bit the inside of her lip, unable to utter a single word. Her mind was a chaotic mess, and a sudden wave of sharp grievances made her want to run to her brother Ryan and cry her eyes out.

But she had to maintain her elegant facade, acting as if she had been perfectly aware of his schedule the entire time.

Catching the ugly shift in Reina's expression, Luke quickly tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.

On the other side of the room, Sylvia let out a shaky breath and turned to Julian. "Can we leave now?"

As Julian stood up, a wave of dizziness hit him. He pulled off his wire-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. Sylvia immediately supported his arm. "Can you walk?"

Julian offered a reassuring smile. "I'm fine."

He nodded to the rest of the room. "It's getting late. We're going to head out. Enjoy the rest of the night."

In bed, of course.

Anyone who knew Ashton even a little understood the heavy, arrogant subtext. But for an ex-boyfriend to call his ex 'obedient' directly to the new fiancé's face was aggressively disrespectful.

Before Luke could even attempt to smooth things over, Ashton lazily added, "She's very attentive to you."

Luke forced out a hollow, desperate laugh. "Man, you really need to finish your sentences faster."

Without that second half, it sounded like a declaration of war.

Desperate to break the tension, Luke pivoted. "Julian, how about I have someone drive you guys back?"

Julian was a bit slow from the alcohol, but he wasn't stupid. He easily caught the disrespectful undertone in Ashton's comment. "Since she is my fiancée, much like you and Reina, we will be married. I think it's best to maintain an appropriate level of respect."

He gave Luke a brief nod. "Someone is already waiting outside for us. No need to trouble yourself."

With that, he guided Sylvia out the door.