AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You weren’t at the hospital,” Penelope Jade remarks. “My daddy took me there for my yearly examination, but you weren’t there. We knocked on your door. I made Daddy bring you coffee, and he ended up drinking it.”
“I’ve been a little under the weather, but I’ll be back in top form soon,” I say.
“My uncle’s been sad, too,” she says, and I bite my tongue to keep from showing a reaction. “But he still goes to work. My mom says he’sgrumpy. I agree.”
“Oh, really?” Smolyakov grins, and I’m about to kick him when Aris joins us. He approaches his daughter, and he gently takes her away.
Before the queen enters the event with her men, Jordan walks out. He doesn’t like the attention. He’s dressed up again. Expensive fabrics cover his toned body. His broad shoulders are strong and proud. His posture is confident. I’d salivate over him if I weren’t mad at him. He presents himself as a content man, but there’s a dullness in his eyes.
His looks distract me so much that I don’t immediately notice the woman that accompanies him. My soul leaves my body, and I’m sat there like I’ve been stabbed. I know. I know. I KNOW. I have no right to claim exclusivity. My five-year emotional attachment doesn’t grant me the sole keys to his dick. I’ve only ridden it once, after all. The woman by his side is comfortable with him. They don’t hold hands. If they did, I would puke all the coffee I’ve consumed today.
She’s almost as tall as he is. Granted, she wears heels, but even without them, she’s massive. She’s a stunning woman. Her gown is by far the most expensive in the room, and her hair is braided to perfection. She doesn’t pretend to be happy. She actually is. Her perfect smile is genuine.
It takes a moment, but I grasp who she is.
She’s Alex’s mom. Of course, she’s happy. Her son’s just achieved what he worked hard for. Suddenly, my jealous rage feels vicious. I’m not that person. I suppress my resentment, and I focus on the average sentiment in the room. Pride. Joy.
When Alex and Kamila appear, the room erupts in cheers. Everyone around me is clapping. They’ve risen from their seats out of respect, and I do the same. Kamila waves at the crowd with gratitude. Alex acknowledges the endless love he’s receiving.
I’m shaking all over, but nobody notices. The tears are there, but I bite them back. I won’t be that woman, never. I might have let him fuck me on the first night he showed interest, but I won’t let him fuck me over. I’m taking back my tears, and he can go fuck himself.
Of course, he could just come over and fuck me, but… I’m trying. It’s not easy to detach myself from a client of five years. I’ve committed one of the worst crimes that strip me of my professionalism.
I’ve grown too fond of Jordan Winters.
The royals love us, but I’m grateful when they don’t come to our table. We eat their food and drink their alcohol. Other guests swing by our table. Most of them know Danai and Smolyakov. Our male diva is a hero in Katantia. He was one of Aris’s main doctors after the car accident slash attempted assassination. I’m left alone because people don’t like to flaunt their therapist. I’m fine with that.
I really am.
It’s not like I need affirmation from others or anything.
At some point, Malena’s brother joins us. Måns is as kind as Malena is, greeting everyone at the table with a smile on his face. He takes the empty seat next to me, and he grabs a bite of the food. He seems starved and overworked, but he enjoys it. He blurts out, “It’s been an endless party all week! I can’t take it anymore.”
“You signed up for the craziness,” Malena reminds her brother. They don’t have anyone else in the world other than each other. “Just make sure you get enough sleep. Tell him, Ivy.”
I nod. My eyes keep drifting toward Jordan and his ex-wife, who are entertaining the upper class of Katantia at their table. They are in sync, complimenting each other in every way. They own the night. They’re the proud parents of Katantia’s most loved husband. Okay, ownership of that title is a battle between Alex and Aris.
Malena playfully shoves me in the direction of her brother. Sure, I’m a little older than him, but Malena insists that he’s into older women. She wants us to hook up. In all the years I’ve known the Bengtssons, I’ve never had a full conversation with Måns. He seems nice, but I haven’t been able to divert my attention from Måns’s boss.
One of Malena’s patients approaches her, a husband who’s all but kissing Malena’s feet for her accomplishments as a doctor.
“Staring isn’t polite, you know,” Måns says to me.
Quickly, I respond, “I know.”
“What did you do to him?” my friend’s brother asks me in an accusatory tone. I don’t appreciate it. I choose not to engage. I’m already at a loss. I don’t need to trip over the edge and make a scene. “All of us know that he was with you. We’re keeping it from his family, but every employee knows where he was. Did you harm him? Is that why he had a meltdown?”
“Are you being serious right now?” I ask. I struggle to keep my voice from breaking. I meditate every day, trying to convince myself that I haven’t done anything wrong. It’s been five years, and Jordan Winters is my least successful patient. I’m not getting through to him, but we’ve chewed on this enough, haven’t we?
“He trashed two million dollars’ worth of equipment. He almost crashed his car, and he doesn’t remember what happened,” Måns claims. Why is he doing this to me? I’m in my head already, working on possible reasons why Jordan did what he did. He seemed fine at the end of the game, and then, when his son won, something snapped in him.
I can’t be mad at him, although I truly am. He all but shoved me from his body, like I was filthy and not worthy of being near him. It was a humiliating wake-up call. I would’ve preferred not being naked in the process, but that’s Katantia for you.
“Jordan isn’t my patient anymore,” I tell his eager soldier. I know that Måns is at the top of the palace employee hierarchy. He’s doing this to uphold his perfect score with the boss. “I don’t know what happened to him, and I don’t care. I’m here with my friends. If you have a concern, call my office and ask for an appointment. I don’t need your harassment right now.”
Måns scowls at me behind his sister’s back. I understand his dedication to his boss. Quite frankly, I’m an embarrassment. I don’t want to harm Mr.… Jordan. I want to be his needy little doe, but that’s wrong, and I need to get a grip.
The rest of the night is uneventful. Eventually, we return to our building, exhausted, well-fed, and drunk. Smolyakov doesn’t even flinch when I follow him into his home.
