The CEO's Hidden Love: Midnight Temptations and Deep Desires novel Chapter 858

Had it not been for Karen's worrying, Dorothy might have outright refused the ride in Jeffrey's car.

It wasn't personal—she just felt awkward alone with any man who wasn't Everett. There was something about it that made her skin crawl, a discomfort she couldn't quite shake off.

So, she sat silently in the back seat, her gaze fixed on the parade of neon signs that streaked past the window, their colors dancing across her face.

Jeffrey seemed to get it. He didn't push for conversation, respecting her quiet mood.

At a red light, he glanced at Dorothy through the rear-view mirror, cleared his throat hesitantly, and finally spoke up.

"Did you hear about Everett putting the Bay Residence on the market?"

Dorothy's hand twitched. She met his eyes in the mirror and shook her head slightly.

"No, we haven't been in touch."

"He texted me last week and asked me to handle the sale of the place."

"Oh."

Jeffrey frowned, dissatisfied with her indifferent response. "What went down between you two after you got back from Everglow City?"

He wasn't one to gossip, but curiosity was eating at him.

As Everett's friend, Jeffrey knew all too well how much Everett cared for Dorothy.

They'd had their fair share of conflicts and arguments. Everett had claimed to move on more than once, but at the slightest hint of Dorothy's presence, he'd come running back.

But now...

Selling the Bay Residence?

Jeffrey was certain Dorothy understood what that meant.

"I told him to leave me alone."

"That's it?"

Sometimes, she even wished for a swift verdict, win or lose, just to have closure. Even if it meant losing, at least she could face her mother's murderer with clear intent and meet her own end without regret, rather than living like a mindless body, a shell of herself.

"Is that so, or do you just not want to fix it?" Jeffrey was blunt, not bothering to pick up on Dorothy's mood.

"Look, in the end, you just don't love Everett enough, do you? You're not willing to drop everything for him; you can't love him as selflessly as he loves you."

"Maybe." Faced with Jeffrey's relentless probing, Dorothy had no defense. After all, she felt the weight of Everett's devotion and her own failure to reciprocate.

Suddenly, Jeffrey slammed on the brakes and pulled over, turning to face her.

"You're just going to admit it?"

Caught off guard, Dorothy nodded faintly. "Yeah."

"Wow, heartless!" Jeffrey bit back his anger.

"Do you have any idea what Everett has done for you? You're alive today because he's been shouldering your burdens! You want revenge for your mother's death, but Everett didn't kill her! How innocent is he? Did you ever think about that?"