Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret - Chapter 144: Chapter 144
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Sally swallowed hard.
'There really isn't much of a difference, is there?' she thought.
"So who is this woman, really?" Abigail pressed, her eyes wide with curiosity. "What's her deal with Jaxon?"
"The first time I met her, he introduced her as a friend," Sally said, her gaze dropping. Her lashes cast long shadows on her cheeks. "But now... I'm not so sure."
"Friends?" Abigail scoffed. "They didn't look like friends to me! I can't tell how Jaxon feels, but the way she was looking at him... she looked like she wanted to eat him alive. She's definitely into him!"
Sally just gave a wry smile, not saying a word.
"Sally, if he's really playing games with another woman, you can't be a fool about it," Abigail warned. "You got burned once. Don't let it happen again, especially not with another man from the same damn family!"
But a part of Sally refused to believe it.
'Jaxon is nothing like Brad,' she told herself.
"Okay, I know," Sally said, changing the subject. "It's getting late. You should get some rest."
"You too."
After Abigail left, Sally went back to work on the Madonna Locket for Jaxon.
She picked up her phone, the urge to text him suddenly overwhelming.
She wanted to ask what he was doing.
She wanted to ask why he was at a jewelry boutique with Kendall.
And most of all, she wanted to know what they had bought.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, typing out a message, but in the end, she deleted every word.
Tossing her phone onto the table, Sally forced herself to breathe and calm down.
On the evening of the gala, Sally stood outside her clinic, her eyes fixed on the black Porsche Cayenne parked at the curb.
Brad rolled down the window, his gaze sweeping over her.
Sally was wearing a stunning white strapless gown, her makeup elegant and soft. For a moment, she looked just like the woman he remembered from before she went to prison.
"What are you staring at?" Sally asked coolly as she slid into the passenger seat.
Brad's eyes snapped forward, and he pulled the car away from the curb.
The gala was being held at a sprawling estate on the outskirts of Westmere. Sally had never been there before, nor had she ever met the hosts.
As they got out of the car, Brad instinctively held out his hand.
Sally froze.
He'd given her the invitation before they left. Was he asking for it back now?
Sally quickly handed it to him, but Brad just frowned. "What are you giving me this for?"
"I thought you wanted the invitation," she said, confused. "Why else would you put your hand out?"
"Are you really that clueless, or are you just playing dumb?" Brad snatched the invitation from her hand and then took her arm, placing it firmly in the crook of his own.
'Oh,' she realized. 'He wanted me to take his arm.'
Sally instinctively tried to pull away, but his grip was like iron, pinning her hand against his forearm.
"We're not officially divorced yet," he hissed, leaning closer. "Playing the part at an event like this is part of your duty. Understand, darling?"
Darling.
The word made her flinch.
Once, hearing him call her that would have filled her with joy and hope.
But ever since he and their son had sent her to prison, the word felt like a shackle, a painful reminder of a life she was desperate to escape.
"Don't bother fighting it," Brad said, his voice low and menacing. "I'm bringing a convict to a party like this. You should be grateful. Now don't do anything else to embarrass me."
Brad was too strong for her. Left with no choice, Sally let him lead her inside.
But they weren't unseen. A pair of dark eyes watched them from a car that had just pulled up to the red carpet.
Even through the tinted windows, Jaxon clearly saw Brad tucking Sally's arm into his as they walked into the event.
"Sir," Caleb said from the driver's seat. "It looks like Sally and Brad just went in."
"Yes," Jaxon replied.
His voice was quiet, but it held a dangerous edge.
Caleb saw the storm brewing in his eyes and knew better than to say another word.
The moment Jaxon stepped out of the car, a hush fell over the entrance, followed by a wave of excited whispers.
"Oh my god, is that Jaxon Zale?"
"I can't believe Mr. Donovan got him to come!"
"He's even more handsome in person!"
Jaxon seemed oblivious to the stir he was causing as he strode into the mansion.
Caleb, following behind, still found it unnerving, even after all these years.
No matter where Jaxon went, he was always the center of attention.
Inside, the party was already in full swing.
Sally quickly excused herself to go to the restroom, using it as an opportunity to finally slip away from Brad.
When she came back out, she saw that he had been joined by two other people.
Lena and Nick.
Lena was sitting in the seat that should have been hers.
The three of them were laughing together, looking for all the world like a perfect, happy family.
Sally felt nothing but a detached, cynical amusement. So much for Brad's promise not to bring Lena.
Sally wondered what strings he'd had to pull to get her in.
Shaking her head, Sally turned and found an empty seat at a table in the back. But just as she was about to sit, a woman touched her arm. "You must be Brad Zale's wife, right? I saw you two arrive together."
Sally looked up at the woman, who was elegantly dressed and clearly the hostess.
Sally managed a polite smile. "Yes, that's me."
"Well, the Zale family are our guests of honor! You can't sit all the way back here," the woman insisted, taking Sally by the hand and leading her toward the front of the room. "Your husband's table is full, but there's a seat right here!"
She guided Sally to a chair next to a man at a table filled with Westmere's most powerful figures.
Sally turned to apologize for the intrusion, and her breath caught in her throat.
It was Jaxon.
She instinctively stood up to leave. "I'm sorry, I should probably just-"
"Sit down," Jaxon cut in, his voice low and firm.
