The Plane Tickets He Hoarded The Wife He Hid novel Chapter 177

Vincent stood out in the crowd, his height and looks catching attention from everyone walking by.

Despite all those stares, he only focused on Joanna, locking his gaze on her with a subtle, teasing smile.

He watched her, letting a gentle grin linger on his face.

Even with everyone’s eyes on him, he wasn’t interested in anyone but Joanna. That fact alone had girls shooting her jealous glares,

clearly wishing they could swap places with her.

Joanna’s pride swelled as she noticed all those envious looks.

With so many girls obviously jealous, she looked pretty smug–no way to hide that superior feeling.

Even though he’d clearly rejected her before, Joanna refused to accept it. She was convinced that no matter what, she could capture his

attention.

Flashing a sweet smile, she pushed forward, “So, Mr. Aarav, who’s your sweetheart?”

Just remembering the wish Joanna wrote on that lotus lantern made him want to puke.

‘Where the hell did she get the nerve to wish for something like that?‘ he wondered.

He’d once told Ashlee she was only the third girl he genuinely found annoying.

Despite what people might say about him, women usually couldn’t resist falling for him–he had that magnetism.

He was witty, loaded, and pretty damn charming–what woman wouldn’t be drawn to that?

And he rarely truly hated women anyway.

He wasn’t just talking to Ashlee that day–he meant every single word.

The first woman he ever really despised was Ophelia, for bullying Blanche.

The second was Joanna–she stole Blanche’s joy but wouldn’t even take Zain away permanently.

Usually, he wouldn’t even fake pleasantries with a woman he couldn’t stand. But remembering Joanna’s ridiculous wish sparked a wicked

plan in his mind.

“The higher she climbs, the harder she’ll fall,” he thought with a cold grin.

Without hesitation, he met Joanna’s eyes and said bluntly, “My sweetheart is Blanche. She’s the only one I’ll ever obey.”

Joanna’s smile wavered briefly, but she managed a weak, casual grin. “Mr. Aaray, you might not know this, but Blanche-”

He cut her off before she could continue, not letting her trash Blanche. “Ms. Vins, honestly, you’re gorgeous, and I won’t deny–I did feel attracted. But you’re with Zain, so…”

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177 Chapter 177 The Higher She Climbs

He left the sentence hanging, deliberately letting the suggestion float in the air.

He’d handled plenty of women, and he knew exactly what girls like Joanna craved.

She wanted every man’s attention fixed on her, longed for that worship, that queen bee feeling surrounded by admirers.

Since that’s what she was after, he was happy to play along–just to watch how high she’d soar before crashing down.

After speaking, he studied Joanna’s expression, curious about her reaction.

The moment she heard him admit he had feelings for her, color flooded her cheeks and her heart hammered wildly.

Zain treated her like precious treasure, but for Joanna, being one man’s world was never enough.

She wanted his affection, craved Demetrius’s devotion, Drew’s worship, and Nicholas’s complete infatuation. She always hungered for

more–never satisfied with what she had.

He didn’t sugarcoat things, and Joanna caught his hesitation immediately. She didn’t confront him directly–her voice soft as she replied,

“Mr. Aarav, honestly, Zain and I might not work out in the end.”

She said it deliberately, clearly hinting she wanted Zain and him to compete for her.

He understood her game but didn’t bite. Hands casually in his pockets, he smirked, “Ms. Vins, a woman as stunning as you–shame I can’t

have you. Guess that’s life’s cruel joke.”

As he let out that theatrical sigh, Joanna could barely contain herself–she was dying for him to pursue her, to refuse giving up. ‘God, just

fight for me!‘ she wished, swallowing the urge to say it aloud.

She grew restless, but some things she simply couldn’t voice.

Watching him put on that disappointed expression made Joanna secretly thrilled, though she felt anxious too. She shot him a flirtatious

look and said, “Mr. Aarav, you’re so charming, clever, and gorgeous–honestly, men like you are exactly my type.”

He was genuinely shocked Joanna would be so bold with her flirting. He gave her a wicked smirk, his tone lazy and provocative. “Seems

the attraction’s mutual, but shame you’re already Zain’s. Otherwise, Ms. Vins, I’d love to get more intimate–what a loss, right?”

He deliberately kept things brazen, expecting Joanna to get embarrassed or retreat. Instead, her face turned crimson and she lowered

her voice to barely a whisper, “Mr. Aarav, honestly… I’m still a virgin.”

After saying that, she ducked her head, cheeks glowing red as apples–so shy and gorgeous she looked almost irresistible.

He paused, genuinely stunned by her confession.

If Joanna was being truthful, then after all this time, Zain hadn’t even touched her?

‘Seriously? That’s impossible. She’s got to be lying, he figured, shaking his head.

Even telling himself she must be dishonest, he couldn’t shake that uncomfortable feeling creeping up his spine.

‘But what if she’s actually telling the truth? What if nothing happened between her and Zain? If Blanche discovers this, would she cancel the divorce? What if Blanche falls for Zain again?

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177 Chapter 177 The Higher She Climbs

He couldn’t get that thought out of his head.

‘I lost all those early years with her. I’m never losing any more time. This time, I’ll fight for her, steal her, beg if necessary–anything to keep Blanche beside me. I’ll never let her go. She’s been hurt once. I’d never let anyone hurt her twice! For the rest of her life, I’m the only one who’ll give Blanche true happiness,‘ he vowed.

After Joanna confessed her virginity, she kept staring at him, watching emotions flicker across his face.

‘Bet he’s plotting how to steal me from Zain now, Joanna thought, secretly delighted.

She leaned closer, her voice silky and seductive. “Mr. Aarav, mind exchanging WhatsApp?”

His mind had been elsewhere, but her words finally brought him back to reality.

He hesitated briefly, then flashed her a reckless grin. “If the woman who makes my pulse race is asking, how could I refuse?”

With that, he pulled out his phone and added her on WhatsApp.

Once the request went through, Joanna couldn’t hide her excitement, beaming from ear to ear.

But he’d already lost interest in dealing with her.

His expression grew cold as he said, “I’ve got business to handle. I’m leaving.”

Without giving her another chance to speak, he walked away without looking back.

Blanche’s POV

As Zain and I returned to Blissfield Villa, we discovered Carry still burning with fever, nearly unconscious now.

I rushed to get Carry water, sponged her down, then scooped her up and carried her downstairs.

Zain followed frantically, completely panicked and utterly clueless about what to do.

I couldn’t help feeling irritated, watching Zain panic without actually helping.

“Seriously, he’s just in the way, I thought.

“Zain, can you stop running around like a maniac? Carry’s sick–she needs the hospital. Go start the car,” I snapped.

Zain didn’t argue. He simply nodded. “Okay.”

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