Chapter 79: Proclaiming Sovereignty
Francis pulled Jennifer into his arms and took the gift from Declan. Declan's fingers tightened, but Francis forcefully grabbed them away. "A gift for my girlfriend - I'll keep it for her. You don't need to be so formal. Why are you even kneeling on one knee?"
Someone started laughing, and others in the private room joined in with loud laughter. Declan stood up, patted his knee, and smiled. "Sorry, my foot slipped. Let me punish myself with a drink." He reached for the glass in front of Jennifer, but Francis covered it with his hand.
"She's already drunk from this one. Get another glass." Francis sneered coldly - Declan did that on purpose.
Seeing the tension between Declan and Francis, Jennifer quickly poured a fresh glass and handed it to Declan. "Thank you for the gift. Have this one."
Declan smoothly switched glasses with her, smiling brightly. "Since you poured it, of course I'll drink it." He downed it in one gulp. Someone egged Jennifer on to drink too, but she declined, saying she couldn't handle alcohol well and could only drink a little. Francis suddenly thought of something and drank from Jennifer's glass. Jennifer quietly reminded him, "Francis, I already drank from that."
"You're mine, so what's wrong with drinking from your glass?" Francis took another big sip, finishing the drink. But he didn't swallow all of it - he kept some in his mouth, lifted Jennifer's chin, and passed it to her. Jennifer couldn't swallow in time, and the pale pink liquid dripped down her chin, looking quite seductive.
Mia cheered, "You two are showing off!" Everyone joined in, with someone shouting, "Keep going, don't stop! Let me take a picture!"
Jennifer pushed Francis away. She choked a bit, and her cheeks quickly flushed red - whether from embarrassment or coughing. She glared at him, complaining, "Why are you doing this with so many people around?" Francis pulled her into his arms, his tone domineering. "You're my woman. What's there to be shy about, feeding you a drink? These are all friends - they won't post photos randomly." He glanced at Declan with a warning look.
Declan's fake smile became a bit stiff. "Francis, looks like you two are getting along well. Did you clear up that misunderstanding?" Last time in Bluebay City, Jennifer had defended him and fought with Francis. He heard Francis went on a business trip without her, so he thought they'd had a falling out, and he had a chance. He didn't expect Francis to throw Jennifer a birthday party today and deliberately kiss her in front of him, marking his territory.
Francis rolled his eyes. "Of course. There's nothing that can't be solved by sex once, and if not, then a few more times." Jennifer was so embarrassed that she couldn't lift her head, punching his chest. "Stop talking!"
Aria leaned on Eugene's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Look at them. I didn't expect Francis to be so jealous. Seems like he's really serious about Jennifer." Eugene looked at her with a half-smile. "What, are you jealous?" His gaze fell on Aria's full, red lips, and without waiting for her answer, he kissed her. Aria sank into the soft backrest, laughing while wrapping her arms around his neck to return the intense kiss. Between kisses, she touched Eugene's thin lips and said, "How could I be? I've known Francis for so long - he's not my type. I like guys like you."
Alex walked over, clapping. "Francis, I was about to win that last hand, and you suddenly ran off. Are you trying to cheat? What, worried Jennifer will run away just from talking to Declan for a bit?"
Francis waved his hand. "I clearly had the better odds. You got lucky, and you're playing innocent. Come on, let's continue."
Alex gave him a look. "Jennifer, want to join? That way, he can't cheat again."
Jennifer looked at Francis and said softly, "I'm not very good at cards. I'll just watch from the side." Francis pulled her to sit with him but let her hold the cards, teaching her as they played. Jennifer listened obediently and quickly understood the basic rules. Soon, she didn't need Francis's guidance and knew which cards to play. When their hands touched, Francis couldn't help kissing her cheek. "Pretty smart - thinking just like me."
Jennifer huffed, "What's so hard about this?"
After playing a bit longer, someone wheeled in a person-high cake. Francis threw down his cards. "Let's stop. Time to cut the cake."
The main lights went off, leaving only dim colored lights and flickering candles on the cake. Jennifer stood in front of the cake as Francis placed a diamond-studded crown on her head. "Make a wish. Even if you want the stars in the sky, I can buy them for you."
Jennifer looked at him gently and closed her eyes to make a wish. She hoped David would recover soon and their family could live happily together. She also hoped Francis would leave her life soon - they weren't from the same world. Though his promise at this moment was real, it didn't mean much. He was just good to his women, and that woman didn't have to be her. When he showed his possessiveness in front of everyone earlier, she briefly wondered if maybe he liked her. But she quickly realized - he just didn't allow others to covet his possessions. He fed her the drink in public, not caring when she choked, and said those crude things - clearly not respecting her. If he loved a woman, he would cherish her more, wouldn't he?
After blowing out the candles, Francis asked what she wished for. Jennifer only mentioned the first wish. Francis smiled. "Your dad's already out of danger. With good care, he'll recover soon. Don't you want anything else?"
Jennifer thought for a moment. "Then I wish my studio goes smoothly and has lots of customers right from opening."
"That's easy." Francis waved his hand and said loudly to everyone, "My girlfriend's planning to open a jewelry design studio. If any of you need anything, support her business."
"Sure, no problem. I'll get all my gifts for girls from her. Jennifer, what's your studio called?" someone asked enthusiastically.
Jennifer smiled shyly. "Sorry, my studio hasn't opened yet. When it does, I'll invite everyone first."
Aria chimed in, "Great! I've always heard Jennifer has good taste. When I need custom jewelry, don't complain if I'm too picky."
Jennifer smiled politely. "You're welcome anytime."
In the crowd, Jennifer noticed Mia's smile had a touch of bitterness. Looking again, Aaron wasn't by her side - she didn't know where he'd gone. She was about to go ask when several of Francis's friends stopped her to chat.