Dark Revenge Of A Jilted Bride: Till Life Do Us Part!-Chapter 33: Guys’ Talks
"Man, I hope you two resolve your issues. I can’t keep poking into Gianna’s life... you know she is Athena’s best friend, and also a good friend of mine." Spider pointed out, clinking glasses with Sandro but speaking directly to Zane, who held onto his wine glass like he didn’t quite know what to do with it.
"It feels weird checking her out. Surely, you understand."
Zane frowned in response. He didn’t understand. Not even remotely.
Spider and he went way back—to their days in the Devils Viper gang—yet the man still expected Zane to grasp subtleties like this.
Spider, reading his countenance with that uncanny accuracy he’d always had, sighed and leaned back. "Explain to him, Sandro. Unless it is a matter of life and death, I might have to decline your offer next time... or maybe charge you for it. My real rates."
Zane scoffed, finally lifting the glass and taking a small sip. "Money has never been a problem for us. You know that."
The wine burned its way down, welcome and unwelcome at once. "And I don’t think I will be poking into her life anytime soon..."
It gave him the jeeps, made him bother with her more than was necessary. He already had enough to fight off as it was, with the images of that night flashing across his mind even when he was working. Even when he had been with his regular barely an hour ago.
He hadn’t been able to touch the woman or even react to her shenanigans. He’d ended up dismissing her outright and calling the guys instead.
He hadn’t expected Spider to show up, not with the latter’s aversion to crowds. Spider and the mystery that cloaked him like a living shadow. None of them even knew his real name, though they’d been around each other for more than ten years—including Ewan.
"Good," Spider muttered with relief, letting his eyes sweep the crowd before them, already wishing himself back at his cottage on the Thornes’ estate—a place that had begun to feel too much like home for his liking.
"Any plans on leaving the Thorne’s estate?" Sandro peered at him, brows furrowed. "You’ve stayed longer than I thought you would... don’t you have some hole to crawl into and hide from the rest of us? Isn’t that part of the charm?"
Spider laughed, and even though the other two men were now getting used to it, the sound still came strange—deep, rich, warm in a way that didn’t match his cold exterior.
"I think I might be staying there much longer. It affords privacy... I barely have visitors, except you count Athena and Ewan’s children—Kathleen and Nathaniel."
"Your prodigies, I see..." Zane commented.
Spider shook his head. "They were already that before I met them... I’m just doing a little polishing."
"When do you think Ewan will be back?" Sandro asked, gulping down wine.
Spider shrugged. "I’m not sure. I think soon. Why? Are you missing him?"
Sandro scowled, making the other two sputter laughs. "You two are crazy. I just want to know how long I’m going to keep acting as head of two companies... it’s driving me crazy."
They toasted to him, making him scowl further. "You two... I’m not joking."
Zane snorted. "Sandro, you will handle it. You’ve always been good at that. Good at management—even back in the gang. So keep it up for a few days... I agree with Spider that they will be back soon."
Sandro sighed tiredly, downing the rest of his wine in one go. "I really hope so. If they take an extra week, I’m quitting."
They laughed, because they knew how impossible that was.
"So... Zane..." Spider drawled, and Zane instantly knew it would never be anything good. "The news... are we going to talk without talking about that?"
Zane tapped the center of his forehead with his index finger, massaging it lightly. "I don’t want to talk about it... it was a drunken mistake."
"I didn’t know being married to you was that bad..." Spider murmured, as if Zane hadn’t spoken. "What really happened between you two?"
Zane pursed his lips. The familiar tightness pulled across his chest. "She betrayed me."
Spider exchanged a long look with Sandro. "Are you sure of that? You know... being a spectator, albeit late, of Ewan’s story... misunderstandings can arise. A lot."
Even though Zane had found himself toeing that line in his thoughts recently, he doubted it was the same in his case.
He knew what he had seen. He knew what he had heard. There hadn’t been a misunderstanding. It was a clear-cut betrayal.
"Maybe," he allowed, "but that’s not the case here. Let it be. And don’t check it out."
Spider nodded. His curiosity always had its limits. "But I wonder though... Gianna is nice, just like Athena."
Zane’s lips curled in disgust. "That’s what she makes people believe."
Sandro and Spider exchanged glances again, but this time they said nothing.
"Well," Sandro finally continued, "you don’t have to help her anymore... She works at the Becketts now. I heard she is a top designer there... also something about preorders going on..."
Zane’s frown deepened at the words. Moments later, he muttered, "Arthur has always had good PR, but he can never beat us at the game. Too bad Gianna is letting him wield her as a tool. Stupid, but effective nonetheless..."
Sandro nodded like a sage, then checked his wristwatch. "I need to head in. Long day tomorrow." He climbed down from his stool. "See you guys soon?"
Spider shrugged, getting down as well. "I’ll be off with you... Zane, do you want to stay back?"
Zane would have loved to. Would have loved to drink more, especially considering the news the media had been carrying for the past hour about Gianna’s latest design—what a crazy wave it was making.
It had effectively toppled the rumor of their marriage, and her company’s rating had surged. Already, he had received an email from Arthur... a gloating one.
But he didn’t trust himself drinking alone. Not after that night.
"No, I will be going with you guys." He downed the rest of his cup.
Competition it was, he thought as he rose to his feet and followed his friends out of the establishment.
And he would be damned if he lost to Arthur and his new weapon.
He would design, if he had to.
