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“She could be a knockout for all I care!” Xavier declared firmly, “You know my past. Do I look like someone who’d fit
in with her kind?”
“But you’ve turned your life around, Xavier,” Estelle reasoned. “As long as Norah doesn’t mind, I don’t see the
problem!”
“How could she not mind?” Xavier scoffed, shaking his head. “A pampered, pure-as-snow darling like her fall for a
guy like me? Please.”
Just seeing the shock on Norah’s face earlier was enough evidence for him. She wouldn’t accept him.
“What if she’s willing to?” Estelle probed.
Xavier was unwavering, “Even then, it’s a no-go. I have zero plans for romance or marriage. There’s no point in
leading her on. And let’s just say, for argument’s sake, if Norah and I did get together, what would I call Jonathan?
What about you? It’s a joke!”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtEstelle fell silent. She hadn’t considered that.
In the upper echelons of J City, lineage and hierarchy mattered a great deal.
For Xavier to marry, he’d have to do so as the eldest Hanson, something neither the Hansons nor the Lamonts
would ever agree to.
Estelle couldn’t help but feel a tinge of humor in the melancholy of it all.
The two of them together? It seemed a near-impossible feat.
Poor Norah. Such a catch, looking so heartbroken. Her last fling with the wrong guy, and now falling for Xavier with
no happy ending in sight.
Estelle had always hoped Xavier would find someone, settle down. But as love finally knocked, it brought along such
a twisted fate.
Xavier tilted his head back, downing a hefty gulp of his drink, his voice growing hoarser, “Tell Norah to stop coming
to the restaurant. A young girl’s fancy is fleeting. With no reciprocation, and out of sight, she’ll move on.”
After hearing about his sordid past today, Estelle doubted Norah held any illusions about him.
Estelle nodded, “Norah’s not one to beat a dead horse. If she decides to let go, she’ll do it on her own.”
“That’s for the best,” Xavier muttered, his gaze dropping.
Meanwhile, Jonathan had been keeping an eye on Estelle. Noticing her lengthy conversation with Xavier, he
approached and sat next to her, his smile easy, “What’s the topic of the hour?”
Xavier shot Estelle a look and chuckled lightly, “Just chit-chat. You two catch up. I’m going to say hi to Magdalen and
head out!”
Jonathan nodded, “Drive safe!”
“Later!” Xavier cast another glance at Estelle and left.
Jonathan lifted his hand, tenderly wiping the corner of Estelle’s mouth, his voice low, “Was Xavier looking for you for
something?”
Estelle’s mind was elsewhere, and at his voice, she looked up, “Hmm?”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“What’s on your mind?” Jonathan’s eyes, deep and intoxicating, held hers as he leaned in to steal a kiss.
The room was crowded, and Estelle dodged playfully, “Stop it, we’re not alone!”
She debated whether to tell Jonathan about Norah and Xavier, but since they had no future, it seemed pointless.
Xavier’s intentions were clear; he didn’t want her to spill the beans to Jonathan. It would only add awkwardness to
their encounters.
Magdalen and Morrison returned, rallying everyone for a game of cards.
Jonathan took Estelle’s hand, leading her to the card room with a soft voice, “Come, be my strategist.”
Estelle took one last glance back, seeing Norah sitting on the couch, her gaze lost to the doorway.
Love, when torn away, always leaves a sting. No one could truly empathize, only Norah herself could cool down,
forget with time.
As they settled into the card room, the men took their places, with Charlie offering his seat to Emily, while he played
the role of support and advisor. Magdalen sat across from Estelle, with Marina by her side.
This wasn’t just a card game among women; it was a battlefield for men.
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