From His Ex-Wife to the World's Most Sought-After Restorer (Jade and Hudson) novel Chapter 230

Julian's fingers clenched into white-knuckled fists at his side. Ten seconds passed before he managed to force the word out.

"Yes."

Jade nodded slowly.

"Good to know my intel was accurate."

The calmer she was, the more Julian felt a strange, suffocating anxiety rising in his chest.

"Jade," he said, his body tensing like a bowstring drawn to the breaking point.

"Do you hate me? For putting you in that position? You almost died."

"Why would I hate you?" Jade looked at him with genuine confusion, as if she couldn't understand why he was even asking.

"You helped me from the start. When you introduced me to Silas, you said it was a collaboration. The details changed, sure, but the deal is the same."

"As long as you keep your end of the bargain—getting me away from Hudson Walter—then this is a win-win. Why would I hold a grudge?"

Julian was speechless. He opened his mouth, but his throat was dry.

Right. It was just a win-win collaboration.

Jade was perfectly clear on her goals.

She was unshakable. She didn't care about the drama.

He should have been happy. He should have celebrated her resolve.

But he couldn't even force a smile.

Because he realized that her indifference meant she didn't care about him at all.

The silence in the room became unbearable.

Julian felt like he couldn't breathe. He stood up.

"I'm going to go have a cigarette."

"Okay."

Jade leaned back against the pillow and closed her eyes.

The moment she drifted off, those blue eyes—deep and clear like the sea—flashed in her mind again.

Who was he? Why did he save her? Did he have his own agenda too?

—

A cheap motel.

Being outsmarted by a woman—and a fragile-looking one at that—was a humiliation he wasn't sure he could live down.

Lyndon was just as livid, but he knew anger wouldn't solve anything. He took several deep breaths to steady himself.

"Wait a minute. How do you even know who she is?"

"She's my girlfriend's best friend," Victor said instinctively, then paused as the realization hit him.

He hadn't told anyone he was meeting Lyndon. If Jade had been on him from the start, how did she know his exact flight?

She had to have known he was coming to Habor City ahead of time!

He thought back to that day at the house. He'd been on the phone with Lyndon, and Jewell Ford had just arrived.

Had Jewell leaked his location to Jade?

Jewell and Jade were inseparable. It was entirely possible.

Lyndon shot him a sharp look. "Did you tell your girlfriend you were coming here?"

Victor didn't even stop to think before lying.

"Of course not. Why would I tell her that? Besides, we met two days earlier than planned. Nobody should have known."

So it was just a coincidence, Lyndon thought. He sat down opposite Victor, recalling his previous encounters with Jade. Between what he'd seen and what Amara had told him, it was becoming very clear—Jade was not the easy target they thought she was.