The Housewife's Return To Her Alluring Prime - Chapter 59: Chapter 59

I pouted, "I feel like I'm just some eye-candy you brought along, with everyone sizing me up and making comments."
I let my feelings show, thinking Jared would brush it off like before and tell me not to be so petty, that it was just his friends joking around.
But instead, Jared shot a stern look at the other three guys. "Don't joke about Victoria like that anymore. She's sensitive."
I was stunned for a moment, but the three guys at the table got the hint and immediately apologized to me.
"Sorry, Victoria. We were just being jerks, no offense meant."
"Yeah, you're Jared's wife. We're happy to have you here."
"Jared, I bet Victoria's bored. Why don't you give up your seat and let her play a couple of rounds?"
Jared caught my wrist with one hand while drawing a card with the other. "Sit down. You're not eye-candy."
He gently tugged me back into my chair, but his words kept echoing in my mind. 'You're not eye-candy. Is he fooling me again?'
Just then, Jared's phone rang. He stood up right away and said to me, "You take over for me."
I quickly waved my hands. "I don't really know how to play."
"If you win, the victory's all yours. If you lose, I'll take the blame," Jared said, really knowing how to sweet-talk me.
Since he put it that way, of course, I had to give it a try. Maybe it was just beginner's luck, but I actually won two rounds in a row. The guys immediately got all fired up, eager to win their money back.
Jared showed up at some point, and instead of asking me to move, he braced himself beside me, leaning in close.
His body cast a shadow over me, and there was something undeniably flirty in the way his cool, faint scent lingered in the air.
I had to admit, when it came to getting a girl hooked, Jared really knew what he was doing. I got hooked the moment I saw that charming face of his.
When we first dated, he was lavish, showering me with expensive gifts on every holiday and booking romantic restaurants for every meal. Within three months, he had bought me cars and apartments.
I now lived in the new marital villa he purchased, yet I still owned three other properties he gave me. The first was a four-bed, two-bath flat downtown, handed over exactly three months after we became official.
The second, a retail storefront, showed up the day Yvonne was born. The third was pure impulse. One New Year, driving home from his mother's, I'd pointed out a high-rise and said the view must be amazing.
On New Year's morning, I found a ribbon-tied key on my pillow. He'd bought the top-floor unit overnight.
He broke down my defenses with his money. So sure, maybe I could call him a jerk, but he was never stingy.
"Should I play this one?" I muttered, rolling a card in my palm, still debating which to throw.
Suddenly, Jared reached over, plucked a card from my hand, and tossed it out for me. "Nice luck with the cards," he said.
"Jared, Victoria's luck is off the charts. Don't think we're letting her win just because she's with you."
"Yeah, she's bound to bring her man good fortune. Jared, you really hit the jackpot."
I paused, and suddenly, I remembered years ago when I went hiking with my parents on Jowain Mount. We ran into a fortune teller who read my fortune and said I was destined to marry a rich man.
I never really thought much about it before, but now, I turned to glance at Jared.
He lowered his gaze to meet mine, and for a moment, our eyes locked. A faint smile played at the corners of his lips.
"You play. I'm tired," I said, feeling restless.
I couldn't help but imagine Jared had probably done the same thing with Tracy before, letting her play while he sat beside her, giving her tips and acting all attentive. It made me feel even more annoyed.
"Come on, just two more rounds. Looks like luck's on your side tonight," Jared coaxed.
"No, I'm done. I need some air," I said, and without another word, I strode out the door.
Jared just sat down and took my spot at the table, but he didn't come after me.
The place wasn't all that big, but it was famous for its dishes. The restaurant had three floors, and one had to take the stairs; no elevator anywhere.
Outside, there was this charming garden done up in a classic style. A tiny stream tinkled by, and there were even some decorative fishing boats set up for atmosphere. I picked a chair and sat down.
Suddenly, the garden gate swung open, and a group of people walked in, chatting excitedly.
The guy leading the pack was wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and he had this lean, athletic build. He was dressed in jeans and a gray T-shirt. It was Nathan.
Nathan was listening intently to the person next to him, clearly not expecting to run into me here. But when his eyes landed on me sitting by the stream, they lit up behind his glasses.
I was a little surprised, too. It was quite coincidental sometimes. Out of all the places in this huge city, here we were, running into each other in this quiet corner.
"Ms. Murphy, are you here alone?" Nathan asked as he walked over.
He always switched up what he called me, sometimes Mrs. Holcomb when he was annoyed, Ms. Murphy when he was in a good mood, and sometimes just my name when he acted all innocent and wronged. He really was a strange one.
"No, I'm here with my husband. They're playing cards upstairs," I said with a smile.
Nathan's expression shifted a bit, then he nodded. "Got it. I'm here with some friends, too. I'll head up now."
"Okay," I said, nodding and looking down at my phone.
Nathan and his group headed upstairs.
I stared at my phone screen, not even bothering to scroll. I just couldn't get Nathan out of my head, but his image kept replaying over and over.
Thinking back to that day at Melissa and Zachary's housewarming, when sparks almost flew between us, my heart was anything but calm.
But I quickly shook those feelings off. It wasn't a man I was lacking right now. I needed skills, a career, and a whole lot of ambition.
I wasn't about to chase after some guy just because he was impressive. No, I wanted to go head-to-head with him in business, crush him, and be my queen.
"What are you doing out here all by yourself? Letting the mosquitoes feast on you?" Jared came downstairs looking for me. Maybe the food was ready.
Right after he said that, I really did feel a few itchy mosquito bites on my legs.
I got up and followed him upstairs, but Jared leaned against the railing and said, "Mr. Hallman came over to say hi earlier."
My heart skipped a beat. 'Why would Nathan go out of his way to talk to Jared?' I wondered.
Jared continued, "Our company just got a new system, and it was built by his company. We'll probably be working with them a lot more from now on."
I wasn't sure what Jared was getting at. 'Is he still suspicious about me and Nathan?' I thought.
"Oh, that doesn't really have anything to do with me, right?" I said with a faint smile.
Jared shot me a skeptical look. "Just want you to know. Sometimes, to a man, his career matters more than any woman ever could."
I arched a brow and gave him a rebellious grin. "Oh yeah? How would you know if you've never even put it to the test?"
Jared's face went stiff in an instant.
"Don't even try it. I'm worried you couldn't handle the outcome," Jared said, turning to head upstairs. After a few steps, he paused, glanced back at me, and added, "You really want to test it?"
I shrugged. "Relax. I was just messing with you. Didn't think you'd actually take it seriously."
Jared looked a little flustered, clearly embarrassed that I'd managed to tease him like that. He shot me a half-annoyed, half-amused glare. "Victoria, you're getting naughty."
I just waved it off, grinning. "Hey, you know what they say. Men only love a little bad in their women."
Just as I finished speaking, the door to a private room on the second floor suddenly opened, and Nathan walked out.
Jared and I happened to be standing right in front of him.