Chapter 3She Slept Soundly in His Noise

Lance's POV

"Ms. Wilkinson used to be like the Grim Reaper. Anyone who laid eyes on her would start shaking. Now she finally seems a little more human."

Jenna didn't respond, nor did she refute it.

She had the waiter bring over some plain water, poured Derek a glass, and handed it to him. "You have a weak stomach, so don't drink anything cold. Have some warm water instead."

During last year's Christmas celebrations, when her mother kept forcing me to drink at the dinner table, I had a stomach flare-up too.

The pain got so bad afterward that I had to get a painkiller injection, and while I was out of it, I complained to her about it.

But all she gave me was one icy look and said, "If you neglect your own health, that's on you."

I clenched my fingers tightly beneath the table, the pain in my chest almost too much to bear. After all the commotion, Derek suddenly came over.

He flashed a bright smile. "Mr. Keller, I'm Ms. Wilkinson's secretary, Derek. I'd like to offer you a toast."

With that, he poured me a glass of liquor while holding his own cup of warm water.

I shook my head. "Sorry, but I can't drink."

Derek's smile froze.

Jenna had been watching us the whole time. She spoke quietly. "Lance, don't embarrass Derek."

As I looked at her, I caught a hint of warning in her eyes. With my nails digging into my palm, I asked quietly, "Did you forget? The doctor said no alcohol while we're trying for a baby."

In an instant, the entire private room fell deathly silent.

Derek really did have captivating eyes. They sparkled when he smiled and turned all red and glassy when he was upset.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Keller. I-I didn't know you and Ms. Wilkinson were… I'll drink this myself! Consider it my apology!"

He picked up the glass of liquor, looking utterly aggrieved as he prepared to down it.

I raised a hand to stop him, nodding toward Jenna. "Ms. Wilkinson's already drunk a dozen shots for you. Don't make it all for nothing."

Derek's eyes welled up even more. Jenna frowned as she hurried over to him.

With a soft voice, she said, "Didn't I say you don't have to drink? Put it down. It's cold."

Everyone in the room stayed silent. They looked at her, then at me, and finally at Derek, who was so upset that he could barely catch his breath.

I honestly couldn't figure out why he looked so wronged. I was the one who should've been the one upset.

Just as Jenna's fingers were about to land on his shoulder, he suddenly rubbed his eyes and bolted for the door.

Jenna shot me a glance before going after him. And just like that, what was supposed to be a nice dinner ended in sheer awkwardness.

As I quietly went to pay the bill, I overheard the Wilkinson Group employees whispering to each other.

"Are Ms. Wilkinson and Mr. Keller really married? Then why does Ms. Wilkinson keep blocking the partnership and rejecting draft after draft?"

"I heard it's an arranged marriage. Nobody falls in love in those. Ms. Wilkinson's clearly got a thing for Derek."

On the drive home, I kept thinking about the four years we were together. She was the one who pursued me, but I was also the one who spent those four years protecting her.

After we graduated from college, we broke up for a year because our parents disapproved of our relationship. Then a year later, she was the one who came looking for me and proposed, throwing caution to the wind.

If that wasn't marrying for love, then what was?

At 11:00 pm, Jenna came home.

The sound of her footsteps echoed loudly through the house, and her voice was icy. "You shouldn't have said what you said. Now everyone's gossiping about Derek and me.

"It's having a huge impact on the company, and Derek's been upset all night. Tomorrow, make a statement clarifying things. Just say you misspoke."

I'd been waiting for her to come home so I could talk to her about the divorce. I never expected the first thing she would do when she walked through the door was start pointing fingers.

I lifted my head. "Jenna, are you really that ashamed of having me as your husband?

"I'm talking about what you said about making a clarification. " She said.

"What exactly am I supposed to say? Am I supposed to say we're not married? Or should I say what we have is just a business arrangement?"

She was getting impatient. "I'm being serious here."

I stared right back at her. "So am I, Jenna."

After a beat, I asked, "Do you even love me?"

Her brow creased, and for a split second, her eyes darted away. "You need to calm down."

"I am calm. I just don't understand. You can't even stand the sound of me breathing, but you can sleep through anything Derek does. Did you ever actually see me as your husband?"