Next Man, Better Plan novel Chapter 269

On the way back, Stephanie and Jonathan rode in silence.

His wife had been wronged, and that was his failure as a husband.

He hadn't managed the relationships properly, causing Stephanie unnecessary trouble.

“Next time he sends a car for you, just ignore them,” Jonathan said.

“And why, when something happens, isn't your first instinct to call me?”

They had arranged for him to come home for dinner today.

But when Jonathan rushed home at noon, the house was empty, and Stephanie wasn't answering her phone.

He knew something was wrong. He checked the security footage from The Obsidian Circle and saw Stephanie being picked up by a car from the estate, and a surge of anger washed over him.

The people at the estate were a troublesome bunch, a nest of vipers living under one roof.

Stephanie had seen it for herself during her last visit, yet she had still gotten into that car.

When he saw her sitting alone at the dining table, isolated and helpless, Jonathan’s first thought was that she had been bullied.

As a man, how could he tolerate that? He had flipped the table to ensure no one at the estate would ever dare to bother her again.

But Stephanie’s first instinct in a crisis wasn't to call him for help, nor did she tell him beforehand that she was going to the estate. It left Jonathan with a strange feeling.

He felt a sense of frustration, of not being trusted by his own wife.

Stephanie explained softly, “I wasn't hurt or anything. Besides, it was just a trip to the estate. I thought I could handle it myself and didn't want to bother you.”

Jonathan had just returned from a week-long business trip; he must have a lot to catch up on at the company.

Stephanie knew that as the CEO of Ironhold Investment Group, he was under immense pressure.

She then noticed a cut on the back of his hand, likely from a piece of shattered glass when he flipped the table.

Stephanie immediately took his hand to inspect it.

Tobias took a sip of his drink. “Either that, or Stephanie is just too independent.”

“She can stand up for you in front of the Vasquezes, but she can’t bring herself to rely on you completely. Trust is built over time, and so are feelings. Bottom line, you two just haven’t spent enough time together.”

Jonathan frowned.

None of that sounded particularly good.

“Are you saying she doesn’t love me?”

Tobias froze, then quickly said, “Jonathan, those are your words, not mine…”

Jonathan looked thoughtful.

Realizing his words might have been misconstrued, Tobias tried to explain further, worried Jonathan was overthinking it.

But Jonathan just took a sip of his drink and asked, “What about her and Quennel? What do you think she was like with him?”