The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 40

Cora Vance maintained an incredibly low profile, so almost no one knew what she looked like. Nasty rumors even circulated that she must be hideous, which was why she couldn't keep her husband around and why Jude practically lived abroad.

The terrified man had assumed Natalie was Cora. "Mrs. Sheridan, I am so sorry. I genuinely had no idea. Please accept my deepest apologies." As he spoke, he ruthlessly slapped himself across the face twice and dropped to his knees. "I'm so sorry. It was a complete misunderstanding. It's all my fault."

Jude's dark expression instantly vanished, replaced by a careless, mocking laugh. "Mrs. Sheridan? Are you blind? She's a close friend of the family. If your eyes are that useless, maybe you should donate them."

The man was paralyzed with fear, completely unable to speak. His wife forced out a trembling apology. "We're so sorry. We completely misjudged the situation."

Her mind had gone entirely blank with terror. The Sheridan family wasn't someone their minor, bottom-tier business could ever hope to cross. If she didn't squash this immediately, it could ruin her family's entire livelihood.

Jude slipped one hand into his pocket, laughing lightly. "I'm just messing with you. Why are you shaking? Take your actual illegitimate brat and withdraw from the school. Understand?"

"Yes, yes! I understand. I'll pull him out right now. I swear we will never bother your daughter again."

The couple practically scrambled away, dragging their child behind them, terrified that the notoriously erratic Jude Sheridan would suddenly change his mind and destroy them.

The teacher frantically smoothed things over, ushering the remaining parents toward the activity zones.

Natalie looked at Jude, completely unsure of what to say.

Regardless of his reputation, he really had just bailed her out.

"Thanks for stepping in," she said simply.

Jude's eyes swept over her, a wicked smirk tugging at his lips. "You really want to thank me? How about you give me a kiss?"

Natalie froze, her mind short-circuiting.

Before she could even process the words, the man reached out, aiming to brush his fingers against her cheek.

But his wrist was instantly caught in a vice grip mid-air.

Hassan stared him down. "When did you get back? I thought you weren't arriving for another two days."

Hassan's expression remained dangerously flat. "Stop screwing around."

Jude just shrugged. When he looked back at Natalie, his charming smile returned, completely erasing the deadly tension from a second ago. His tone was incredibly familiar. "Come on. Let's go win first place for our little Mia."

The activities had already begun. The teacher had strategically bumped both of their families to the end of the line to give things time to cool off.

The first game required the parent and child to hold a single paintbrush together and paint.

Without a second thought, Jude boldly grabbed Natalie's hand, pressed it firmly over Mia's, and then wrapped his own large hand right over hers. He looked up at Hassan, a mocking smirk on his lips.

Hassan's eyes turned lethal, his voice dripping with ice. "Natalie. Come here."

Jude squeezed her hand even tighter. "Hassan, why are you being so possessive? She's on my team right now. We're just holding hands. It's not like I'm taking her to bed."

The air around Hassan dropped ten degrees. Just as he was about to step forward, Gardenia softly interjected. "Hassan, let's start ours."