Titan 200

55 vouchers

Yolanda was left breathless from the kiss, lightly pounding Charles’s shoulder. “You’re suffocating me,” she complained.

Charles pulled back and hugged her tightly again. “Let’s go home?” he asked.

Yolanda’s mind was spinning. She could tell Charles was in a good mood, which meant the Andrade family probably won the bid for the land tonight—and ended up being the sucker who got played.

Once the truth about the land came out, Cedric would lose any shot at becoming CEO of the Andrade Group, and Quentin would most likely rise to the top.

Yolanda wasn’t thrilled about that, considering Quentin was Joelle’s lapdog.

Out of the corner of her eye, Yolanda caught a glimpse of someone’s shirt darting past the corner. Her heart skipped a beat. ‘Crap, the puppy saw everything,‘ she thought.

Sure, Charles was her husband, but Ian had never witnessed them getting so close before.

Yolanda felt a surge of panic and shoved Charles away, faking dizziness.

“Charles, I need to have a word with Megan. Go wait for me in the car,” Yolanda said.

“You’re not drunk, are you?” Charles asked.

“Nope, I’m totally fine. Megan’s just really hyped up tonight. You know how her husband is… I’m honestly happy for her. She got tipsy so fast, I need to go see how she’s holding up,” Yolanda replied.

Charles reached out and gave her cheek a gentle pinch. Her eyes were shimmering with emotion, making it impossible for him to resist her.

“How long do I have to wait? Don’t forget, your husband’s time is worth a fortune,” Charles teased.

“Half an hour tops,” Yolanda replied.

With that, she strode off toward the elevator, disappearing around the corner.

Charles let out a soft laugh. ‘She’s seriously getting more vibrant and full of life every single day,‘ he couldn’t help but think.

Yolanda headed straight for the farthest corner, and sure enough, she spotted lan out by the little courtyard.

He was sitting all by himself in a hanging chair, looking so lonely it made her heart ache.

Her chest tightened. She hurried over and called out, “lan.”

Ian answered in a low voice, not turning around. “Mm?”

He kept his eyes fixed on the distant fake rockery, his long legs awkwardly folded up beneath him like he had

9:07 Wed, Oct 22

nowhere else to put them.

1

65 voucher

Yolanda hesitated, unsure of what to say. Instead, she reached out and helped fan to his feet, gently guiding him toward the elevator.

When they got upstairs, Yolanda glanced at lan. “How many rooms did you get?”

lan mumbled, turning his head away. “Two.”

“Where’s the other one?” Yolanda asked.

“Ms. Grant, your husband’s still waiting for you, you know,” Ian said quietly.

Before Ian’s words were even cold, Yolanda jerked her hand free. “Whatever, I haven’t slept with him for half a year. Guess I’m actually in the mood tonight.”

Her words had barely landed when Ian seized her wrist. That usual look of gentle hurt was gone–he just stared at her, icy and silent, unreadable.

Yolanda gave him a sly grin, cupping his cheeks. “Hey, it’s just for show–the whole married couple act, you know? If you’re that bothered by it, why don’t you kiss me and take it back?”

Ian didn’t say a word. He just yanked her into the room next door and slammed the door shut behind them.

The room was pitch black. Yolanda found herself pressed up against the floor–to–ceiling window, hands gripping the chilly railing, and in the glass’s reflection, she saw Ian closing in on her.

“Ian…” Yolanda whispered, breathless.

The wild edge in Ian’s eyes disappeared in a flash. He spun her gently to face him, brushed a tender kiss over her lips, then lifted one of her legs and settled it onto the chair beside them.

“Hold on to the railing,” Ian murmured.

“Charles is still downstairs waiting for me, Ian. Seriously–don’t start,” Yolanda whispered, her voice tense.

‘There’s no way I can hide this. My face will totally give me away, and with how sharp Charles is, he’ll see right through me for sure,‘ Yolanda fretted.

Ian dropped his head, looking like a puppy who just got scolded–totally defeated.

Then, still silent, he got up and headed straight into the bathroom next door. Soon, the sound of water running echoed from inside.

Yolanda glanced at her phone. Ten minutes had already passed since she came up.

She knocked on the bathroom door. “Ian?”

“What?” Ian’s voice came from inside, still a bit grumpy.

