He Never Noticed Me Until I Loved Someone Else novel Chapter 39

It was Jarrod.

His gaze was dangerously heavy, and his breath carried the faint scent of alcohol.

What on earth was he doing out here with her?

Stella instinctively tried to yank her hand away, but Jarrod anticipated it. His iron grip tightened around her wrist, and with an undeniable force, he yanked her flat against his chest!

Stella gasped in horror.

They were standing in the middle of a hotel corridor where anyone could walk by.

If anyone from the company saw them, she'd be the star of the office rumor mill by morning!

"Jarrod, what are you doing? Let me go."

Terrified of causing a scene, she restricted herself to struggling quietly.

Jarrod refused to let go. Tightening his grip, he smirked dangerously. "You sounded so confident on the phone this morning. Now you suddenly know how to be scared?"

Perhaps fueled by the alcohol, Jarrod’s strength was overwhelming.

After failing to twist free, Stella furrowed her brows and forcefully softened her tone to apologize.

"Jarrod, I was out of line this morning. I shouldn't have mixed personal and professional matters. I'm sorry for bothering you."

Watching Stella put on this submissive, purely transactional act only made the inexplicable irritation in Jarrod's chest flare hotter.

He scoffed coldly. "You don't look sorry to me. You had plenty of bite when you were talking back to Chloe just now!"

Of course, he’s upset because I hurt Chloe’s feelings.

Suddenly, Stella recalled what Cassidy had told her in the breakroom—that she should flex her status as his actual wife and stop letting Chloe walk all over her.

The thought was laughable.

All she did was politely state a fact during a toast, and Jarrod chased her into a hallway to demand an explanation.

"Jarrod..."

Before Stella could even react, Chloe's voice echoed from down the hall.

Chloe’s assistant was trailing right behind her, staring at the two of them with wide-eyed shock.

In a split second of panic, Stella shoved Jarrod forcefully toward Chloe.

Speaking at lightning speed, she blurted out, "Director Huxley, Mr. Fuller is drunk and thought I was you! Please take him to rest!"

"Jarrod, are you okay?"

Chloe rushed forward to steady him, her eyes turning red with immediate distress. "I told you not to drink on my behalf. Seeing you this drunk breaks my heart..."

Wrapping an arm around Chloe's shoulders, Jarrod looked down at her. His tone was lazy and teasing. "If a certain someone gets drunk around me, a broken heart is the last thing I'd be worried about."

Chloe instantly burst into giggles, gently swatting his chest. "You're so annoying! I only got drunk that one time, and you're never going to let me live it down, are you?"