Fiancé Cheated... So I Took His Rival’s Deal - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Camila gave her a reassuring pat. "I don't think he'd go that far. He might be a jerk, but he wouldn't lay a hand on a woman."
Jasmin snorted. "Well, that's debatable. But trust me—when men snap, they don't care if you're a man or a woman."
Not wanting to talk about Noel anymore, Camila changed the subject. "I've been thinking of renting a place."
"You're moving out?" Jasmin asked.
Camila nodded. "Yeah. It's just more convenient for work. And it doesn't feel right to keep crashing at your place forever."
"Not at all! You can stay as long as you want. But honestly, if you take the subway, you'll have to transfer back and forth—total nightmare. You'll waste half your day commuting."
"That's why I'm thinking of moving somewhere closer. It'll save me all that time."
"So, have you found a place yet?"
Camila shook her head. "Not yet. I'm gonna check out a few listings."
"Okay. I'll reach out to the agency that helped me find this place," Jasmin offered. "They've got tons of listings and good connections. They might have something."
Camila smiled. "That'd be great."
Night fell, and the bar lights bathed everything in a haze of red and gold. Noel had been restless all afternoon. Camila's cold, distant stare kept flashing through his mind, and after work, he wandered into the first bar he saw.
By the time Luke found him, a pile of empty shot glasses littered the table.
"Damn," Luke muttered, stepping into the private room and shooing away the women clinging to Noel. "What's going on, Noel? Why are you drinking alone like this?"
Noel didn't answer, just kept tossing back drink after drink.
"Who pissed you off? I haven't seen you like this in ages."
"Noel?" Luke studied his stony expression and instantly knew he was in a bad mood. Really bad. Noel looked downright scary like this.
It took a while before Noel finally spoke. "Tell me, isn't she a bitch? When I ignored her, she was all over me like some lovesick puppy. The second I gave her attention, she turned around and gave me attitude."
Luke immediately knew who he was talking about. "So, Camila still hasn't come crawling back, huh?" He scoffed. "Playing hard to get? Guess she's gunning for the big one."
Noel shot him a look. "The big one?"
"You know—waiting for you to get down on your knees and beg her to come back." Luke smirked. "That's how these drama queens operate."
Noel let out a cold laugh. "In her dreams."
"Exactly. The more you spoil them, the bolder they get." Luke grabbed a bottle off the table and raised it. "Come on, Noel. I'll drink with you. We're not going home sober tonight."
As the night dragged on, Noel got wasted. When Shirley got Luke's message, she rushed to the bar. "Luke, where's Noel?" she asked.
Luke, already tipsy, swayed on his feet as he headed toward the men's room. He pointed at the private room. "Over there. He had a few too many. He's wrecked. Go take care of him."
Inside, Shirley saw Noel slouched on the sofa, his shirt wrinkled, his tie hanging loose. There was something reckless about him—unkempt and dangerously alluring.
She adored him like this. Eyes filled with infatuation, she sat beside him and gently brushed her fingers across his handsome face. In a soft, honeyed voice, she murmured, "Noel..."
Noel was floating in a liquor-fueled haze, his limbs heavy, his head light. At Shirley's voice, he thought it was Camila.
His eyes fluttered open, unfocused, and when he saw a figure before him, he grinned faintly and pulled her into his arms. "Cami, you came," he muttered.
Shirley froze. Her expression darkened in an instant, jealousy and fury flashing in her eyes.