Even though he was still mad, Ian opened the door. His hair was dripping wet, like he’d just stepped out of the

9:07 Wed, Oct 22

shower.

97

155 vouchers

Yolanda waited outside, her tone gentle but firm. “Once I take over Starlight, I’ll move your contract straight there myself. I’ll make you shine–deal?”

The bathroom floor was a good eight inches higher than the rest, making lan tower over her even more as he stood in the doorway.

“You think I give a damn?” Ian shot back.

I’m the one who cares, Ian. I’m a married woman, and you knew that from the beginning. If it really bothered you, you shouldn’t have gotten mixed up with me at all,” Yolanda said, steady but a little tired.

Jan’s face changed instantly. He bit his lip and fixed her with an icy stare.

Yolanda’s gaze stayed steady and calm. She reached up and touched his cheek. “You’re still young, Ian. You’ve got a future ahead of you most people can only dream of. I know you’re hiding things–there’s more to you than anyone realizes. You’re destined for big things, I told you that right from the start.”

Ian snapped her hand away. “Sure, you’re the one who’s always got it together–guess it’s all my fault, huh? I can’t be as heartless as you. After everything between us, all those kisses, you can just calmly talk business like none of it ever mattered?”

Yolanda had already learned her lesson the hard way with men–there’s no way she’d let herself fall for someone again so quickly.

She took a deep breath, slipped her hand out of his grasp, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“We both need to cool down and take a breather. Things at Starlight have been hectic lately,” Yolanda said.

As Yolanda turned to leave, Ian stared after her, the scowl on his face tinged with a cold, simmering anger.

“Are you going to see Leo?” Ian spat out, his voice icy.

Yolanda furrowed her brows, stunned for a second. ‘Did I just hear that right?‘ She didn’t answer immediately.

Ian leaned casually against the doorframe, his whole vibe shifting in an instant. He looked like a flower blooming in the dark–intriguing, seductive, and dangerous all at once.

“So, you running off to see him now? What, did he finally beg to be your puppy or something?” Ian scoffed, his voice cold and mocking.

Yolanda opened the door to the room, pausing just long enough to say, “Calm down.” Her tone was cool and detached.

Saying nothing else, she closed the door behind her.

Ian lowered his gaze, looking defeated, then smashed his fist into the mirror next to him, streaks of blood welling from his knuckles.

His crew tried calling, but he couldn’t be bothered to pick up. Without a word, he turned on the faucet and

9:07 Wed, Oct 22

quietly washed the blood from his knuckles away.

:.

97

55 vouchers

Yolanda was riding the elevator alone when it stopped at a random floor. The doors opened, and Leo stepped

Yolanda felt all her luck plummet–could this night get any worse? She shifted to the side, keeping as much distance as possible.

Leo snorted, clearly unimpressed, and reached out to hit the elevator button.

Yolanda had zero interest in sharing a confined space with him, especially tonight. So before the elevator doors could shut, she just stepped out without a second thought.

Leo caught the doors with one hand, his eyes burning with irritation. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I just don’t want to ride the elevator with you,” Yolanda replied coolly.

Leo snapped, all fur bristling like a cat with its tail stepped on. “What, you still share the same planet with me? Why don’t you just catch the next rocket to Mars!”

Yolanda rolled her eyes, spun around without giving him a second glance, and marched off to find another elevator.

But Leo stormed after her, refusing to let it go.

Yolanda felt the alcohol kicking in, and his footsteps coming up behind her were really starting to get on her nerves. “What exactly do you want from me?” she shot back.

Maybe it was just the booze, but Yolanda felt hot all over. She leaned against the window, letting the cool night breeze tease her hair, hoping it would help clear her mind.

Leo caught the flush on her cheeks and the dazed look in her eyes, but the usual flirty spark was nowhere to be found. Obviously, she and Ian hadn’t even had the chance to get up to anything.

His call couldn’t have come at a better moment. Charles had been extra attentive to Yolanda lately–if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have shown up so fast tonight.

Leo couldn’t even figure out what the hell was going on in his own head. Growing up with the Lawsons, there’s no way he was some idiot.

There was that voice in his head, louder by the second, refusing to let up,

‘Heh, if they’re not giving me a seat at the table, whatever–I’ll just flip the whole damn thing. No one gets a bite then, Leo sneered to himself.

9:07 Wed, Oct 22