The Rose He Showed Off Is Putting Down Roots in a Garden of Her Own novel Chapter 34

Julian had no intention of playing along. He pulled his arm free. "Go inside. I’m going to have a smoke with Mr. Whitaker."

Elara didn’t want to leave and opened her mouth to speak, but Julian shot her a sideways glare, heavily laced with a warning.

He was silently telling her: *I know exactly what game you're playing. Don't force me to expose you right here.*

Having fully experienced just how cold-blooded this man could be, Elara had no choice but to offer a polite nod and walk away.

Julian handed Zane a cigarette, and the two men lit up.

Just outside the Prescott Manor was an elaborate ornamental pond.

The two made idle conversation about the domestic economic landscape. Powerful men rarely gossiped about women; their interests lied in market trends and global affairs.

When Zane spotted Jocelyn Yale approaching, he smoothly shifted his stance, turning his back to the entrance, pretending he hadn't noticed her at all.

She had absolutely shredded him with insults last time, and he had zero desire to get berated again today.

"Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite ex-husband."

Jocelyn strolled over with an air of absolute authority. "What, didn’t bring your little mistress along today? Terrified I might slap her again?"

"I'm going to have to keep an eye out later and see if Gideon Grant dragged her in."

Zane remained utterly silent.

Julian took the initiative to greet her. "Ms. Yale."

Jocelyn was currently the powerhouse managing the bulk of the Yale family's sprawling operations. At any high-society event in the city, no one dared to call her 'Miss Yale' anymore. It was strictly 'Ms. Yale,' a title that carried profound weight.

There were, of course, other reasons for that respect, but those were stories for another time.

"Mr. Sterling, you're exactly the man I wanted to talk to. I have to say, your little sister-in-law is quite a piece of work. Even my ex-husband here, who has proudly stayed single for years, has completely surrendered to her charms."

Julian had heard the rumors too—the whispers that Zane Whitaker was bending the knee for the second daughter of the Vance family, supposedly preparing to acquire Vance Properties just to win a beautiful woman’s smile.

Maybe some naive socialites believed those romantic tales, but Julian didn’t buy a word of it.

Zane was the CEO of the Whitaker Group, responsible for an entire corporate empire. He would never do something so monumentally stupid for a woman.

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