The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 122

"I'll walk you back to your room."

Audrey, playing the perfect martyr, murmured, "Adrian, maybe you should go after Jocelyn instead... I... I'll be fine."

Adrian stared at the darkness where Jocelyn had vanished, his mind an absolute mess.

"Forget it," he growled, as if convincing himself. "Just let her go."

"But the award ceremony is tomorrow," Audrey said. "If Jocelyn doesn't show up, how are you going to explain it to Commissioner Davis?"

Adrian replied, though he didn't sound entirely convinced, "She wouldn't skip it. Unless... she really doesn't want to be Mrs. Lowell anymore."

Commissioner Quentin Davis's car was parked right outside The Astoria.

"You punk," Quentin said. "You haven't reached out to me in a century, and the one time you finally do, it's to have me bail someone out."

Julian Vance smiled elegantly. "Thank you, Quentin."

Oh, so you do remember I exist," he teased. "You’ve been in Austin so long, you haven’t bothered to visit once."

"Sorry, I've been busy lately," Julian said.

Quentin gave him a meaningful smirk. "You don't seem all that busy to me. You've got plenty of time to worry about another man's wife."

"Quentin," Julian said, his tone growing serious. "I explained this. She's just my business associate. And a very good friend."

Quentin dropped the teasing and asked, "How are you so sure something happened to her at the Lowell estate?"

Julian answered honestly.

"First, her phone goes straight to voicemail. She only turns it off when she's sleeping."

"Second, the Lowell family's precious daughter got hit. Old Mrs. Lowell will never let that slide. She already hates Jocelyn, so she definitely wouldn't pass up an excuse to tear into her."

"But I couldn't be one hundred percent certain she was in trouble, which is why I bothered you to go check on her."

Quentin chuckled. "The first time I ever pull a favor for you, and it's for something like this. You're lucky it's you. If anyone else asked, I would've broken their legs."

"I know you've got a soft spot for me," Julian said.

"Don't give me that," Quentin replied. "I've known you for years, and I've never heard you say anything so sickeningly sweet. It seems this Miss Evans..."

"Oh, excuse me, your 'business associate', holds a rather high place in your heart."

Julian didn't say a word.

Quentin checked the time.

"Alright, it's getting late. I should head back."

Julian stepped out of the car.

Ethan gritted his teeth and went for it.

"Sir, why are you being so incredibly good to Miss Evans?"

"You want the truth?" Julian asked.

"Of course I want the truth. But if you don't want to say it, I won't ask."

Julian opened his mouth to reply.

Suddenly, Ethan raised his hand as if taking an oath. "But you can rest assured, whatever you tell me won't reach a third person. I swear!"

Then, he waited eagerly for Julian's answer.

Julian pulled his gaze away from the window, tracing the edge of his wristwatch with a faint smile.

"Didn't you ask me before who I used to have a crush on?"

Ethan nodded. "Yeah, what does that have to..."

Ethan abruptly stopped talking, his mouth hanging open.

"Sir, you... you don't mean..."

"I do," Julian said.