Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret - Chapter 146: Chapter 146

Everyone turned toward the sound of his voice, their eyes landing on the man who had just appeared behind them.
Sally's hand froze when she saw Jaxon.
'What's he doing here?' she thought.
"Jaxon... " Brad's voice dropped, suddenly laced with caution.
Jaxon gave him a passing glance before fixing his gaze on Lena. "You just said you didn't bump into her?"
A flash of panic crossed Lena's face.
After a moment, she managed a nod. "That's right, I didn't... "
"Are you sure?" Jaxon's lips curved into a cold smile. "Because I clearly saw you shove her in the back."
At his words, Sally's head snapped up, her eyes wide as she looked at him.
She couldn't believe he had not only seen it but was actually speaking up for her.
Lena's hands, hidden at her sides, twisted the fabric of her dress.
Damn it.
She couldn't believe Jaxon Zale had seen her.
But with so many people watching, she couldn't bring herself to admit it.
"Miss Yasmin, I suggest you apologize to Mrs. Zale before I have them pull the security footage," Jaxon said, his eyes turning icy. "Otherwise, this isn't over."
An unprecedented chill emanated from him, and his stare was so intense it made Lena's skin crawl.
Even Nick, standing beside his father, was too intimidated by his great-uncle's presence to say a word.
Brad quickly stepped in front of Lena, trying to smooth things over. "Jaxon, this is just a misunderstanding. We're all on the same side here, no need to make a scene at someone else's party."
"Your own wife gets bullied, and you stand with an outsider to gang up on her!" Jaxon shot back, his anger palpable. "Do you really think you bear no responsibility for how things ended up between you?"
A wave of murmurs rippled through the onlookers.
"I heard they got divorced. I guess it's true."
"So all that affection was just an act."
"She filed for divorce right after she got out of prison. I heard Brad did something to wrong her... "
The crowd grew, the gossip getting louder.
Sally stared blankly at Brad and Lena, a familiar coldness settling in her heart.
But this time, for once, someone from the Zale family was on her side.
"If you don't want to apologize, we can just check the cameras," Jaxon offered, gesturing upward with his hand.
All eyes followed his gesture to a security camera tucked away in a corner of the ceiling.
Lena's back went rigid. Her fingers dug into her dress. 'There really is a camera.'
Jaxon lowered his arm and pulled out his phone, making a show of preparing to make a call.
Sally instinctively reached out and put her hand on his to stop him. "Mr. Zale, let it go. We shouldn't ruin the party."
The warmth of his hand under hers was surprisingly reassuring.
Across from them, Brad watched the simple gesture, his eyes darkening.
He stared at Sally's hand on Jaxon's, a grim expression on his face. 'She looks so comfortable doing that... This definitely isn't the first time.'
"Fine!" Lena snapped, her voice tight with resentment. "Maybe I bumped into her, maybe I didn't, I don't really remember. But if you're going to insist, I'll apologize just to get this over with. I'm sorry!"
Sally was stunned. She never thought the famously proud Lena Yasmin would actually back down and apologize.
But it made sense.
Lena was the one in the wrong, and if the security footage proved it, the damage to her public image would be significant.
Jaxon Zale had clearly seized on this weakness of hers-and that was all it took to break her.
After her forced apology, Lena stormed away, her eyes red with humiliation.
Brad's brow was furrowed in a deep scowl as he glared at Sally.
But with Jaxon standing right there, he didn't dare say a word of rebuke.
He grabbed Nick by the arm and quickly retreated from the scene, the anger in their eyes not lost on Sally.
Sally simply watched them go before turning her attention away.
As the crowd dispersed, Sally turned to the man beside her.
Jaxon glanced at her, then started walking toward the estate's back gardens.
Sally understood he wanted to talk and followed him.
When they reached a grapevine trellis, Jaxon stopped and looked down at her. "You barely ate. Why did you leave?"
Sally swallowed, her gaze falling to the ground.
She couldn't very well tell him she'd left because she couldn't stand to hear any more talk about the woman he was supposedly in love with.
"Cat got your tongue?" Jaxon asked, stepping closer.
He leaned an arm against the wooden trellis behind her, boxing her in.
The sudden proximity sent her heart into a frantic rhythm.
Sally's lashes fluttered as she tried to compose herself. "The food was a little too rich for me."
Jaxon paused, seeming surprised by her answer.
Sally met his gaze, her voice steady. "Mr. Zale, thank you for what you did tonight. If you hadn't backed me up, I probably would have had to apologize to her."
"Actually, I didn't see her push you," he said, lowering his arm, his tone casual.
Sally froze, looking up at him in shock.
"What?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "You didn't see it? Then why did you back me up? You were bluffing about the cameras?"
"I was bluffing about the cameras," Jaxon admitted, his eyes fixed on hers. "But I believe you. If you said she pushed you, then she pushed you."
A tremor of emotion went through her.
Her fluttering lashes stilled as she stared into his cool eyes.
For the first time, someone believed her, unconditionally.
'If only someone had done that for me back then,' Sally thought wistfully. 'Maybe I wouldn't have spent three years in prison.'
As Jaxon looked down at Sally, he realized she was even more beautiful tonight than usual.
Every small movement, every smile, was effortlessly captivating.
"Are you going to keep staring at me like that?" he murmured, his voice low and laced with a hint of danger.
Sally understood his meaning and quickly averted her gaze.
Leaning back against the trellis, she remembered something and asked, "Abigail saw you and Kendall Harper at a jewelry store yesterday. What were you buying?"
Jaxon stepped closer again, a slow smile spreading across his face. "We're not even official and you're already keeping tabs on me?" he teased, his voice a low chuckle.
Sally faltered. It was clear he didn't want to answer, so she wasn't going to push it.
"Never mind," she said with a wave of her hand, preparing to leave. "Forget I asked."
But he caught her wrist in an instant, pulling her back against the trellis. His move was possessive and swift, leaving her with no room to escape.