Chapter 25: The Green-Eyed Monster

Chapter 25: The Green-Eyed Monster

Elena

The gala was more than just another high-profile event—it was a calculated move in Jason's counterstrike against Victoria's smear campaign. Elena could feel the weight of the press's scrutiny, each gaze assessing her every move, searching for cracks in their carefully curated image. Elena had attended countless high-profile events before, but tonight was different. Tonight, the world was watching.

After Jason's press conference and public defense of their marriage, every step she took was scrutinized. The journalists lingering by the entrance, the subtle camera flashes—it was all a reminder of the narrative they had to maintain.

Smile. Stay close to Jason. Play your part.

She had done this a dozen times before, yet something felt different tonight. Maybe it was the way Jason's hand lingered at her waist, his grip firmer than usual. Maybe it was the way his eyes never strayed too far from her, as if silently daring anyone to challenge his claim over her.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was the weight of last night's kiss still lingering between them.

"Elena."

She turned, shaking the thoughts away. A familiar voice greeted her—Daniel Sterling.

Tall, charming, effortlessly charismatic, Daniel was an old acquaintance from her early days in business. He had once been a potential investor, but over time, he had become something dangerous.

A friend Jason didn't approve of.

Daniel flashed a smile, his dark eyes gleaming with mischief. "It's been a while."

Elena returned the smile, ignoring the tension she felt behind her. "Too long. How have you been?"

"Better now," Daniel quipped, his gaze flicking toward Jason before returning to her. "Would you do me the honor of a dance?"

Elena hesitated. She knew Jason was watching, waiting. But this wasn't a crime. It was a dance.

"Of course."

The moment she placed her hand in Daniel's, she felt it.

The storm brewing behind her.

Jason

His fingers clenched around his glass as he watched Daniel Sterling lead Elena onto the dance floor.

It wasn't the dance that bothered him. It wasn't even the way Daniel's hand settled at her waist. It was the way she let him.

Jason had expected Elena to play the role of his wife tonight, just as she had so many times before. But this? This felt like defiance.

A calculated move.

His jaw tightened as he watched Elena tilt her head back, laughing at something Daniel said. She looked… comfortable. Relaxed. Like she wasn't married to him.

The ice in his drink cracked under the force of his grip.

"This won't end well," a voice murmured beside him.

Jason barely spared Alexander Hayes a glance. His oldest friend, and perhaps the only person who knew him well enough to recognize the shift in his mood.

"She's proving a point," Alexander added.

Jason's voice was dangerously low. "Then I'll prove mine."

Elena

Daniel was saying something, but she barely heard him.

The moment Jason stepped onto the dance floor, a shiver ran down her spine.

She felt him before she saw him—a force of nature, a storm rolling in.

Daniel faltered slightly, his hand at her waist loosening as Jason approached. He didn't make a scene, didn't snatch her away. He simply looked at her.

And in that single look, Elena knew: Run.

"I'm cutting in," Jason said smoothly.

Daniel tensed. "That's up to Elena."

Elena opened her mouth, but Jason's hand was already at her back, effortlessly guiding her away from Daniel, claiming her.

"Careful, Sinclair," Daniel murmured, a smirk playing on his lips. "You almost sound jealous."

Jason didn't even look at him. "Jealousy is for men who have something to lose."

But as Jason pulled her into him, as their bodies aligned, Elena felt the lie in his words.

He was furious.

Jason

The music swelled around them, but Jason heard nothing beyond the rapid beat of his own anger.

He held Elena closer than necessary, his grip unyielding. "What exactly were you trying to accomplish?"

Elena arched a brow. "It was a dance, Jason."

"It was a statement," he corrected, his voice low. "And I don't appreciate being made a fool of."

She scoffed. "Is that what this is about? Your pride?"

Jason's fingers flexed at her waist. "This is about us."

Elena stilled.

Jason had meant to regain control of the situation, to remind her that she was his. But the moment the words left his mouth, he knew.

He had revealed too much.

Elena's lips parted slightly, something unreadable flashing in her gaze. "Us?" she repeated, her voice softer now. "Jason, there is no 'us.' There's a contract. A business arrangement. That's all."

His chest tightened. "Then why do you look at me like that?"

Her breath hitched. "Like what?"

"Like you don't believe it either."

Silence stretched between them, charged and dangerous.

And then, before he could stop himself, before he could think better of it—

Jason dipped his head, his lips brushing against her ear as he murmured, "Tell me I'm wrong."

Elena's fingers curled into his suit, but she didn't push him away. She couldn't.

The music faded, the world around them disappearing, and in that moment—

There was no contract. No pretense. Just them.

But just as quickly as it came, the moment shattered.

Elena exhaled sharply, stepping back. "I need some air."

Jason let her go, watching as she disappeared onto the balcony.

Alexander appeared beside him, shaking his head. "You might have just ruined yourself."

Jason didn't respond.

Because for the first time in his life, he wasn't sure if he wanted to fix it.