The One He Dismissed Became The One He Died For novel Chapter 90

Nathan swirled the wine in his glass.

"I never thought I'd see the day where I'd get to dine alone with the great Ms. Jenner."

"Back in the day, your eyes were glued solely to Jefferson. You stayed by his side for years, and he dumped you anyway, didn't he?"

He deliberately dragged out his words, bitter resentment evident in his tone.

Claire remained stone-faced. "Things change."

Nathan sneered, his greasy gaze sliding hungrily over her body. "But all these years later, you're still as stunning as ever."

He stared fixedly at the slight swell of cleavage exposed above her neckline, entirely unwilling to look away.

"Especially your curves... they're gorgeous. Perfect for..."

"Mr. Langford, show some respect," Claire interrupted coldly. "This is a gala, not one of your seedy VIP club rooms."

Nathan's fingers tightened violently around his glass.

She was exactly the same as she used to be—stubbornly resistant and hiding needles wrapped in cotton.

He was pissed. She was nothing but Jefferson's discarded toy. What right did she have to act so high and mighty around him?

Just as he was about to lash out, a commotion erupted at the entrance of the banquet hall.

Jefferson and Yvonne Zimmerman walked in together, drawing the entire room's attention as if stepping out of a spotlight.

Yvonne's gaze scanned the room. When she spotted Claire and Nathan in the corner, she paused in surprise before a look of realization settled in her eyes.

She lightly tapped Jefferson's arm.

Jefferson followed her gaze, furious flames igniting instantly in his eyes.

Nathan?

So the man in Claire's livestream broadcast was Nathan.

His absolute worst rival from college!

Claire stood stoic and entirely indifferent to the noise.

She wasn't going to let the buzzing of two pathetic flies get under her skin.

Jefferson scoffed internally. Watching Claire get publicly humiliated was exactly what she deserved.

Without him to protect her, anyone could easily trample her. His little songbird would taste the cruelty of the real world and quickly come crawling back to him with her tail between her legs.

"Yvonne, let's go," Jefferson demanded. He strode away, his retreating figure radiating an arrogant, untouchable certainty.

Nathan's face was livid. It was all this wretched woman's fault!

He redirected all of his fury straight at Claire.

Damn it. He was going to use this woman ruthlessly and kick her to the curb. There was no way he'd actually keep something Jefferson didn't want.

The gala continued in full swing.

Suddenly, Otis Vanderbilt, the host of the evening, excitedly announced to the crowd, "The guest of honor has arrived!"