Chapter 957 - 497: Dining Encounter, Head-to-Head Confrontation (Part 2)

"Brother, you’re really in good spirits. The Hughes Clan suffered such a blow today, and yet you still have the mood to eat?" Luis Hughes had his arm around a tall, slender, sexy woman, who appeared to be a model that had rapidly become famous in the past two years. Her taste in clothing wasn’t bad, and the two looked quite harmonious together. But Luis Hughes’s wife had just given birth, and this woman didn’t look at all like she just had a child; her waist was slender, showing no traces of post-partum.

Joshua Hughes held his glass of red wine and took a sip, completely ignoring what Luis Hughes said, his gaze fixed on Avery Jane’s deepening smile, alluring, graceful, captivating...

Even the women at the nearby table were drawn to the smile of this noble and cold man. Luis watched Joshua with hatred, looking entirely indifferent. The most crucial subsidiary of the Hughes Clan had its shares secretly siphoned off in recent days and the list of major shareholders was about to change quickly. He had played a few hands today just to test whether someone dared to take on such a large stake, never expecting it would be snatched up instantly. Yet, amidst all this commotion, Joshua hadn’t even blinked and was still interested in dining here? It was really unbelievable.

"Joshua, I never thought I’d see you again," said the girl standing beside Luis softly, with a hint of excitement in her voice that was unmistakable.

In an instant, the atmosphere became tense, Avery Jane raised her downcast eyes and began to carefully inspect the woman; she was indeed beautiful.

Joshua’s lingering smile gradually faded as he saw a trace of unease flash across Avery Jane’s delicate face.

Watching the woman slowly approach him, Joshua glanced at her, his eyebrows coolly furrowing, his gaze gradually darkening. It seemed there indeed was a woman like this, once offered up by a supplier during business entertainment.

Luis glanced at them, laughing wantonly, "Brother, it seems our tastes are quite similar. What you fancy, I also find good. Isn’t she quite enticing?" Having said this, his large hand shamelessly pinched the girl’s bottom.

Avery Jane’s clear eyes lifted, deep with inquiry and puzzled uncertainty, looking at the girl, wondering if she too had a past with Joshua? The history of this man was truly quite unbelievable.

She wanted desperately to know what this was all about.

Facing off against the girl, like a tense contest, Avery Jane’s rosy lips lightly opened, her face calm as still water as she spoke, "Miss, please don’t look at him like that, I don’t like it."

"What gives you the right to say that?" The girl was slightly angry, lifting her head arrogantly.

"I don’t need a reason. Just ask him if he wants you staring like that." Lately, her mood had been bad enough with all sorts of restless musings, and now even mealtime wasn’t peaceful. She wondered if she’d be allowed to live. Until all truths surfaced, she was still his woman; she didn’t like her man being stared at, not one bit.

"A blind person wouldn’t see it," Joshua’s cold, deep voice spoke slowly, his intent clear: "Are you going to leave by yourselves, or be escorted out?"

Instantly, Luis’s face turned red and then white, his fists slowly clenching at his side. Others might not understand, but he certainly did. Those profound eyes were filled with warnings, cautioning them to stop their aggressions. He was warning his companion and also warning him to shut up.

Avery Jane felt increasingly unsettled; what had she just done? Contending with a woman out of jealousy, and she could even smell the sourness herself. Glancing at the delicious foie gras on the plate, she no longer had the appetite she had moments before. She put down her knife and fork and suddenly stood up. They weren’t leaving, so she would. What was she doing, getting jealous over a man who might be deceiving her? Was she angry over the girl, or was her anger directed at her own heart that was gradually sinking?

Joshua Hughes stretched his long legs to follow her, brushing past Luis, casting a bloodthirsty and icy glance, as if watching him when he cried.

The car didn’t drive fast, Joshua Hughes held the steering wheel with one hand and her delicate hand with the other, smooth as jade, soft as if boneless.

A seemingly peaceful meal had turned into this; clearly, things have been going poorly for him lately, but his misfortune didn’t matter; he didn’t want Avery Jane to be upset. If Avery remembered the past, she would truly be heartbroken.

"She was brought over by a supplier during business entertainment," Joshua Hughes said with difficulty, recalling those wild days, indulging in lavish lifestyles and seeking different thrills. Perhaps subconsciously, he was always searching for the woman who resonated with his life, yet none of them had ever given him that feeling until he met her.

But he couldn’t tell Avery Jane those affairs were just playthings; such an explanation would only lead her to more chaotic thoughts. Though she knew he’d had other women in the past, hearing him admit it would undoubtedly make her uncomfortable.

"Did you sleep with her?" Avery Jane asked with her head down, her normally clear and sweet voice sounding a bit chilly at that moment.

Joshua felt as if a needle was stabbed into his throat, wanting to speak but unable to utter a word. Denying would be deceit, but admitting it would make her feel worse. The cabin fell into silence, so quiet it was left only to the sound of their breathing and the echo of their heartbeats...