Chapter 32
Joanna just saw a face so devastatingly handsome it could stir both gods and mortals alike. Sharp, chiseled features. A jawline carved to p
to perfection. And those deep, dark eyes–intense and mesmerizing, as if they could pull a person in with just a glance.
The moment Joanna saw Howell, she thought she was seeing a ghost. Her mouth fell open in shock–so wide she could’ve fit a whole egg in there Her heart lurched. She thought. Am I hallucinating? What the hell is this bastard doing here?”
“You… why are you here?” she stammered, her voice unsteady. His grip on her arm sent a chill up her spine, making every hair on her body stand on end
Howell’s sharp gaze swept over her, quickly assessing that her clothes were intact. Only then did he feel a brief wave of relief. But that relief vanished the second he remembered–she had been drinking. And in a place like this.
His expression darkened. “I should be the one asking you that. What the hell are you doing here? Is this the kind of place you belong?” Joanna rolled her eyes. “What’s it to you? I’m here for business.”
Howell let out a cold. mocking laugh. “Oh, really? Since when does business involve a luxury suite?” His lips curled in disdain.
Joanna shot him an exasperated look. “So what? Maybe I like it.
Howell’s gaze flickered dangerously. His dark eyes locked onto her, sharp and piercing. His lips pressed into a tight line, the tension in his stare suffocating. The air around them suddenly felt a few degrees colder.
Just as Joanna was about to say something. Howell abruptly bent down
Before she could react, he scooped her up into his arms.
“Ah–Joanna gasped, her feet leaving the ground in an instant.
She barely managed to slap a hand over her mouth in time to muttle her scream. Struggling against him, she hissed. Howell, put me down! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
She kept her voice low, afraid of drawing attention
Not far away, Leroy and Angelo watched the whole scene unfold, utterly stunned.
Leroy nudged Angelo with his elbow. “I’m not imagining things, right? That woman Howell just p
picked up… that’s Joanna, isn’t it?” Angelo’s eyes were practically popping out of his head. “Yeah… pretty sure it is. But… aren’t they
y supposed to be getting a divorce?” Leroy rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “Doesn’t look k like it.”
The two of them were o
completely baffled. If this was what a failing marriage looked like, then clearly, they’d been doing relationships all wrong. But neither dared to ask any questions–not when Howell’s glare alone could kill.
Howell strode forward without hesitation, completely unfazed by the people around them.
Joanna, on the other hand, wanted to die of embarrassment. She could feel the stares boring into her. Helpless, she buried her face against his chest, trying to disappear.
His scent–clean, crisp, and unmistakably masculine–wrapped around her. Strangely, it made her feel
At last, they reached the parking lot. Howell opened the car door and set her down in the back seat.
As he straightened up, his gaze unintentionally landed on her cl
clothes, slightly askew from all her struggling. Her top had ridden up slightly.
eyes darkened in an instant.
A glimpse of smooth, porcelain–white
e skin peeked out from her waist–soft, tempting, utterly distracting.
Howell froze, his gaze locked onto that exposed sliver of skin. His pupils shrank slightly, a dangerous glint flashing through them.
He thought, “Damn it. Does this woman have any idea how enticing she is?
As if sensing his stare, Joanna quickly yanked her shirt down and shot him a fierce glare. “Pervert!” she snapped.
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Chapter 32
the
name?”
Howell let out a low chuckle, rubbing his chin. “If I’m already being called that, shouldn’t I at least do something to live up to
His gaze lingered on Joanna, taking in her flushed cheeks, her lips–soft, dewy, and as enticing as freshly crushed rose petals,
He thought. Damn. Something in his body reacted before his mind could stop it. Clearing his throat, he forced himself to look away, trying to shake off the sudden wave of heat creeping up his spine.
He thought, What the hell! The self–control I have always praded myself on has nearly snapped–just because of this woman. Since when did she have this kind of power over me!
Joanna, oblivious to his internal battle, straightened in her seat and said flatly. “Take me home.”
Howell didn’t respond. Instead, he slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
The car shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, speeding off into the night.
Joanna let out a quiet sigh. She thought, Just my luck! At this point, she was starting to wonder if Howell had secretly planted a tracker on her. Why do we keep running into each other like this?”
Lost in thought, it took her a moment to realize something was off. This wasn’t the road to her apartment. Right. He wouldn’t even know where she lived now.
“Howell pull over at the next bus stop. I’ll get home on my own,” she said quickly.
The last thing she wanted was to spend another minute in his car.
But Howell ignored her completely, Worse, he stepped on the ga
A sudden wave of nausea churned in her stomach. Her face paled.
“Stop… pull over.. she gasped clutching her stomach.
That was when Howell finally noticed–she wasn’t faking. Her face had gone ghostly white, and she looked like she was about to be sick.
Without hesitation, he pulled over, parked the car, and swung open the door.
“What’s wrong“” Before he could finish, Joanna shoved past him, crouched down, and started retching violently,
Howell’s brows furrowed. He thought, ‘Again? This wasn’t the first time he’d seen her like this. ‘Could she be sick? A strange, uneasy feeling settled in his chest
“Are you feeling
gunwell: Let’s
Let’s go to the hospital and get you checked out,” he said, his voice unexpectedly serious.
Still catching her breath, Joanna stiffened at his words.
“Tim fine,” she quickly insisted, straightening up. “I just ate too much, and you were driving too fast. That’s all
It was the most logical excuse she could come up with,
But Howell wasn’t buying it. She’d never been like this before. He thought, ‘When has she suddenly become someone who gets carsick?” And he was damn sure of his driving skills–fast, steady, precise. No one had ever gotten sick in his car before. If anything, this was an insult. Still, despite his skepticism, he said nothing. Instead, he reached into the car, pulled out a bottle of water, and handed it to her. “Rinse your Joanna took it, rinted, and felt slightly better. “Take me home, she said, her voice firm. “I have work tomorrow.”
Howell rotted, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “So you’re actually
working at Menzie Group?”
The disdain in his voice sung more than she expected. “Yeah. And what about it?” she shot back. “You got a problems with that?”
mouth.
Howell’s gaze sharpened. “Quit II you want to work, come to Buckley Group. You can have any position you want. His tone was flat, as if his offer
was a given
Joanna let out a short, bitter laugh. “No thanks. I like my job. At least I get to do something I actually enjoy.”
They had nothing to do with each other anymore. The less involvement, the better.
Howell’s brows knitted together, displeased.
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Chapter 32
Just then, a taxi passed by. Without hesitation, Joanna flagged it down and slipped inside before he could react.
By the time he took a step forward, it was too late–he could only watch as the cab disappeared into the distance.
His gaze darkened, turning cold and unreadable. He thought, You can run for now. But for how long? One way or another, he’d find a way to bring her back home.
Lately, Dominic had been breathing down his neck about having a child–as if his life depended on it
And to make matters worse, Dominic had started hinting, not–so–subtly, that maybe he should get himself checked out at a men’s clinic. Howell clenched his jaw. He thought, Ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with me. But how the hell am I supposed to prove it!
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