Chapter 96 Jealousy break
Margaret looked up, confused.
Lucas closed his eyes for a second before turning.
Alex stood there in a charming dark suit, expression calm but eyes burning with something far more dangerous than anger.
“Sir?” Margaret said, startled. “What are you doing here?”
Alex’s gaze never left Lucas.
“I could ask the same,” he replied smoothly.
Silence fell over the table.
Lucas rose slowly to his feet, jaw tight. “What are you doing here, Alex?”
Alex stepped closer, hands sliding casually into his pockets. “Dinner, of course.”
Margaret blinked. “Alone?”
A faint smirk tugged at his lips. “Not necessarily.” His eyes locked onto Lucas’s like a battle.
The silence at the table thickened.
Margaret looked from Alex to Lucas, confusion flickering across her face. “Sir… I didn’t know you had a reservation here.”
Alex’s gaze never left Lucas. “I didn’t.”
Lucas’s jaw tightened. “Then why are you here?”
Alex stepped closer to the table, voice calm but edged with steel. “To eat, of course.”
Margaret laughed nervously. “Well, you’re welcome to join us if you’d like.”
Lucas shot her a look but Alex ignored him, pulled out the empty chair beside Lucas without asking, and sat down.
The waiter hovered awkwardly before retreating. Margaret tried to recover the mood. “So, Lucas was just telling me that people change.”
Alex’s lips curved slightly. “Do they?”
Lucas felt the heat rising up his neck as he slowly settled back in his seat. “Yes. They do.”
Margaret, determined not to be invisible, reached across the table and placed her hand gently over Lucas’s.
“I’m glad you asked me out,” she said softly. “I’ve actually liked you for a while.”
The contact was intentional and lingering and Alex saw it.
Suddenly, something snapped. His fingers tightened around his glass until his knuckles turned white. The calm mask cracked for a fraction of a second, revealing something raw and possessive underneath.
Lucas felt the tension radiating beside him. He didn’t pull his hand away immediately. He let it sit there. Margaret’s thumb brushed lightly over his skin.
Alex couldn't bear it anymore, so he leaned forward slowly.
“Margaret,” he said evenly, “don’t you think you’re being too forward?”
She blinked. “It’s a date.”
“Is it?” His eyes shifted to Lucas. “Sweetheart, is this what you want?”
Lucas swallowed. His heart was pounding so loudly he was sure they could both hear it. “Yes,” he said, forcing the word out.
Margaret smiled triumphantly.
Alex stood abruptly. The chair scraped harshly against the floor, drawing a few glances from nearby tables.
“Excuse us,” he said, but it wasn’t a request.
He grabbed Lucas’s wrist though not violently, but firmly enough to make a point.
“Let go of my hand,” Lucas hissed under his breath.
“Come on baby, a little chat outside, now.”
Margaret rose halfway. “Sir, this is inappropriate. You…”
Alex’s voice dropped to something dangerously quiet. “Stay out of this, Margaret.”
Lucas pulled his hand free. “Stop controlling me!”
“Then stop pretending and behaving like a child!” Alex shot back.
The entire restaurant felt like it had gone silent. Lucas stood up, face flushed with anger and something else. “I’m not pretending.”
“You’re sitting here letting her touch you just to hurt me.”
“And it’s working, isn’t it?” Lucas fired back.
That did it. Alex stepped closer, invading his space, eyes dark with jealousy and frustration. “You know watching another woman’s hand on you will drive me insane and you allowed it. What are you trying to prove, hmm?”
Lucas’s breath caught.
Margaret whispered, “Lucas, what is he talking about?”
But neither of them answered her question.
Alex’s voice softened suddenly, but it trembled. “I’m losing my mind, Lucas. Seeing you behaving like this. Pulling away from me and smiling at others.”
“You don’t get to act jealous,” Lucas snapped. “You chained me with a contract!”
“And you think I did that because I don’t care?” Alex’s voice broke slightly. “I did it because I was scared. I did it because I didn't want you away from me.”
The confession hung between them. Margaret stepped back slowly, realization dawning on her face. “Oh my God…”
Lucas stared at Alex, stunned.
“You don’t get to show up here and ruin this,” Lucas said, but the fire in his voice was weakening.
Alex’s eyes dropped briefly to Lucas’s lips. And before logic could intervene, before pride could stop him, he grabbed Lucas by the collar and pulled him forward.
Their lips crashed together. It wasn't gentle, it wasn't soft. It was anger and longing from three days of silence exploding at once.
Gasps rippled through the restaurant. Margaret covered her mouth in shock.
Lucas froze for half a second before his hands fisted in Alex’s jacket. He kissed him back.
When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing hard.
Alex rested his forehead briefly against Lucas’s. “You’re mine,” he whispered hoarsely.
Lucas’s eyes were glassy, conflicted, furious, and undeniably affected.
“You don’t own me,” Lucas whispered and stepped back.
The space between them returned, but the heat didn’t change.
Margaret was already on her feet. “This is insane,” she breathed, face pale with humiliation. “You two are…”
She didn’t even finish as she grabbed her purse and rushed toward the exit.
“Margaret, wait!” Lucas called, panic flashing across his face. But she didn’t slow down. Without looking back, Lucas hurried after her, leaving Alex standing there in the middle of the restaurant, eyes dark and unreadable.
For a moment, the entire place buzzed with whispers. Then Alex calmly adjusted his jacket and returned to the table. Sat down gently and picked up Lucas’s fork.
The audacity of it made him blush. He took a bite of the meal Lucas had ordered, chewing slowly, as if nothing had happened. He raised his hand slightly.
“A bottle of your best red,” he told the waiter coolly.
The staff moved quickly. No one dared question him. Alex poured himself a glass of wine, swirling it lazily before taking a slow sip.
“Margaret’s case is closed,” he muttered under his breath. “Zenith to go next.” His lips curved faintly.
“As for you, my sweet baby, everything is going to be alright.”
He pulled out his phone and dialed. The line connected almost instantly.
“Yes, boss.”
Alex leaned back in the chair, crossing one leg over the other. “Is my baby still out there?”
“Yes, boss. He’s outside the restaurant. Looks like he’s explaining something to the lady and she just boarded a cab.”
“And my baby?” Alex’s voice softened at the word.
“He’s standing there alone now and looks upset.”
Alex took another sip of wine. “And?”
“He’s heading back inside.”
A slow smile touched Alex’s lips. “Good.”
A little pause.
“Hold on, sir,” Dan said suddenly. “I think he just changed his mind.”
Alex’s jaw tightened. “Damn it, Lucas. What are you doing?”
Outside, Lucas had indeed turned halfway toward the entrance. Anger burned in his chest. He wanted to storm back in, slam his hands on that table, and scream at Alex for humiliating him. For kissing him. For acting as he owned him.
But something stopped him. Pride, pain, and fear of melting again. His fists unclenched.
He stepped backward.
“Sir,” Dan’s voice came through the phone, “he’s boarding a cab.”
Alex’s fingers froze around his wine glass.
“Follow him, Dan,” he said quietly.
“Yes, boss.”
The call ended. Alex didn’t rush or panic. He simply lifted his glass and finished the wine in one slow swallow. The restaurant's dim lights reflected his green eyes.
“You can run, baby,” he murmured to himself. “But you’re not escaping me that easily.”
He signaled for the bill.
Outside, the cab disappeared into traffic with Lucas inside, staring blankly out the window, heart pounding, mind in chaos.
And somewhere behind him, Dan's car engine had started and was right on his tail.