The Moment I Realized I Can't Lose You novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20 

Joaquin deliberately emphasized the words “My wife,” aggressively marking his territory. 

Without sparing Miles another glance, he carried Audrey over to the nearest empty booth and gently set her down on the plush seating. 

Then, he dropped down on one knee right in front of her. Under the stunned gazes of everyone in the café, he reached out, gently lifting her injured ankle and resting it on his bent knee. 

“Ah…” The moment he touched the gauze, Audrey hissed in pain. 

Joaquin kept his head down, intently examining the blood-soaked bandages, his brow furrowed deeply. “lodine.” He didn’t even look up as he issued the cold command. 

Intimidated by his terrifying aura, the waiter scrambled to hand over the first-aid kit. 

Frowning, Joaquin began unraveling the ruined gauze, his voice icy. “What kind of pills are so important you’d dive under a moving car for them? Give me the name. I’ll have Chase buy you a truckload of them.” 

Audrey turned her face away, ignoring him. 

The waiter finally handed over the kit. Joaquin lowered his eyes, quietly and meticulously cleaning Audrey’s wound. 

A strange silence settled over the café. 

Watching the scene unfold, the hostility faded from Miles’s eyes. He turned back around, took a seat at a table, flagged a waiter for a coffee, and took a slow sip while watching Audrey. 

She was sitting quietly in the booth, staring down at Joaquin as he bandaged her ankle. The look in her eyes was entirely different from the way she had looked at him. when he was doing the exact same thing. 

Seeing her like this, Miles’s eyes darkened. Shifting his gaze, he noticed Rainey standing a few feet away, her face storm-cloud dark. The sweet smile she had worked so hard to maintain had completely shattered, leaving only raw, uglyjealousy. 

He let out a soft chuckle. “What would you like to drink, Ms. Sinclair? It’s on me.” 

Only then did Rainey tear her eyes away from Joaquin and Audrey. She shot Miles a venomous glare before marching over to Joaquin’s side. 

Audrey finally remembered that she had promised to go over the final movie details with him today. She braced her hands against the booth and tried to stand up, but the searing pain in her ankle sent her crashing right back onto the seat, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. 

“Don’t move!” Joaquin clamped a hand down on her shoulder, his scowl deepening. “Where do you think you’re going?” 

Audrey pushed his hand away with a frown and forced herself to stand again. “I have something urgent to do.” 

Rainey smirked, sliding into the booth next to her. “It’s so rare for the three of us to run into Miles. I was hoping we could all have coffee and catch up. Why are you rushing off the second your wound is bandaged?” 

“Is it because you don’t want to be around us…” She shot a highly suggestive look at Miles. “Or are you terrified of slipping up and exposing something?” 

“Think whatever you want.” Audrey didn’t have the energy to argue with her. She bypassed Rainey and headed for the door. 

She hadn’t even taken three steps when a large hand locked around her wrist. Joaquin glared at her. “Bianca Snow is out of town for business today, and you don’t even have a job. What could you possibly be so busy with?” 

His gaze dropped to the fresh bandages on her ankle. “Do you want to rip your wound open again?”