Chapter 1197
Zane’s face soured the moment he heard that.
Ridley had always been into the art of tea-well, back in college, it was more like an obsession. To impress her, Zane had thrown himself into learning every blend and brew he could get his hands on.
There was this legendary Mount Fidelis tea-think of it like the rarest, most expensive single malt scotch you could imagine, the kind that’s locked away in vaults and never even hits the market. It used to cost a small fortune per ounce, but after the government banned its harvest, it became priceless-literally impossible to get.
Zane had pulled every string, called in every favor, and still, the best he’d ever managed was a couple of tins of authentic Houkui tea. As for the Mount Fidelis stuff? That was on another level. He never even dared to dream.
Now here was Tarquin, acting like it was no big deal-not only did his family have some, but he brought it out to serve his guests, and was even talking about giving some away. That kind of effortless, deep-rooted wealth and confidence made Zane’s skin crawl.
Standing next to Tarquin, Zane felt like a cheap magician trying to pull quarters from behind people’s ears.
“Mr. Bradford, what happened to your neck?” Ridley suddenly asked, concern in her voice.
Zane glanced over instinctively.
Tarquin, smug as ever, tugged at the neckline of his hoodie so Zane could get a good look.
“Oh, this? Elysia got a little playful last night. Left her mark, I guess p>
Ridley blinked, looking flustered. She awkwardly took a sip of her tea, clearly uncomfortable-she was old enough to be their mother, after all, and this was not the kind of conversation she wanted to be having.
Zane, on the other hand, frowned so hard his brows nearly touched. His eyes locked on the red mark just above Tarquin’s collarbone.
Elysia did that? She bit him?
They were all adults. No one needed an explanation.
Images flashed through Zane’s mind-flushed skin, tangled sheets, the kind of intimacy he hadn’t shared with Elysia in what felt like forever. Jealousy burned in his chest, making his breath go ragged.
He clenched his fists under the table, forcing himself to stay calm. Losing it here would only make things worse.
Tarquin shot him a lazy, sidelong glance, eyes full of disdain. He looked like he was barely holding back a smirk.
Honestly, Zane was lucky Winona hadn’t come down yet-if she were here, Tarquin might not be so restrained.
A few minutes later, Elysia finally came downstairs.
Winona wasn’t with her just Elysia, looking effortlessly stunning in a matching beige loungewear set, her hair loose and unstyled, face free of makeup. She was wearing the same kind of couple’s slippers as Tarquin.
Zane’s eyes softened the second he saw her, but then he noticed the silk scarf wrapped around her neck-odd, considering it was the middle of August and blazing hot outside.
He couldn’t help but connect the dots: Tarquin’s hickey, the scarf, Tarquin’s smug remark. He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, jealousy clawing at his insides.
Elysia waved at Ridley and sat beside Tarquin, their matching outfits twisting the knife a little deeper in Zane’s chest. He forced a smile, pretending not to care.
“Elysia, where’s Winona?” he asked, keeping his tone casual.
“She’s still getting ready. She’ll be down in a bit p>
Zane jumped at the chance to explain himself. “I found proof that I didn’t do anything wrong. Look-yesterday, that woman? I don’t even know her p>
He handed Elysia his phone so she could see the evidence for herself.
“We’ve known each other for years. You know I’m not that kind of guy,” Zane said, his voice pleading.
Elysia just looked at him, trying not to roll her eyes. “Uh-huh p>
Zane pressed on. “I tried to call you as soon as I had proof, but you blocked me. Can you please p>
Before he could finish, Tarquin jumped in, voice smooth as butter.
“Oh, that? I blocked you from her phone. Elysia can’t stand cheaters, and I didn’t want her to get grossed out every time your name popped up p>
He said it so casually, like it was nothing at all.
Like he was just taking out the trash-no big deal.