The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 286

This was Jocelyn's first time stepping inside the apartment in the South Hills.

The moment she pushed the door open, she was stunned.

The decor was incredibly luxurious.

Almost dreamlike in its perfection...

A sudden wave of sadness washed over her.

The color palette, the curtains, the furniture—even the artwork on the walls—everything was tailored exactly to her tastes.

If she had to guess, her adoptive father, Marcus Evans, had picked out every single detail himself.

Because he was the one person who truly knew what she loved and what she didn't.

He always used to say that despite her tough exterior and her insistence that she didn't care about anything, she had the softest heart. He told her she was an absolute angel on the inside, drawn to all things beautiful and bright.

Liam stepped out onto the balcony and whistled.

"Whoa, Jo, this penthouse is insane! This blows The Astoria out of the water."

Even though it was tucked away in the suburbs, it didn't feel isolated or remote.

Instead, it offered a different kind of luxury.

It sat right on the edge of a gorgeous lake, surrounded by lush greenery and breathtaking views.

With the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, the space was flooded with natural light.

You could lounge by the glass all day and never get tired of looking out.

Sarah did a lap around the living room, absolutely enchanted.

"Jo, maybe I should buy a place here too and we can be neighbors."

Jocelyn beamed.

"Yes! Please do, I'd love that."

Liam slung an arm over Julian's shoulder.

"Julian, buy me a place here too. I want to be Jo's neighbor."

Julian: "The sun's still up."

Liam: "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sarah laughed. "He's telling you to stop daydreaming, idiot."

Instead of getting mad, Liam grinned.

"Well, Sarah, since you're buying a place, why don't you just save a room for me? We can be roommates."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "In your dreams."

Sarah kicked at his shin. "Who do you think you are, Adrian Lowell? Trying to play the field and have your cake and eat it too?"

Liam raised an eyebrow. "Why'd you have to bring that piece of trash up and ruin a perfectly good day?"

Sarah chuckled. "Fair point."

Liam suddenly turned to Jocelyn: "So, President Evans, seeing as we spent the entire day doing manual labor for you, aren't you going to treat us to a nice dinner tonight?"

Jocelyn smiled. "Of course. Pick anywhere you want."

Liam: "You say that with such confidence. Do you even have a dime left to your name? Don't take us somewhere nice and then force us to dine and dash."

Before Jocelyn could respond, Julian spoke up.

"I'll cover the bill."

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"What's the occasion?"

Julian: "The occasion is that she's officially joining Vanguard Tech."

Jocelyn smiled.

"I've practically been working for you guys already, I just hadn't formally onboarded. But now that the divorce is happening, and the move is done, everything has settled down. It's time for me to get my life back on track."