He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 146

A crushing wave of humiliation washed over him.

He hadn't brought Andre here to humiliate Juniper. He had brought him here to humiliate himself.

He violently smashed a beer bottle against the table, sending the pungent smell of alcohol roaring into the air.

Julian's eye twitched violently. Knowing Nelson was about to snap, he quickly threw himself in front of Juniper.

"Nelson, just use your words. Put the broken bottle down."

Unable to handle the suffocating tension, Andre scrambled to his feet. "I... I'll take my leave now."

Nelson looked at him, a twisted smirk forming on his lips as he casually tossed the broken bottle to his own feet. "Don't move."

Those two barely-whispered words nailed Andre to the floor. Sweat poured down his face, and his legs turned to jelly.

Nelson shifted his gaze to Juniper and let out a dark chuckle. "This is the man my grandmother and I picked out for you. Do you want to marry him? Kiss him, Juniper. Kiss him right now and show me."

Even Miles, let alone Julian, found the demand utterly unhinged. Nelson was spiraling out of control tonight.

Juniper said nothing.

As the scent of stale liquor grew thicker, Julian desperately tried to defuse the bomb. "Juniper, Nelson's probably just drunk."

But Juniper's next words were, "If I kiss him, will you stay out of my life forever?"

She couldn't be sure, but for a split second, something monstrous flashed in Nelson's eyes.

Yet his tone was feather-light. "Yeah, sure."

Juniper turned and started walking toward Andre.

Julian barely swallowed his curse. If she actually went through with it, Andre was a dead man walking.

"Hey, wait, wait! Juniper, Nelson is just joking. It's just a joke!"

He reached out to grab her, only to be stopped by Nelson's venomous snarl, "Keep your hands off her."

Julian threw his hands up in sheer exasperation, snatching his suit jacket from the sofa. "Miles can take you to the ER later. I'm so done with this."

Nelson's current state was dangerously unstable, so when Miles headed for the door, she immediately moved to follow him.

Miles halted and glanced back at her.

Juniper thought he was about to say something, but in the next second, a powerful force shoved her backward, and the door clicked shut.

Miles wasn't one for small talk; he was ruthless, efficient, and never wasted words.

Juniper stumbled back several steps, only for Nelson's arm to snake gently around her waist.

She felt as though the lock to her cage had just snapped shut.

She dreaded the psychotic breakdown he was surely about to have, but his arm merely held her steady.

He pulled her down beside him and just held her in complete silence.

Juniper didn't dare move a muscle. She could feel every fiber of Nelson's being vibrating on the absolute brink of implosion.