'There really isn't much of a difference, is there?' she thought.
"So who is this woman, really?" Abigail pressed, her eyes wide with curiosity. "What's her deal with Jaxon?"
"The first time I met her, he introduced her as a friend," Sally said, her gaze dropping. Her lashes cast long shadows on her cheeks. "But now... I'm not so sure."
"Friends?" Abigail scoffed. "They didn't look like friends to me! I can't tell how Jaxon feels, but the way she was looking at him... she looked like she wanted to eat him alive. She's definitely into him!"
Sally just gave a wry smile, not saying a word.
"Sally, if he's really playing games with another woman, you can't be a fool about it," Abigail warned. "You got burned once. Don't let it happen again, especially not with another man from the same damn family!"
But a part of Sally refused to believe it.
'Jaxon is nothing like Brad,' she told herself.
"Okay, I know," Sally said, changing the subject. "It's getting late. You should get some rest."
"You too."
After Abigail left, Sally went back to work on the Madonna Locket for Jaxon.
She picked up her phone, the urge to text him suddenly overwhelming.
She wanted to ask what he was doing.
She wanted to ask why he was at a jewelry boutique with Kendall.
And most of all, she wanted to know what they had bought.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, typing out a message, but in the end, she deleted every word.
Tossing her phone onto the table, Sally forced herself to breathe and calm down.
On the evening of the gala, Sally stood outside her clinic, her eyes fixed on the black Porsche Cayenne parked at the curb.
Brad rolled down the window, his gaze sweeping over her.
Sally was wearing a stunning white strapless gown, her makeup elegant and soft. For a moment, she looked just like the woman he remembered from before she went to prison.
"What are you staring at?" Sally asked coolly as she slid into the passenger seat.
Brad's eyes snapped forward, and he pulled the car away from the curb.
The gala was being held at a sprawling estate on the outskirts of Westmere. Sally had never been there before, nor had she ever met the hosts.
As they got out of the car, Brad instinctively held out his hand.
Sally froze.
He'd given her the invitation before they left. Was he asking for it back now?
Sally quickly handed it to him, but Brad just frowned. "What are you giving me this for?"
"I thought you wanted the invitation," she said, confused. "Why else would you put your hand out?"
"Are you really that clueless, or are you just playing dumb?" Brad snatched the invitation from her hand and then took her arm, placing it firmly in the crook of his own.
'Oh,' she realized. 'He wanted me to take his arm.'
Sally instinctively tried to pull away, but his grip was like iron, pinning her hand against his forearm.
"We're not officially divorced yet," he hissed, leaning closer. "Playing the part at an event like this is part of your duty. Understand, darling?"
Darling.
The word made her flinch.
Once, hearing him call her that would have filled her with joy and hope.
But ever since he and their son had sent her to prison, the word felt like a shackle, a painful reminder of a life she was desperate to escape.
"Don't bother fighting it," Brad said, his voice low and menacing. "I'm bringing a convict to a party like this. You should be grateful. Now don't do anything else to embarrass me."
Brad was too strong for her. Left with no choice, Sally let him lead her inside.
But they weren't unseen. A pair of dark eyes watched them from a car that had just pulled up to the red carpet.
Even through the tinted windows, Jaxon clearly saw Brad tucking Sally's arm into his as they walked into the event.
"Sir," Caleb said from the driver's seat. "It looks like Sally and Brad just went in."
"Yes," Jaxon replied.
His voice was quiet, but it held a dangerous edge.
Caleb saw the storm brewing in his eyes and knew better than to say another word.
The moment Jaxon stepped out of the car, a hush fell over the entrance, followed by a wave of excited whispers.
"Oh my god, is that Jaxon Zale?"
"I can't believe Mr. Donovan got him to come!"
"He's even more handsome in person!"
Jaxon seemed oblivious to the stir he was causing as he strode into the mansion.
Caleb, following behind, still found it unnerving, even after all these years.
No matter where Jaxon went, he was always the center of attention.
Inside, the party was already in full swing.
Sally quickly excused herself to go to the restroom, using it as an opportunity to finally slip away from Brad.
When she came back out, she saw that he had been joined by two other people.
Lena and Nick.
Lena was sitting in the seat that should have been hers.
The three of them were laughing together, looking for all the world like a perfect, happy family.
Sally felt nothing but a detached, cynical amusement. So much for Brad's promise not to bring Lena.
Sally wondered what strings he'd had to pull to get her in.
Shaking her head, Sally turned and found an empty seat at a table in the back. But just as she was about to sit, a woman touched her arm. "You must be Brad Zale's wife, right? I saw you two arrive together."
Sally looked up at the woman, who was elegantly dressed and clearly the hostess.
Sally managed a polite smile. "Yes, that's me."
"Well, the Zale family are our guests of honor! You can't sit all the way back here," the woman insisted, taking Sally by the hand and leading her toward the front of the room. "Your husband's table is full, but there's a seat right here!"
She guided Sally to a chair next to a man at a table filled with Westmere's most powerful figures.
Sally turned to apologize for the intrusion, and her breath caught in her throat.
It was Jaxon.
She instinctively stood up to leave. "I'm sorry, I should probably just-"
"Sit down," Jaxon cut in, his voice low and firm.
End of Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret Chapter 144. Continue reading Chapter 145 or return to Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret book page.