Page 45 of King of Rage

“But you’re beautiful, too. You make such a lovely couple.”

Lucius’s expression darkened immediately.

Stella, on the other hand, smiled politely at the woman.

“Thank you.”

Without sparing Lucius another glance, she continued walking away.

His face hardened.

After only a moment, he followed her, catching up just as she reached the edge of the lobby. He stepped in front of her and extended an arm, blocking her path.

“Are you really in love with your husband?” he asked, his voice edged with irritation. “Is that how you want to spend your weekend, Miss Gibson?”

There was a mocking note in his question, but the tension in his jaw and the hard look in his eyes betrayed his jealousy.

Stella looked him straight in the eye.

“Yes.”

Then she pushed his arm aside and stormed away.

Lucius remained where he was, his hands curling into tight fists at his sides as he watched her leave.

‘Has she already forgotten about our arrangement for the weekend?’ he thought, anger surging through him. ‘Is she really in love with another man? Does she want a new life with him while I’m the only one still clinging to the past like a fool?’

***

It was close to midnight. Stella had spent the entire evening trying to calm herself down without giving Lucius another thought.

She had just settled on the edge of her bed when her phone began to ring. An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.

Frowning, she reached across the bed, picked up the phone, and answered.

“Hello?”

A man’s voice came through the line. It was sophisticated and distinctly masculine. The tone alone made Stella sit a little straighter.

“Is this Stella?”

“Yes?”

The man paused briefly before continuing.

“Lucius is drunk. He’s at the Phantom Bar, and he’s refusing to leave. Can you come over? It’s already very late. We’ve been trying to convince him to go home, but he’s insisting on waiting for you to take him home.”

Stella’s brows drew together. She glanced at the watch on her bedside table and realized that it was already two in the morning.

Lucius had never been a heavy drinker. The last time she had seen him drunk had been years ago, and he hadn’t even consumed that much alcohol. After only two drinks, he had developed severe stomach pains and had eventually been admitted to the hospital. His body had reacted so badly to the alcohol that he had spent hours in agony, unable to find relief from the pain.

The memory made her expression tighten.

“All right. I’ll be there shortly,” she said.

After the call ended, Stella closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She drew in a deep breath, trying to contain her growing irritation.

“Now that you’re helping my business so much, I can’t exactly let you drop dead on me. What would happen to my business then?” she muttered.