The Plane Tickets He Hoarded The Wife He Hid novel Chapter 252

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Lucia could sense Vincent’s fury radiating off him in waves. She knew he was just lashing out, saying whatever popped into his head to hurt her.

So she fired back, her voice sharp, “Fine! Go find some random woman if you’re so tough!”

Vincent shot back without missing a beat, “You think that’s hard for me? Sleeping with a woman? Please!”

He jumped up and stormed out of the hospital room.

Lucia sat there watching him go, making no effort to chase after him.

But barely a few minutes passed before Vincent slunk back through the door, looking completely deflated.

Lucia couldn’t suppress her laughter. “Wow, that was fast. All done already?” she mocked.

Vincent collapsed onto the stool, slapping his palm against his forehead. “I hate being such a loyal bastard,” he groaned.

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Lucia cracked up. “You know, loyalty doesn’t always

pay off, and players don’t always get what’s coming to them.”

Vincent clamped his hands over his ears, refusing to listen to her cutting remarks.

But the moment his fingers touched his ear, Blanche’s face flashed through his mind.

He remembered biting her ear before he’d stormed

out earlier.

The memory made him feel slightly better.

The next morning, Joanna finally completed the first phase of her research.

She’d worked through the entire night, but the preliminary stage was finally finished.

Thank God her calculations checked out–no dreaded

restart this time.

The moment she emerged from the lab, she noticed Demetrius in the distance.

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He must have just left Aiden Reese’s office, clutching a folder. His long coat emphasized his tall, lean build.

Oakwood was shrouded in winter fog that morning, mist floating down like fine rain and settling on

Demetrius’s shoulders.

He walked through the haze, his silhouette sharp and erect against the pale gray dawn.

Joanna felt her heart skip a beat.

Demetrius was about to exit campus when a girl suddenly stepped into his path. “Demetrius!” she called

out.

She appeared young and fresh–faced, radiating innocence.

Demetrius paused, regarding her with confusion. “What is it?”

The girl blushed and extended a small bag toward him. “Demetrius, I baked these cookies myself. Would you like to try them?” she stammered.

Joanna held back, quietly observing the scene unfold.

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+30

Demetrius clearly understood the girl’s underlying

message.

Nevertheless, he shook his head and offered her a polite smile. “Thanks, but I’m not really into cookies,” he replied.

Without another word, he continued toward the campus exit.

But Joanna couldn’t restrain herself any longer. She tossed her long hair back and called out, “Demetrius!”

Demetrius spun around to see who had called.

When he spotted Joanna, he looked genuinely surprised.

While he remained frozen in shock, Joanna slowly approached him.

Joanna, tall and graceful, possessed an unmistakable presence–standing beside the cookie girl, she seemed almost intimidating.

But Demetrius fixed her with that same cold, distant stare. His voice matched the iciness in his eyes when he asked, “What do you want?”

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Anyone could hear that Demetrius’s tone toward

Joanna was even more frigid than what he’d used with the cookie girl.

Joanna wavered, feeling her strongest confidence begin to crumble under Demetrius’s frosty demeanor.

Still, she couldn’t help but try, her voice uncertain. “Want to have dinner together?”

Demetrius glanced at her, his response equally cold. “I prefer eating alone.”

The cookie girl still lingered nearby, but Joanna refused to give up–she flashed him a confident, brilliant smile. “Let me treat you to lunch, Demetrius. It’s the least I can do to thank you for helping me develop a research topic.”

Such words could easily be misinterpreted, but Demetrius didn’t even flinch. He replied, “Professor Reese requested it, so naturally I helped.”

That left no ambiguity–he made it crystal clear he was only assisting Aiden, not Joanna personally.

The cookie girl had appeared timid and uncertain

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when Joanna first arrived, but witnessing how

Demetrius dismissed her, the girl’s confidence skyrocketed.

Joanna, feeling completely humiliated by Demetrius’s public rejection, stammered, “Demetrius, you…”

But Demetrius didn’t allow her to finish. Without waiting for a response, he said, “If that’s everything, I’m leaving.”

With that, he pivoted and started walking away.

Without thinking, Joanna lunged forward and caught Demetrius’s sleeve. “Demetrius, do you… do you despise me?” she blurted out.

He turned back, his expression glacial. “Yes. I do.”

Joanna simply stared at him, speechless.

Demetrius met her gaze directly. “There was a time your talent impressed me. Your music is extraordinary —that’s undeniable, it truly captivates people. But you know exactly what you’ve done better than anyone. I don’t need to explain it to you, do I?”

Joanna gazed at Demetrius in shocked silence, unable

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to utter a single word.

Demetrius was finished talking; without a backward glance, he turned and strode straight off campus.

Still refusing to surrender, Joanna yelled after him, “Is it because of Blanche? Is that why you despise me?”

Demetrius didn’t respond, didn’t slow his pace–just kept walking, abandoning her there.

Watching Demetrius disappear, Joanna burned with rage and jealousy, her emotions a twisted mess inside.

All because of Blanche, she thought bitterly. The man who used to practically idolize me now can’t even bear

to look at me.

She was so enraged her chest felt constricted, her breathing rapid and shallow.

After finally calming down, she stepped into the misty morning, leaving campus alone.

Just as she reached the gate, she spotted Zain’s car parked by the curb.

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Zain’s POV

Back then, every time she glimpsed my car, she nearly wanted to sprint straight over–it used to make her

heart race.

But now, the sight barely stirred any reaction.

I was so completely under her control these days, it

had lost all excitement.

These days, Joanna yearned for Vincent and Demetrius’s attention far more than anything I could provide―I simply didn’t thrill her anymore.

Only by constantly conquering new men could Joanna keep that gnawing void at bay.

As Joanna was lost in thought, I had already stepped out of my car.

I walked over and stopped directly in front of her, studying her expression for a moment.

Noticing she still appeared distracted, I asked gently, “Joanna, what’s wrong? Did your research run into problems?”

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Joanna finally snapped back to the present and looked at me. My features remained sharp and undeniably attractive, but for some reason, she suddenly felt like my looks just didn’t appeal to her anymore—maybe she was even growing a bit tired of seeing that face.

Still, she forced a smile and answered, “Zain, the research is going perfectly. You don’t need to worry

about me.”

I let out a relieved breath and took the small bag from Joanna’s hand. “Carry hasn’t seen you in days. She keeps complaining about how much she misses you,” I

said.

Just hearing Carry’s name sent a surge of annoyance through Joanna.

Nevertheless, Joanna managed a weak smile. “I’ve just been swamped with work lately–I guess I kind of neglected her.”

I gave her a look, my tone carrying a hint of irritation. “You’ve been neglecting more than just her, haven’t you?”

That’s when it dawned on Joanna.

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Seeing me get a bit jealous actually made her feel quite good.

She tilted her head up to look at me, reaching out to gently trace my jawline. She said with a small,

apologetic smile, “Sorry, I’ve been neglecting you too these past few days.”

I shook my head, a playful smile pulling at my lips. I asked, “So, how are you planning to make it up to me?”

Her old feelings for me surfaced again.

Joanna leaned in and planted a quick kiss on my cheek, rising on her tiptoes.

My eyes darkened, my gaze smoldering as I looked at her. “That’s it?” I murmured, clearly wanting more.

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