Chapter 176: His Jealousy

"If it's business, you can reach out to the person in charge at Lopez Corporation. I've resigned." Jocelyn paused, meeting his gaze. "And if it's personal... we don't have anything personal to discuss."

Raymond's eyes stayed on her face for a long moment before he spoke, his voice rougher than usual. "Does it have to be like this? You won't even talk to me?"

She looked back at him steadily, her tone flat. "What exactly do you want from me?"

His gaze darkened.

She'd left Lopez Corporation.

Why?

She'd been doing well there—hadn't she?

"Why did you resign?"

Just as Jocelyn turned to go inside, Raymond grabbed her wrist, anger barely restrained in his voice.

She stopped mid-step and glanced down at his hand, then up at him with a frown. "Mr. Murphy, have you been drinking?"

He didn't let go. If anything, his grip tightened.

He stared at her, his voice tight. "I asked you why you resigned."

Jocelyn caught the demand in his tone and let out a short laugh. "Raymond, my resignation is my business. What does it have to do with you?"

She honestly couldn't figure out what standing he thought he had to care about her decisions.

She tried to pull her wrist free, but he only held on harder.

"Allen comes back to the country and suddenly you quit—are you planning to marry him?"

Jocelyn froze for a second. Then a smile tugged at her lips, sharp with mockery.

"What if I am? What if I'm not?" She tilted her head, her voice light. "How is that any of your concern?"

Her words only fueled his frustration. He took a breath to steady himself, stepped closer, and braced his other hand against the door, trapping her.

He looked down at her, something fierce and tangled moving in his eyes. "How is it not my concern? Simon is my son too. If you're going to give him a stepfather, that has everything to do with me."

Jocelyn blinked, caught off guard by the sudden intensity. Then she laughed—cold and cutting.

She pressed her hand against his chest and shoved him back. "That's rich, Raymond. So when you give Simon a stepmother, does that concern me too?"

He stumbled slightly but didn't move away.

He opened his mouth. Closed it. Said nothing.

Jocelyn took advantage of his hesitation and twisted her wrist free.

She stepped back, crossed her arms, and looked at him coolly. "You and Nora have been parading your relationship all over town, and I haven't said a word. But now that it's my turn, suddenly you have opinions?"

Raymond's expression darkened, his brow furrowing deeper. "What I have with Nora—it's not what you think."

The smile dropped from Jocelyn's face. Her eyes went cold, and the anger she'd been holding back flared up all at once.

"Not what I think? Then what is it?"

Her eyes were reddening now, her voice sharp and deliberate. "You mean when you flew overseas to be with her while we were still married? Or when you let me become the laughingstock of every social circle—when people said I forced you to marry me and ruined your chance to be with your first love?"

Raymond's face went pale. "Jocelyn—"

"Or maybe," she cut him off, her voice colder still, "you mean every single time I needed you, and you were with her instead."

His throat tightened. He couldn't get a word out.

Jocelyn looked at him—silent, stuck—and a bitter smile curved her lips.

Her voice dropped, distant and detached. "I don't think I've misunderstood anything about you and Nora. And I have no idea why you came here tonight to say these ridiculous things to me. But do me a favor—don't waste my time with this nonsense again."

With that, she turned and walked inside. Raymond reached out instinctively to stop her, but she shoved his hand away and shut the door in his face.

One door. Two separate worlds.

Two days later, Jocelyn and Simon packed up and moved back into Ross Villa. She'd already scheduled a housewarming dinner.

The guest list was small—just a few close friends.

Charles arrived first. Simon lit up the moment he saw him and dragged him inside to play video games before Charles could even finish greeting Jocelyn.

Not long after, two more guests arrived—Allen and Raymond, showing up at the exact same time.

Jocelyn hadn't wanted to invite Raymond. But Ross Corporation had ongoing business ties with Murphy Corporation, and if she was going to rebuild the company, she couldn't afford to cut those connections. So she'd sent him an invitation.

Inside the living room, Simon was sprawled on the floor with a controller in hand, Charles sitting beside him. The two of them were laughing, Simon leaning into Charles's shoulder, completely at ease.

Raymond stepped into the room and stopped cold.

His gaze locked on them. His pupils contracted slightly.

Who was this man? And why was Simon so comfortable with him?

Simon looked... happy. Really happy.

Allen noticed the scene too, though his expression stayed neutral. He walked over and sat on the side couch, giving Charles a polite nod.

He'd been in regular contact with Simon lately. The kid had mentioned Charles more than once.

Jocelyn was still busy greeting other guests. Raymond glanced at her, then sat down next to Allen.

His eyes stayed fixed on the man and boy on the floor. His voice came out low and tight. "Who is that?"

Allen looked up at him, then followed his gaze to Charles.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he smiled faintly, a trace of amusement in his tone. "Why are you so interested in someone else's guest? Charles is Jocelyn's friend. Simon likes him. That's all that matters."

He paused, then turned to look at Raymond directly, his expression edged with mockery. "Though I'm not sure why you think it's any of your business."

Raymond's jaw tightened, irritation simmering just beneath the surface.

Allen acted like he hadn't noticed. He continued, his tone casual. "Instead of worrying about other people's private lives, maybe you should focus on your fiancée. I heard Nora's trending again—something about tax evasion? That's a pretty big mess. How are you planning to clean it up?"

Someone had reported Nora recently, and the authorities had launched an investigation. Turns out she had been dodging taxes. The story had been all over social media for days.

Raymond turned his head and stared at him. He forced the frustration down, narrowed his eyes, and said in a low voice, "Weren't you supposed to be marrying Jocelyn? But here you are, watching some guy get cozy with Simon, and you don't seem bothered at all. That's... generous of you."