Chapter 21 All Misunderstandings
Sloane's POV
The door was shoved open, and my frozen figure was exposed to everyone in the private room without any warning.
The two people cuddling on the sofa froze, both turning to look at the door.
The moment they spotted me, Keira's sweet smile vanished and Jared's face went rigid. He instinctively pushed her away, almost shoving her out of his arms.
The movement was quick and rough, without a trace of tenderness.
Keira cried out, tumbling awkwardly onto the sofa. The unfinished glass of red wine in her hand spilled all over her expensive white dress, spreading into a large, glaring red stain that looked like mottled bloodstains.
"Sloane..." Jared jumped to his feet.
Keira was stunned from being pushed, but her reaction was quick.
Her eyes instantly reddened. She bit her lip pitifully, looking at Jared with red-rimmed eyes, then glancing timidly at me.
As if to say I was the villain who had interrupted their good time.
Jared and Alger walked quickly toward me.
"Sloane, let me explain..." Jared tried to grab my hand.
But Alger was faster. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the room, pushing me down in the empty seat between Keira and Jared—effectively separating them.
"Sloane, don't be angry. This is a misunderstanding," Alger said while giving me meaningful looks.
I watched this ridiculous scene unfold before me, looking at Jared's handsome face full of panic, and felt nothing but irony.
I didn't even have the energy to be angry anymore—just a numb, sick feeling of being played for a fool.
"It's not what you think," Jared sat beside me, his body tense like a drawn bow, explaining urgently. "Keira, she..."
"No need to explain." I cut him off, my voice calm without a ripple. I didn't want to look at him or listen to his pale excuses.
My reaction clearly caught him off guard. He was left speechless, his handsome face looking somewhat lost in the dim light.
"Jared, you and Sloane have a good talk." Alger couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and grabbed Keira, who was still playing the victim on the sofa. "I'll take her back first."
"Alger, let go of me!" Keira struggled, but her eyes stayed locked on Jared. Tears fell on cue. "Jared, my foot hurts. Can you take me to the hospital? I think I twisted it just now..."
As she spoke, her body went limp and she started to fall. Her knee slammed into the sharp corner of the coffee table with a sickening thud. She let out a pained cry and crumpled to the floor.
Here we go again.
I watched her terrible acting and sneered inwardly.
Suicide one second, playing the victim the next—she never got tired of performing, and people never got tired of watching.
Sure enough, Jared's expression changed, and he immediately moved to help her up.
"Sit the hell down!" But Alger kicked the coffee table with a loud bang. He pointed at Keira on the floor and finally lost his temper, cursing. "Keira, have you had enough? Aren't you tired of these three-year-old tricks? You just want Jared to take you to the hospital, right? Fine, I'll make it happen today!"
With that, under the shocked gazes of Keira and Jared, Alger bent down and hoisted the still-crying Keira up like a sack of potatoes, throwing her over his shoulder and striding toward the door.
"Alger, you maniac! Put me down!" Keira was terrified by his rough handling, screaming and pounding on his back.
Alger ignored her, only leaving behind. "Jared, I'm taking her to the hospital for a full checkup. You and your Sloane have a good talk!"
The room instantly fell silent, leaving only Jared and me.
The air still carried the sickly sweet scent of Keira's perfume, mixed with the smell of wine and food—nauseating.
I could still see it all playing out in front of me. Alger carrying Keira away, his parting words—"you and your Sloane have a good talk"—felt like a slap in the face.
Talk about what? About how he apologized to me while playing out romantic scenes with his first love here?
I picked up the cold drink in front of me and took another gulp. My stomach burned uncomfortably, but I needed that sharp pain to stay clear-headed.
"Sloane." Jared finally spoke, his voice terribly hoarse. He sat beside me, his body rigid as stone. "It's not what you saw. Alger, he..."
"Alger said you were cornered by someone," I put down my glass and looked at him calmly. "He said you were in trouble and told me to come save you."
My voice had no inflection, as if I were talking about something completely unrelated to me.
Jared's face turned extremely ugly in an instant. He probably hadn't expected Alger to use such a clumsy excuse.
He opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing, but couldn't get a single word of explanation out.
The panic and helplessness in his eyes were so obvious, but looking at him, I only felt tired.
Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open again. Alger returned, his face dark as he said to Jared, "You'd better come yourself. That woman is crying and threatening to jump out of the car. I'm about to lose my mind."
Hearing this, Jared practically sprang up from the sofa.
Without even glancing at me, he strode toward the door. As he passed Alger, he paused for a moment and said without looking back. "You take Sloane home."
He walked away without a backward glance. Something inside me broke—a crushing weight settled on my chest, making every breath feel impossible.
So that's how it was. When it came down to choosing between Keira and me, it would always be her.
Even knowing it was a setup, even seeing right through her act—he'd still drop everything and run to her side.
And me? I'd always be the one standing there, watching him go.
Alger probably thought Jared's words were too much too. He frowned, wanting to say something, but in the end just sighed.
I stood up, grabbed my bag, my face expressionless.
As I reached the door, I saw Jared already supporting Keira from outside.
Keira leaned against him limply, standing on her tiptoes, looking like she might collapse at any moment.
The instant she turned around in Jared's arms, she looked at me over his shoulder.
The look she gave me was pure poison—smug, triumphant, and cruel. It said everything without words: See that? No matter what you do, he'll always come running back to me. He's mine, and you're nothing.
All the blood in my body seemed to freeze in that moment.
A huge sense of humiliation and helplessness drowned me like a tide. I couldn't stay there another second. I turned and left, just wanting to escape this suffocating place immediately.
"Sloane!" Alger chased after me and caught up with me at the elevator.