Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 163

Before Julian could respond, Hugo Harrington, who had been quietly nursing his drink, slammed his glass down. "Enough with the jokes," he said, his voice slicing through the noise.

The moment they brought up Jade, Hugo's mind flashed to her vibrant, defiant face. She was bright and full of life, and the thought of these men reducing her to a cheap punchline twisted something in his gut.

Seth bristled, ready to argue, but Lucas Lane quickly stepped in. "Alright, let's drop it. We're here to drink."

But Julian had completely lost interest. He had organized this outing, yet he was the most detached person in the booth. He stood up abruptly. "Keep drinking. I need the restroom."

Deep down, Julian knew exactly why he was spiraling. He didn't care about the lost business deal. There were always other deals. What burned was the humiliation, the blow to his ego, and the terrifying realization that he could no longer control Willow.

As he stalked back from the restroom, his head swimming with alcohol, a slender figure in the distance caught his eye. His drunken mind instantly superimposed Willow's face over the woman. Without thinking, he lunged forward.

He grabbed her wrist hard, his grip punishing. "What the hell are you doing here?" he growled. "Is this the kind of place you belong?"

The woman whipped around, and Julian froze. It wasn't Willow. She didn't even look like her; they just shared a vague similarity from behind.

Julian blinked, shaking off the haze, and dropped her wrist. "My apologies. I mistook you for someone else."

The woman had been ready to scream, but seeing Julian's striking, handsome face, her anger vanished. She flushed. "It's fine. If you mistook me for someone, it must be fate. Why don't we exchange numbers?"

"No." Julian turned on his heel.

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