Dark Revenge Of A Jilted Bride: Till Life Do Us Part!-Chapter 88: A Kiss II

What had he come for?

Gianna couldn’t help but wonder, her gaze still fixed on the entrance—now closed.

Zane had shut the door behind him before leaving, swift and controlled, the calm efficiency of someone who did not want to be stopped. It had been fast. Too fast.

Why had he been here at all? How had he even known she was here?

Her mind chased the questions in circles. Had her friends said something?

She didn’t think so. They wouldn’t do that—not when they had deliberately left her alone with Noah. They weren’t cruel like that.

"What is the history between you and the golden boy?"

Noah’s voice cut cleanly into her thoughts. She turned slightly, registering the subtle shift in his tone.

"I never believed you two were just friends... had been friends of friends since the first contact..."

There it was. The cold edge beneath the smoothness.

Gianna sighed, a tired breath slipping from her chest as she rubbed her temple.

"Nothing that you should be concerned about." Her voice was firm, empty of the need of seconds ago. "I’m leaving..."

She didn’t wait for his response. Instead, she reached for her sling purse where it lay abandoned on one of the stools and headed for the door.

She had barely taken two steps when Noah caught her wrist and drew her back into him, his arms closing around her with startling decisiveness.

His mouth found hers in a heady, claiming kiss.

"Noah..." she murmured weakly when he broke away, her voice betraying her far more than she intended.

Her mind was a muddled mess now, bones heavy, senses dulled in a way that made her acutely aware of how much she needed a bed. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Is he going to be a bother?" Noah whispered against her skin, his lips trailing kisses along her jaw, his arms tightening around her small waist. "Do you still love him?"

He stopped when she couldn’t respond because of his ministrations, pulling back just enough to give her space—to let her find herself again.

"No..." Gianna muttered when she finally opened her eyes.

Then she surprised both of them by rising on her toes and claiming his lips first this time.

But the moment barely had time to settle before his phone rang out loud.

Noah cursed softly and tried to silence it, irritation flashing across his face.

Gianna shook her head. "It might be important. Take it..."

She paused, breath unsteady. "I need to get home after all. Need to rest. I will wait for you outside."

The moment she stepped away, reality rushed back in.

Noah kicked the wall when he saw the caller ID.

"What?!" he barked into the phone, barely restraining his temper.

"Noah..." Esme’s voice came through, uncertain, questioning. She clearly hadn’t expected that reaction.

"What do you want, Esme?" he snapped.

There was a pause. "Noah, are you okay? Did something happen?"

Yes. He wanted to scream it. You just interrupted the best thing I’ve had since returning to this godforsaken city.

Instead, he inhaled deeply, forcing calm. "No. Nothing to bother yourself with. Why did you call?"

Satisfied that his tone had evened out, Esme launched into her usual rambling. "Where are you? Are you still at the convention ground?"

"Why are you asking?"

She scoffed. "Can’t I know my brother’s whereabouts again?"

"Esme—"

She sighed theatrically. "I’m just curious, Noah."

A pause. Then her voice sharpened. "Are you with that woman?"

His silence was all the answer she needed.

"How dare you!" she shouted. "I just lost to her, and yet—you are with her instead of me! You have betrayed me!"

"Esme, the win was for the company. You should be happy. You’re being too sensitive now, when you should be resting."

"Sensitive?" She shot upright on her bed, disbelief fueling her rage. "I’m sensitive because I want my big brother with me? Because I want the best for him? Gianna is a leech! Why can’t you understand that? And she’s also out for my job!"

"She’s just a better designer, Esme," Noah said coolly. "You should be learning from her. Collaborating with her—like Vance—instead of spitting jokes or trying to tear her down."

A ruthless pause settled between them.

"I’ve told you," he continued, voice hard now. "You won’t have me on your side for this. And you won’t have my approval for whatever shenanigans you’re planning. And know this—troubling Gianna is troubling me. And you don’t want to trouble me, little sister."

"NOAH!!!"

He ended the call and stormed out of the room.

"Fuck," he muttered, eyes scanning the hallway wildly when he didn’t see Gianna. Where had she gone now?

He blamed himself immediately. He shouldn’t have answered the call. Not when it was just Esme. He should have gone after his girlfriend.

The word made him smile.

As he turned down the hallway toward the main hall, hope bloomed that she was waiting by the exit.

Even though she hadn’t said it out loud yet, hadn’t accepted his proposal, he knew—he was getting there.

His smile faded the moment he stepped into public view, but inside, he was gleaming. Memories of the past minutes flooded him—the way she had responded to him, the way her body had softened.

He shook his head sharply as his lower body reacted. Not now. He couldn’t afford strange looks.

Luck favored him when he spotted her outside, engaged in conversation with an aging business mogul from the jewelry industry—one he had also hoped to meet today.

Noah approached smoothly, slipped an arm around Gianna’s waist with practiced ease.

The mogul took the hint instantly, smiling knowingly. "Nice to finally meet you, Noah Newman."

Oh, it was damn nice, he thought. So damn nice to feel everything falling into place.

Meanwhile, back at the Newman family house, Esme was in the middle of a storm.

She hurled objects across her room, ignoring the frantic knocks at her door. Anger rode her in violent waves.

She threw her drawing pad against the wall, smashed cupboards, and destroyed her dressing area piece by piece.

One name echoed in her head with every crash.

Gianna.

Gianna had to go.

Had to leave.

Had to be brought down.

But even as the destruction mounted, the relief it offered was fleeting.

When her phone began to ring, she glared at it, chest heaving. Finally, she stalked back to her bed and snatched it up—only to frown deeply when she saw the caller.

Sabrina. (Second Leech)