Page 73 of King of Pride

Rose had gone to get it without thinking twice.

But when she returned, Ivan had eagerly handed the coffee to Jessica.

The memory remained painfully vivid.

Ivan had never even remembered what kind of coffee Rose liked, let alone the specific way she wanted it prepared. Yet with Jessica, he had remembered every little detail, treating her as though she were the most important person in the room—as though Jessica owned the building and Ivan would bend over backward to please her.

And it wasn't as though Jessica had even appreciated the effort.

She had taken one small sip of the coffee Rose had brought and immediately grimaced.

“It’s terrible. I can barely taste anything.”

Rose still remembered the look Ivan had thrown her way.

His expression had turned accusing and angry, as though Rose had deliberately served Jessica something awful. The intensity of his reaction had caught her completely off guard. He had been more concerned about Jessica disliking her coffee than about how Rose felt standing there.

The memory still felt as fresh as yesterday.

Rose's expression hardened.

She abruptly pulled her arm free from Ivan's reach and stepped away from him.

“The food here isn't good enough for either of you,” she said coldly. “Don't you remember the last time you had coffee here? You almost threw up.”

Her gaze shifted pointedly toward Jessica.

“I’m sure anything served at the restaurant in my father’s company will be far too rich for her delicate little throat—and far too much for your big one to swallow.”

Ivan's face darkened.

“So leave me alone. And don't even think about stepping inside my father's office.”

Her voice grew firmer.

“Neither of you is welcome here. Not in the company, not in the restaurant, nowhere near anything connected to me. So don't make me say it again.”

She turned away from them with an irritated shake of her head.

Before Ivan could respond, Rose's phone began to ring.

She glanced at the screen, and her entire expression changed.

A soft smile appeared on her face as she answered.

“Hello, honey?”

Ivan's frown deepened immediately.

“Where are you?” Maverick asked from the other end of the line.

“I'm at Dad's office. I had to finish a few files, but I'm done now. I'm coming home.”

Rose shifted the phone to her other ear, her voice becoming noticeably warmer.

“I miss you so much. It feels like forever since I saw you, even though it’s only been a little while. When are you coming home, honey? I've been waiting for you.”

There was a brief silence on the other end.