The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 380

Ethan answered, listened for a few seconds, and hung up. His expression hardened instantly. Speak of the devil.

"Miss Evans is meeting with Caleb Preston right now," Ethan reported.

Julian's coffee cup halted inches from his mouth. "Is she alone?"

"Yes. At The Cypress Lounge."

For weeks, Julian had kept a covert surveillance detail on Caleb, waiting for the perfect moment to utterly destroy the man. The memory of the red handprint on Jocelyn's cheek burned vividly in Julian's mind. He had been biding his time, holding back his fury.

Ethan was visibly anxious. "That old snake is ruthless, Boss. I don't trust him anywhere near her. Should we head over there?"

Julian sat in absolute silence for a moment. "No. If he were planning something physically dangerous, he wouldn't have picked a high-end public place like The Cypress Lounge."

Ethan nodded, seeing the logic. "But why would he demand a meeting out of nowhere? What's his angle?"

Julian's gaze drifted back to the floor-to-ceiling windows, the atmosphere in the room dropping to a freezing tension.

"Boss?" Ethan prompted cautiously.

"Whatever it is, only she knows the full story," Julian said softly.

They had texted last night. She hadn't mentioned Caleb. She had deliberately kept it from him, which meant she wanted to handle this on her own terms. Julian respected her too much to violently rip that agency away from her by barging in.

"Ethan." The authority returned to Julian's voice, sharp and unyielding. "Send our absolute best men. I want a protective perimeter around her at all times."

"You think Caleb is going to make a move on her?"

Julian's eyes darkened with a predatory intensity. "I think he might try to make a move on her baby."

Julian opened his eyes, his expression impossibly calm. "Our job is to protect her, not police her. This is her battle to fight. If I storm in and strip her of her autonomy, I become just another man trying to control her."

Ethan processed the words, a profound realization hitting him.

To stand in the shadows, offering unbreakable protection without ever demanding obedience or stifling her freedom. To give her the respect to make her own choices, even dangerous ones.

It was an evolution of love Ethan, who had never truly cared for a woman, couldn't quite fathom.

But one question still gnawed at him. "Boss, aren't you terrified? What if Caleb gets in her head? What if he scares her into making a tragic mistake?"

A slow, devastatingly fond smile curved Julian's lips, his eyes softening with undeniable pride.

"If a pathetic thug like Caleb Preston could break her, she wouldn't be the Storm I've spent my life admiring."