Xo Novel
Chapter 36
When a bucket of ice water drenched Estrella, he shot up from her bed like a cat that had just had its tail stepped on flailing to rid herself of the cold shock
The young maid, trembling with the empty bucket still in her hands, stammered. “Ms. Estrella, it was Mr. Jason’s orders.
The maid cast a fretful glance at Jason, who stood with his hands nonchalantly tucked in his pockets, eyeing Estrella with icy detachment Without a word, Estrella grabbed a decorative paperweight from the nightstand and hurled it at Jason, shouting, “Jason, are you out of your damn mind?”
Water droplets scattered as she threw the object with all her might
The maid, sensing Estrella’s fury, scampered out of the room, clutching the bucket.
Jason dodged the paperweight with ease. Estrella, soaked and fuming, leaped from the bed to confront him physically. Despite her usually impressive agility, she found herself at a disadvantage against Jason. Her attempts to hit him with various objects only managed to leave a slight scratch on his cheek
When Estrella threw her clothes at Jason in a fit of anger, he grabbed her chin. His voice cut through the air like a knife, “Is it me going crazy or you, Estrella? You invited a stranger into our home, into my room?”
His grip was firm, whitening the skin of her cheek. Estrella laughed bitterly, shaking off his hand
“Jason, if you can’t remember what happened last night, why don’t you ask Thomas to jog your memory? Ask him whose name you were slurring when you stumbled home.”
His face changed at the mention of his drunken antics, but his irritation flared at being pushed away by Estrella. “You want to play the saint, Estrella? Fine, I’ll indulge you. I’ll bring her home today, and you can clear out. Pack your stuff and get as far away as possible.”
Over two years of marriage, he had barely done anything with Serene, and Estrella had already let someone into their lives. Fine, he’d make it official.
Estrella’s cold laughter followed her bold declaration, “I’ll leave. I’ll leave right now.”
After saying that, she stormed out, not looking back. Jason, in a rage, destroyed anything within reach in the room.
Half an hour later, as Estrella was leaving with her belongings, the household staff tried to stop her. “Ms. Estrella, Mr. Jason was just drunk last night. Please don’t take it to heart,” Marie pleaded.
“I’m not going to the law firm because I’m angry with him,” Estrella replied.
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For over two years, she had humiliated herself trying to win his affection, to seduce him, to talk about starting a family. Had he ever taken her seriously? Had he ever acknowledged her publicly, introduced her to others without reservation?
Every holiday, she went to her parents’ house alone. Had she ever complained?
Now, facing pressure from his family, he returned home, but treated her with nothing but indifference. Why should she keep chasing after someone who clearly didn’t care about her at all?
Reflecting on their marriage, Estrella realized her enthusiasm and tolerance for Jason had eroded over time. She had hoped by turning a blind eye, things would eventually get better.
She was wrong.
If she couldn’t be part of his life, his heart, then she didn’t need him.
Marie bit her lip, troubled, as the young maid whispered, “Ms. Estrella, Mr. Jason has ordered that you cannot leave.”
Estrella looked toward the yard and saw the bodyguards blocking her way. Determined to
leave, she was stopped by the bodyguards who relayed, “Ms. Estrella, Mr. Jason wishes to present you with a parting gift. Please stay for now.”
Estrella smirked, understanding the game. Jason wanted her to witness him bringing someone else home, someone to replace her as his wife.
“Well then, I’ll stay for the show,” she said coolly.
Meanwhile, Jason arrived at his office, with a storm brewing in his expression. Serene, his secretary, slipped in tentatively. “Jason,” she murmured.
He grunted a response, barely glancing at her weary face.
“I’m sorry about last night. I was just worried about you,” she said, approaching his desk.
Jason, massaging his temples, didn’t reply to her apology.
Taking his silence as invitation, Serene started to massage him, whispering, “You look tense. Let me help, or you won’t be able to work.”
Jason leaned back, allowing her to continue for a moment, but said nothing. His thoughts were elsewhere. Serene stayed quiet, knowing Jason’s moods well after serving as his secretary for years.
Out of the blue, Jason exhaled deeply, as if releasing a weight. Serene glanced at him, wondering if he was thinking about Holly. If it was her resemblance to Holly that had gained her favor, she was grateful for it.
Their moment was interrupted by Thomas, who barged into the office. “Jason, Drew
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mentioned you wanted to see me.”
Thomas paused, taking in the scene, and said with a smirk, “Seems like I’ve come at a bad time.”
“Mr. Thomas,” Serene greeted, quickly stepping away from Jason. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
Jason opened his eyes and locked eyes with Thomas, an unspoken tension filling the
room.
As Serene made herself scarce, Thomas casually took a seat across from Jason, ready to get down to business. She brewed a cup of coffee for Thomas and then silently slipped out of Jason’s office.
The door closed with a gentle click, prompting Thomas to glance back and ask, “Made up yet?”
At the mention of making up, Jason’s expression instantly darkened. “You’re the one who drove me home last night?”
Thomas responded casually, “Yeah, that was me! But hey, Jason, you don’t need to be overly polite. If you really want to show your gratitude, how about that project…”
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