After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 783

“Melissa is always stealing Douglas’s business. It drives him absolutely crazy. But sometimes Douglas will swoop in and snatch a deal she’s been working on forever, which makes Melissa so mad she looks like she’s ready to rip him apart.”

“They never act friendly with each other. Did you see Melissa smile at Douglas even once just now? And Douglas isn’t exactly Mr. Polite when he talks to her either.”

Laura leaned in, sounding completely sure of herself. “I’m telling you, Douglas totally likes Melissa. Sure, they’re rivals, but you know how it is—sometimes rivals end up with this love-hate thing. They get each other. Honestly, I think they might even secretly admire each other.”

“I don’t know. Maybe Douglas admires Melissa, but I doubt she feels the same about him.”

Jesse scanned the crowd until he spotted Douglas, who was deep in conversation with some executive. Maybe Douglas sensed Jesse’s eyes on him, because he glanced over. Then he picked up his glass and gave Jesse a little toast from across the room.

Jesse grinned and lifted his own glass back, a silent cheers between them. Then he started looking for Melissa.

Melissa was surrounded too. A bunch of people hoping to work with The Mason Group had clustered around her, but she was just sitting in the corner, barely reacting to anything anyone said. Jesse knew this side of her well—Melissa hated these kinds of events. Unless it was a really important business partner hosting, she wouldn’t even show up. Usually, she’d make a quick appearance and slip out again in less than half an hour.

Tonight was different—she was only sticking around because Jesse had brought Laura along.

“I just don’t see the spark between them, no matter how I look at it,” Jesse said.

“Jordan and Natalie just walked in.”

Jesse spotted Jordan and Natalie following right behind Jackson and his wife and leaned over to quietly tell Laura.

Jordan’s family didn’t have the same standing as Jesse’s or Harold’s, but Jackson was still the head of The Lane Group and he was in the same generation as Lucas. Out of respect, Lucas went over with his wife to greet them.

Lucas and Jackson chatted and laughed together, but both Lucas and his wife ignored Deborah, who was with Jackson. Latonia, especially, didn’t even glance at Deborah and instead immediately started up a conversation with Natalie.