Chapter 0065
Ethan nodded, his eyes dark and full of barely contained rage. His anger was palpable, but he bit his tongue.
“Yes, Alpha,” he rasped, his voice laced with restraint.
He quickly left the parlor and headed toward the kitchen, leaving me alone with Judy. She stood her ground, her eyes locking with mine as if searching for something… but I wasn’t sure what.
“Are you proud of yourself?” I asked, my voice dripping with disgust. I couldn’t help it. Seeing her with Ethan, even in a situation like this, made something dark rise in me. “Was that your goal? To prove that you still had him in the palm of your hand?”
She blinked at me, clearly stunned by my accusation.
“Are you serious?” She raised her brows, incredulous. “I didn’t ask for that to happen. He attacked me; he kept me pressed against the wall despite my efforts to get him to release me. He wouldn’t let me go.”
“And you expect me to believe that?” I shook my head, my voice cutting through the space between us like a blade. “It seems every time I turn my back, you and Ethan find your way back to each other. Is that a coincidence?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she stared me down, unwavering.
“I didn’t ask for that to happen, nor did I want it to happen,” she said slowly, each word deliberate. “But you can think what you want.”
She started to walk away, but I grabbed her arm before she could escape.
“We aren’t done here—” I began, my words cold and sharp.
Just as I was about to say more, the door swung open, and Irene walked in with Ethan and Matt right behind her. She paused, taking in the scene before her, her eyes flickering between me and Judy. The moment her gaze landed on my hand still wrapped around Judy’s forearm, she frowned, clearly sensing something was off.
“Am I interrupting something?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
I released Judy’s arm immediately, as if she had burned me, and took a step back, my heart hammering in my chest.
“No,” I said sharply, my tone much colder than I intended. “We were just talking. Is everything okay?”
Irene bit her lip and then nodded, her expression softening.
“The dinner was burnt pretty badly,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “The maids said they can cook another meal for us, but it’ll take some time to prepare.”
“Tell them not to bother,” I said quickly. “We can just go out to dinner tonight.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she glanced over her shoulder at Matt, who was practically bouncing with excitement.
“Like a family dinner?” Matt asked, his voice bubbling with enthusiasm.
I nodded. It had been a while since I had taken my family out for a meal in public. It would be a nice change. And I suppose, by default, I’d have to take Ethan as well.
“That’s a great idea,” Irene said with a sweet smile, her eyes twinkling. “Judy, you should come too. You haven’t eaten all day, and you must be hungry.”
Judy frowned as she looked at each of us, but we all stared back at her, waiting for her response. I knew she would try to get out of it. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck at a dinner table with the Landry family and her ex.
“No, it—” she began, but I cut her off before she could decline.
“Yes, Judy will come along as well,” I said firmly, giving her no room to argue. Judy gawked at me, clearly stunned.
“I should be getting home…” she started to protest.
“You need to eat,” I told her firmly, not giving in. “It’s just dinner, Judy.”
She hesitated, as if she wanted to argue further, but before she could, Matt eagerly ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her legs. He immediately started babbling excitedly about how much he was looking forward to the outing.
In the end, she relented.
We went to an Italian restaurant in the Silver Crescent pack. Irene had given Judy one of her dresses to wear so she wouldn’t be underdressed. As soon as she walked in, I couldn’t help but notice how stunning she looked. The dress clung to her body in all the right places, and her long, slender legs seemed to go on forever. She leaned forward in her seat, and my eyes were drawn to the curve of her cleavage, which almost spilled out of the gown. I swallowed hard, my throat tight with frustration.
She was seated beside me, and Matt was on the other side of me. Irene and Ethan were seated across from us, with Ethan directly in front of Judy. I couldn’t help but notice him glancing in her direction periodically. Judy did her best to avoid his gaze, but I could see the tension in her body. It was clear that something was unresolved between the two of them.
Irene, blissfully unaware of the undercurrent of tension, continued to sip her wine and nibble on breadsticks while listening to Matt enthusiastically recount his sparring practice with Judy.
The waiter arrived with our meals, cutting Matt off mid-sentence.
Judy slowly started eating her chicken parm, and the soft moan she let out as she tasted the food sent an unexpected rush of heat through me. Damn her. I cursed under my breath.
“Dad, are you okay?” Irene asked from across the table, her brow furrowing with concern. “You seem off.”
I forced a smile, trying to mask the discomfort gnawing at me. “I’m fine. Just eat your food.”
She studied me for a moment but was soon distracted by Ethan feeding her a meatball. She smiled at him and bit into it, giggling as sauce splattered on her cheek. Ethan wiped it off with his finger and then licked it clean.
I glanced at Judy, who was watching them, her jaw set tight. The jealousy was evident in the way her eyes flickered toward Irene and Ethan, but she said nothing.
Unable to resist, I leaned toward her and whispered, “Don’t they make such a nice couple? Let’s not ruin it for them, okay?”
I could see her grip on the fork tighten, and her lips pressed into a thin line. The tension between us was palpable, and I could feel the storm brewing, but for now, we both had to endure it.
