Whispers of Destiny: His Belated Love novel Chapter 154

Hogan chuckled, "You've been staring at that juice cup for like half an hour. If you're really that attached to it..." He paused, then added sincerely, "Why not find someone else to take your mind off things? I'm not a bad option – I can charm, fight, look dashing in a drawing room, or get cozy in the bedroom. Heck, I could even learn to cook. And I don't mind that you're acting like a grumpy old granny right now. You better snap me up before someone else does!"

Rosemary laughed so hard she almost doubled over, shaking her head, "No way, I can't do that with a bro."

"So, you're into this bunch of mama's boys?" Hogan quipped, shooting daggers at Yolanda. We were supposed to be Rosemary's main ship, and here she goes, bringing a gaggle of guys who can't even tell their pants from their skirts.

Dumping the now warm juice, Rosemary yawned, "Not interested in them either, so I think I'll just hit the sack."

Staying up late comes back to bite you with days of feeling like a zombie.

Yolanda, hearing she was leaving, stood up too: "Then let's head out together. The whole point of this shindig was to help you relax. If you, the guest of honor, bail, what's the point of us partying?"

The group left the private room, and wouldn't you know it, it's like asking for rain and getting a storm – Rosemary didn't want to bump into Maxwell, and there they were, smack in front of the elevator.

And it wasn't just him; Victoria, Martin, and Archer were there too.

Rosemary muttered 'talk about bad luck' under her breath but didn't dodge them, just stared straight ahead, pretending they weren't there.

The elevator was stuck on the ground floor, for whatever reason, the numbers on the display not budging.

Victoria broke the silence, her voice tinged with a chilly tenderness, "Rosemary, what a coincidence to see you here."

Silence.

The already stiff atmosphere turned icy in a flash.

Victoria, feeling awkward, continued, "Rosemary, if you misunderstood something about last night, I've already explained..."

"Sorry," Hogan, draping an arm protectively over Rosemary's shoulder, pulled her back, "Miss, are you blind or just thick-skinned? Can't you see she's not into chatting with you?"

He'd done his homework on the gossip columns and knew Victoria was rumored to be Maxwell's girlfriend.

Victoria's eyes suddenly reddened, her lips pressed into a thin line paling with tension. She turned her head, a mix of hurt and defiance in her gaze meeting Maxwell's icy stare.

Maxwell's eyes briefly swept over Hogan's hand on Rosemary's shoulder, a mix of mockery and aloofness.

Hogan followed Victoria's gaze to Maxwell, lips curling in a disdainful smirk, "Mr. Templeton sure has exotic tastes, fancying this kind."

Maxwell retorted coolly, "If we're talking thick-skinned and clueless, Mr. Abbott takes the cake. Chasing after someone who clearly isn't into you."

That was a harsh burn. Rosemary frowned, "Maxwell, even if you want to back up your buddy, at least open your eyes and see who started it."

Hogan had just been trying to help her fend off unwanted attention from Victoria; she couldn't let this unprincipled pair target him.

She turned to Victoria, her words dripping with scorn, "Ms. Temple, you could've been less cryptic. The way you're talking, people might think I've wronged you somehow. You and Maxwell were about to hit the sheets last night, and I walked right in on it. He's got your back, probably without a word to anyone, so maybe you should wise up and not waste all his good intentions. You're practically shouting it from the rooftops with your blabbering."

Rosemary had honed her skills in verbal sparring with the Chambers family and Stacey for years, managing to lay it out without a single slur. After her spiel, she turned her sharp tongue on Maxwell, "Keep your woman in check. It's bad enough she's a nuisance, but she doesn't have to be all up in other people's faces."

"Ding."

The elevator arrived.

Rosemary pulled Yolanda in, turning to Archer who was about to enter, "Archer, it's gonna be too heavy, you guys take the next one."

Without waiting, she slammed the close door button.

Left in front of the elevator were Archer, Maxwell, and a teary-eyed Victoria trying to hold back her tears.

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