Chapter 49
Sheridan was far too proud to stoop so low as to borrow someone else’s phone just to check if Seren had blocked his number, not here, not in front of this crowd.
Everyone in the room understood what was going on, but no one dared to tear away the thin veil of pretense. With laughter and banter, the awkward moment was quickly glossed over and never mentioned again.
Once Quentin had had his fill of the drama, he slipped out early, satisfied.
On his way out, Quentin shrugged off his jacket and handed it to a waiter. “You can toss this in the trash,” he said.
Even from a distance, after sitting in that private lounge for so long, it felt like the jacket had absorbed that unpleasant, cloying scent. If his father caught a whiff of it, he’d think Quentin had been keeping company with the wrong sort of woman- and probably break his legs for it.
After Quentin left, the rest of their so-called friends, catching on to Sheridan’s distracted mood, quickly found excuses to leave as well.
Soon, only Sheridan and Willa remained in the opulent lounge.
Willa lounged back in her seat, one leg crossed over the other with an easy confidence. She wore a crimson dress with a daring slit, showing off her long, slender legs-pale and smooth beneath the dim lights.
She looked at Sheridan, a faint, knowing smile playing at her lips, her eyes cool and slightly mocking as she arched a brow.
“So, is it because I’m back that your lady at home is throwing a tantrum?” she drawled, her tone unhurried.
Willa, of course, knew all about Seren.
Sheridan stayed silent, which Willa took as agreement.
She lit a cigar, drawing in a slow breath before setting it down, smoke curling lazily around her as she lifted her eyes.
“Sheridan, you’re being a little thoughtless here. Just be honest with her tell her you and I aren’t what we once were, and now we’re just friends. Simple as that,” she said, her voice casual.
“Besides, she’s been by your side for three years. I have no interest in playing the third wheel, nor do I need to compete for you. I’ve got plenty of admirers. Tell her to stop being so petty p>
Her words drifted through the air, light and careless-Willa, as always, was unapologetically free-spirited.
Sheridan used to adore this about her-the way she was like the wind: wild, impossible to grasp or control. She was a shot of whiskey, burning hot and intoxicating.
But tonight p>
Sheridan looked up at her. Her eyeliner was heavy, and when she arched her brow, it cast her features in a sharper, almost harsh light. Whether it was the lighting or something else, she seemed less alluring than he remembered- almost severe.
And suddenly, he thought of Seren.
Seren’s skin was fair, and whether she wore makeup or went bare-faced, she never had Willa’s sultry glamour or coquettish charm. Instead, there was a quiet, natural elegance about her, a kind of grace that came from within.
If he’d had to choose between the two women before, he would have picked Willa without hesitation.
But now, after three years with Seren, he found himself inexplicably drawn to that understated beauty.
This realization left Sheridan’s thoughts in a muddle.
These past few days, he’d simply assumed Seren would come home once she calmed down. After sending her that message, he hadn’t reached out again, just waited for her pride to give way, for her to quietly return to The Golden Age.
If not for tonight’s little farce, he wouldn’t have known that Seren had actually blocked his number.
No matter how angry she’d been in the past, Seren had never done that before.
A flicker of panic shot through him.
Was Seren really set on leaving this time?
Noticing Sheridan’s tight-lipped silence, Willa’s smile took on an enigmatic edge.
“You know,” she said, “in her world,
you’re the best thing going, so it’s only natural sh
ural she’d feel a little
insecure after getting together with you You’re the man just cut her some slack as long as she doesn’t go overboard p>
“Women need to be reassured. Go talk to her, smooth things over p>
Willa’s words snapped Sheridan out of his daze.
“Why should I?” he scoffed. “Give her a couple of days to cool off-she’ll come back on her own p>
He’d already made the first move, sending that text. Seren hadn’t met him halfway -she’d gone and blocked him.
A man couldn’t let himself be walked all over. If he kept giving in, who knew how
much more Seren would try to get away with?
“And if she doesn’t come back?” Willa asked.
Sheridan bristled. “All the better. It’s not like I can’t live without her p>
“Fine, enough about her.” Willa’s tone turned playful, her voice soft and teasing. “I’m freezing in this dress—mind if I borrow your jacket for a bit p>