Chapter 33
Chapter 33:
He was shaking — not with fear, but with adrenaline. The image Aspen had painted — Jocelyn, his Jocelyn, with that greasy, bloated playboy Babe Vincent — was burning a hole in his brain.
He pulled over to the curb with a screech of tires. He opened a hidden compartment in the center console and extracted a sleek, unregistered burner phone. He dialed the number from memory. He knew it better than his own social security number.
In the Collins apartment, dinner was a quiet affair. Chef Marco had outdone himself — the seafood paella was rich and fragrant.
Jocelyn was picking at a prawn when her phone rang. An unknown number.
She frowned. She usually ignored unknown numbers, but she was waiting to hear back from one of the design firms she had re-applied to under her maiden name.
“Hello p>
“You actually did it,” a voice hissed. “You actually married him p>
Jocelyn dropped her fork. It clattered against the china.
Sav𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝗎𝘳 𝘧a𝘷оr𝗂𝘵e 𝗇о𝗏𝖾𝗅𝘴 𝗈ո.сo𝗆
“Kieran p>
Gaston looked up from his plate. His eyes narrowed instantly.
“Don’t hang up,” Kieran shouted. She could hear wind rushing in the background — was he driving? “If you hang up, I swear to God, Jocelyn, I will drive to the Hamptons right now and burn that house to the ground. With your grandmother’s memories inside it p>
“You’re sick,” Jocelyn whispered. Her hand shook.
“I’m sick? You’re the one sleeping with Babe Vincent!” Kieran roared. “Babe Vincent — the guy who drugged a girl at Art Basel last year! That’s who you chose over me p>
Jocelyn froze. He still thought she was married to Babe.
She looked across the table at Gaston. He was watching her — calm, composed, slicing a piece of chorizo with surgical precision.
“I chose a man who respects me,” Jocelyn said into the phone, her voice gaining strength. “I chose a man who doesn’t treat me like an accessory p>
“Respects you?” Kieran laughed, a harsh, barking sound. “He’s a junkie! He’s a loser! He’s using you to clean up his image so his daddy doesn’t cut him off p>
“He’s ten times the man you are,” Jocelyn snapped.
“I’m coming for you,” Kieran said, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper. “I’m going to find him. I’m going to make him sign an annulment. And then I’m taking you home. You’re making a mistake, Jocelyn. And I’m going to fix it p>
The line went dead.
Jocelyn lowered the phone slowly. Her heart was pounding so hard she felt dizzy.
“Douglas?” Gaston asked. He hadn’t stopped eating.
“Yes,” Jocelyn breathed. “He thinks I’m married to Babe Vincent. Aspen must have told him p>
“Interesting,” Gaston said. He took a sip of wine.
“He said he’s coming for me. He said he’s going to find Babe and make him sign an annulment.” Jocelyn looked at Gaston with wide eyes. “He’s going to hurt him p>
“Let him,” Gaston said.
“Gaston! Kieran is violent. If he finds Babe p>
“Babe Vincent is a predator,” Gaston said coldly. “And Kieran Douglas is a narcissist. If they destroy each other, the city becomes a better place p>
“But the lie — if he finds out p>