Chapter 280
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Chapter 280:
The office door opened again. This time there was no frantic shoving — only the sound of calm, measured, unhurried footsteps.
Gaston Collins walked in wearing a flawless bespoke charcoal suit, one hand tucked casually into his trouser pocket. Two large men in black suits and earpieces followed quietly behind him.
His presence instantly consumed every particle of oxygen in the room. The cold, controlled power he radiated made Kieran’s manic energy look like a child’s tantrum.
Gaston moved smoothly around the desk, stepped directly to Jocelyn’s side, and wrapped his arm firmly around her waist, pulling her flush against him.
He looked down at Kieran. A slow, contemptuous smile curved his lips.
“Mr. Douglas,” Gaston said, his voice smooth and perfectly dangerous. “Trespassing in my wife’s office. Did a dog eat your manners, or were you simply born without them p>
Kieran’s jaw tightened. The veins in his neck stood out. “Stop acting, Gaston! All of New York knows you like men! You are using her p>
The office fell into a dead, heavy silence. The accusation hung in the air, desperate and ugly.
Gaston did not get angry. He did not raise his voice. Instead, a low, dark chuckle vibrated deep in his chest — the sound of absolute contempt, the way a lion might regard a mouse caught beneath its paw.
Y𝗼u𝘳 dа𝗂𝗅𝘆 𝘥𝗼𝘴𝖾 о𝖿 no𝘃𝖾𝗅𝘀 o𝗻.с𝗈𝗺
He turned his head slowly, looking down at Jocelyn tucked securely against his side. The cold mockery in his eyes vanished, replaced instantly by a deep, predatory warmth that made her breath catch in her throat.
“Mrs. Collins,” Gaston murmured, his voice a dark velvet purr. “It seems the public misunderstanding has given your ex-boyfriend some highly unrealistic fantasies p>
Jocelyn looked up into his dark eyes. Her heart gave a violent thud against her ribs. She understood, in that instant, exactly what he was about to do.
Gaston’s arm tightened around her waist. He turned his body, shielding her slightly from the room, and lowered his head.
He kissed her. Right in front of Kieran.
It was nothing like the punishing kiss from the bedroom. This one was slow, deliberate, and devastatingly thorough — a public claim made with absolute certainty. Jocelyn’s knees went weak almost immediately. She had no choice but to reach up and grip the lapels of his charcoal suit jacket to keep from collapsing. Every last trace of her resistance dissolved.
Kieran stood frozen, his bloodshot eyes wide with horror. He told himself it was a performance — a PR stunt. But the way Gaston’s hand gripped her waist, the way Jocelyn responded, the sheer, undeniable chemistry crackling between them — it could not be faked. It was real.
Gaston finally pulled back. Jocelyn was breathing unevenly, her lips flushed. Gaston raised his hand and used the pad of his thumb to gently wipe the corner of her mouth.
He turned slowly back to face Kieran. The tenderness vanished, replaced by a glacial, killing calm.
“See clearly?” Gaston asked, his voice cutting through the quiet room like a scalpel. “I not only like women — I have interest only in my wife p>