The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 171

They did look incredibly happy.

But Julian was fully aware that Sarah was not Liam's type.

Jocelyn pulled her gaze away from them and took a small sip of her drink.

It was perfectly tart with just the right amount of sweetness. It was delicious.

"What kind of juice is this?"

"A fresh-squeezed blend," Julian replied. "I specifically asked the bartender not to add any syrup. Just the natural sugar from the fruit."

Jocelyn was deeply touched by the gesture. "That's incredibly thoughtful of you."

Julian offered a warm, subtle smile.

"You've been practically living at the hospital these past few days. How are you holding up physically?"

"I'm okay. I've been managing to get some sleep."

"Winter is coming," Julian warned softly. "Don’t let the chill catch you off guard; make sure you’re dressing for the season."

"I will."

After that, a comfortable silence settled between them.

Jocelyn felt a pang of guilt and finally spoke up.

"My original plan was that once I started working at Adrian's company, I'd have unrestricted access to all their internal files. I was going to pull everything and bring it straight to you. But things kind of blew up, so I don't think I'll be able to get the rest of it in time."

Julian's smile was perfectly serene.

"As long as you are here, that's more than enough."

Jocelyn let out an awkward laugh.

"You are way too easygoing for a CEO."

"Because from the very beginning, all I ever wanted was you on my team," Julian said smoothly. "Everything else is just a bonus. Whether I get the files or not doesn't really matter to me."

Jocelyn listened to his words, suddenly feeling like there was a heavy, unspoken double meaning hanging in the air.

Julian immediately realized how his words had sounded.

"I meant... professionally. I wasn't trying to imply anything else."

Jocelyn laughed.

"I never thought I'd see the great Julian Vance struggle to find the right words."

They chatted easily for a while longer before Jocelyn went off to mingle with the rest of her old friends.

None of them knew she was pregnant, so they kept trying to hand her drinks.

Sarah aggressively intercepted every single one of them.

Thankfully, they hadn't brought out the hard liquor, so Sarah managed to avoid getting completely wasted.

Halfway through the night, Jocelyn stepped out to use the restroom.

Jocelyn immediately tried to hand it back, not wanting him to freeze.

"Keep it on. You'll catch a cold."

"I'm not cold," Julian said evenly.

"How can you not be cold? You're only wearing a thin sweater."

"I handle the cold better than most people."

Jocelyn couldn't help but smile.

"You know, you're actually pretty funny."

"If I'm too rigid, my employees won't like me."

"For the record, my friends spent the entire night raving about you. They think you're an incredible boss. Especially Sarah. I think she practically worships the ground you walk on now."

The driver finally pulled up.

Julian handed the man the keys, and the two of them climbed into the backseat.

The car's heater slowly kicked in, filling the tight space with a comfortable warmth that quickly made Jocelyn feel drowsy.

As the car merged onto the highway and began speeding through the city, Jocelyn suddenly snapped awake.

This wasn't the route to The Astoria.

A terrifying realization slammed into her...