Chapter 37 Cold again?

Chapter 37 Cold again?
Lilith’s POV
I gulped as I took a sip of my wine and tried to act like I wasn’t freaking out.
Poppy already blended with the crowd and all that was left was I and Jayden with his strong arm around my waist.
"Keep it together," Jayden hissed, when my smile probably looked too fake. A few people were throwing glances our way so Jayden was trying to make sure that everything was in order. He didn't loosen his grip. If anything, he pulled me closer. To any onlooker, we were the picture of a devoted couple sharing an intimate moment.
Jayden turned, pulling me with him as he walked to the previous spot he had left me before I tried to go to the balcony. I was still reeling from the encounter with Poppy when I saw someone approach us and it was no other person but Derek.
Can the night get any worse?
"Jayden! There you are," Derek said, clapping a hand on Jayden’s shoulder jovially like they were very good friends, which they’re not.
He threw a small glance my way and gave me a polite nod before giving his attention to Jayden once again. It felt as though he was avoiding me but I couldn’t care less.
“I didn’t think you would come,” Jayden said casually.
“Oh my, I cannot miss this gathering for anything in the world,” he joked. Jayden smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. Derek however didn’t seem to notice as he continued talking.
“I was just telling the board members about the new acquisition in Dubai. The logistics are a nightmare, honestly. Did you hear about the shipping delays at the port? Absolute chaos."
The conversation went on from there while I just stood, feeling out of place and kind of tense because even after Derek apologized, I still couldn’t feel free around him, not when he keeps throwing subtle glances my way. He talked about stocks and the quality of the vintage champagne being served at some point. I was lost between their foreign words but I didn’t dare say a thing. One thing however that caught my attention was the fact that even though Jayden looked pretty relaxed, none of his smiles reached his eyes.
"Anyway, duty calls," Derek said with a small wave of his hand as if he was done talking to him. Derek didn’t bother in the slightest. Instead, he nodded. "Don't stay too long, Jayden. You know how these things get after midnight."
After he left, I dared to relax a bit and enjoy the night. The rest of the night passed in a blur of forced smiles and meaningless conversations. At least to me, it was.
Every time I looked toward the bar or the dance floor, I expected to see Poppy’s judgmental glare, but he was gone. My heart however remained trapped in that moment of confrontation. I felt truly happy and grateful that Jayden came to my rescue because I would have definitely blown the whole thing up.
When it was finally time to leave, I was the happiest. Our car was already waiting for us as we stepped out so all that was left was for us to get into the car and be driven home.
The drive was filled with a suffocating silence as none of us had anything to say. As we drove, the incident kept flashing in my mind as I remembered just how well Jayden had stopped the whole thing from escalating.
I was scared, angry, and sad but I was also grateful that he helped me and now he wasn’t nagging my head off. I kept stealing glances at Jayden with his side profile as cold as ever.
When the car finally pulled to a stop in front of the mansion, I couldn't hold it anymore. I needed to tell him just how grateful I was that he stepped up for me. It was a tough act but I was willing to try. So with a deep breath, I began to speak.
"Jayden," I whispered, but loud enough for him to hear. "Thank you for what you did back there... with Poppy. You didn't have to help me, but you did. It meant a lot."
There was a moment of silence as I waited for him to say something or anything at all but I watched as the driver got out of the car before he finally let out a few words, with his face still peeled on nothing.
"Don't flatter yourself, Celine," he said, his voice sounding so cold and distant that I felt a dull ache in my heart. "I didn't do it for you."
The gratitude died in my throat. "What?"
"You are a reflection of my brand," he continued, finally turning his head to look at me. There was no warmth in his gaze, only a sharp, irritated look like I was a disappointment. He wasn’t done. "If you look like a fool, I look like a fool. If some low-life harasses my wife in public, it makes me look weak. I was protecting my reputation, not your feelings."
His words were true but kind of hard. “I just thought—”
"That’s your problem. You think too much," he interrupted, his lip curling in a sneer. "Let’s be very clear so we don’t have a repeat of this embarrassing moment you’ve created for yourself. I don't care about you, neither do I care about your past, your tears, or your pathetic run ins with former lovers. This is business. You are an investment, and tonight, I was simply protecting my assets."
My brain didn’t seem to work for a second at his words. I never did wrong, I simply wanted to appreciate his effort to keep me safe. Why does he have to do this always?
“Jayden—”
"Get out," he commanded softly, meeting my eyes.
“Why do you have to be like this?” I asked as so many emotions filled me. “I was only trying to show some appreciation,” I said, like he didn’t know what I meant already.
“I said, get out of my car,” he repeated coldly.