Jessica had barely taken her seat at the restaurant when Drake followed, heading to the table beside theirs.
The adjacent table was occupied by a couple who had just arrived and were preparing to order.
Drake approached them and asked the man: “Would you mind giving up your table? I’m willing to pay.”
The couple exchanged glances.
The woman asked: “How much are you offering?”
Drake replied: “Would five thousand pounds be sufficient?”
The woman’s eyes widened slightly. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely.” Drake opened his phone. “Show me your payment details, and I’ll transfer it now.”
The woman’s eyes lit up as she immediately displayed her payment app.
After confirming the transaction had gone through, she happily left with her boyfriend.
Drake smiled in Jessica’s direction, pulled out a chair, and sat down, leisurely pouring himself a cup of tea.
Mason watched the entire scene in disbelief.
Did that really just work?
He glanced between Jessica and Drake.
Eventually, he moved to Drake’s table and sat across from him.
Jessica had always loved several signature dishes at Clos Maggiore.
Drake deliberately sitting next to them was clearly meant to unsettle her. In the past, when she had still cared about him, such behavior would have ruined her meal completely.
But times had changed.
She no longer cared about him.
She could perfectly well treat Drake as if he were invisible.
Jessica finished ordering and asked for a chilled drink as well.
When the drink arrived, Drake suddenly spoke up: “Your period is due soon. You shouldn’t have cold drinks.”
Jessica mentally rolled her eyes, picked up her glass, and took a few sips. Her eyes crinkled with satisfaction.
She turned to Asher and said: “It’s been ages since I’ve had this. Still tastes the same as always. Asher, would you like to try?”
When she looked at Asher, her eyes sparkled with affection, her face wearing a sweet smile that seemed to make even the air around them feel sugary.
Asher took the glass and drank from the same straw Jessica had used.
Their gestures and mannerisms were completely natural, without a hint of awkwardness.
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Seeing this, Mason understood everything.
This was clearly how Jessica and Asher normally interacted. Their affection was genuine, not some performance.
Which meant Drake was…
He glanced discreetly at the man sitting across from him.
Drake’s jaw was clenched tight, his eyes fixed intently on Jessica. His gaze contained both fury and a trace of hurt.
Yet Jessica hadn’t spared him even a sideways glance.
Drake’s knuckles had turned white as he gripped his teacup. Mason worried he might crush it at any moment.
Mason inwardly sighed.
Buddy, why are you doing this to yourself?
“Have you ordered yet?” Mason attempted to divert Drake’s attention.
But Drake seemed not to hear him, still staring at Jessica, offering no response.
Mason shook his head helplessly and took out his phone to scan the menu QR code.
Meanwhile, all of Jessica’s dishes had arrived.
Drake frowned as he spotted the seafood on their table. “Aren’t you allergic to seafood? Why are you ordering it?”
Jessica ignored him completely, savoring a prawn that Asher had peeled for her, dipping it in sauce with evident enjoyment.
Mason awkwardly cleared his throat before cautiously suggesting: “Drake, is it possible that… well… Jessica isn’t actually allergic to seafood? Maybe she only avoided ordering it when dining with you because of your allergy.”
Drake suddenly turned to him. “What did you say?”
Mason repeated himself. “Jessica isn’t allergic to seafood. When she was with you, she avoided it because of your allergy.”
“How do you know that?”
“I saw her once having dinner with colleagues. They ordered tons of seafood…”
Drake pressed his lips into a thin line, disbelief flashing in his eyes. “Really?”
Mason shrugged. “Why would I make that up?”
Drake felt a bitter ache in his heart.
He had never known this about her!
Drake watched as Jessica took a bite of seared scallop, her eyes crinkling with delight. “So I was telling you, I received the favorable verdict yesterday. It was such a complex case–the evidence alone filled more than five hundred pages.”
Asher listened attentively, his hands busy preparing a lobster tail for her, his expression gentle. “What type of case was it?”
“A defamation lawsuit. We represented the plaintiff,” Jessica took a sip of her drink. “Asher, you wouldn’t believe how difficult it was to gather evidence. The client’s initial documentation was woefully incomplete. I spent over a month helping them collect everything wę needed.”
“Over a month? Wasn’t that right before our engagement?” Asher placed the perfectly prepared lobster.on Jessica’s plate. “That must
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have been exhausting.”
“Yes, exactly during that time,” Jessica added a touch of drawn butter. “It was somewhat tring, but receiving the favorable verdiet. made all the effort worthwhile.”
Her face brightened as she took out her phone. “Oh, by the way, my client presented me with a thank you plaque. Look
Jessica enthusiastically opened her photo gallery, scrolling to find pictures of the plaque, her eyes sparkling. “Its the first time ve ever received one from a client.”
She looked as delighted as a child who had received a gold star in nursery school, her clear, beautiful eyes shining as she awaited praise.
Asher gazed at her with undisguised affection, his deep voice warm with tenderness. “My brilliant barrister, aren’t you remarkable?
“Oh, stop,” Jessica’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “I’m only moderately impressive.”
Drake watched this exchange with a tightness in his chest, his back stiffening.
He had previously assumed theirs was merely a business arrangement–a marriage of convenience without genuine feeling. He had believed that if he changed his ways, he would still have a good chance of winning Jessica back.
But now, he realized how wrong he’d been.
They were completely like a couple deeply in love!
Back in New York, Jessica had sometimes shared details about her work with him too.
At the time, he had found it amusing.
He had told her that her entire month’s salary as a lawyer was less than what he spent on a single dinner and drinks with friends.
Little had he known that she came from enormous wealth and had chosen to work simply to experience life and realize her own
value!
When Jessica spoke to Asher about her work, her eyes shone brilliantly, as if her entire being radiated an alluring light, like a dazzling jewel–she seemed completely transformed.
Unfortunately, this jewel was no longer his.
Watching Jessica and Asher’s intimate conversation, seeing them so comfortable and happy together, Drake was consumed with
jealousy.
These everyday moments–she should have been sharing them with him!
Her joys and sorrows should only be shared with him.
He suddenly regretted coming over.
He had originally intended to interfere, to disturb Asher’s composure and damage their relationship.
Instead, he was the one whose composure had been shattered!
Witnessing the woman he loved being affectionate with someone else filled him with bitterness, his heart physically aching with
each beat.
The server finished bringing their dishes.
As Mason picked up his fork, preparing to eat, the man sitting across from him suddenly stood up with a harsh scraping sound.
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The chair dragged across the floor tiles, creating a jarring noise.
Other diners in the restaurant turned to look.
Drake walked away without looking back.
Even from behind, his fury was palpable.
In the end, Drake was the one who couldn’t bear it any longer.
Mason sighed, cutting into his Dover sole, muttering to himself: “Well, I’m still going to eat. Been starving all afternoon…”
Drake returned to the car and lit a cigarette.
As evening fell, the neon lights outside the window began to twinkle enchantingly.
Inside the car, smoke swirled around him.
Drake hazily recalled dining with Jessica in the past, when she would always sit across from him.
He had never thought anything of it at the time.
But today, he had seen her sitting on the same side of the table as Asher.
The table wasn’t large.
Two people sitting on the same side made it somewhat cramped.
Yet despite this, she had chosen to sit beside him rather than across.
He had even noticed Jessica resting one hand casually on Asher’s forearm.
Such an intimate gesture–something she had never done with him during their time together.
Drake tormented himself by replaying these images over and over, until the cigarette burned down to his fingertips, scalding him and finally pulling him from his reverie.
He took out his phone and sent a message:
[I’m in. Let’s do this. -Drake Ashcroft]
