112“You think you’ve won something, don’t you?” Jane sneered, her eyes flashing with venom. “Well, let me clue you in, sweetheart. After playing gigolo for Helen Nelson, Dylan finally showed his true colors. And guess what? She kicked his sorry ass to the curb. And now he’s stuck with you?” She let out a short, bitter laugh. “That’s just pathetic.”Bobby let out another humorless laugh, shaking his head. “So let me get this straight. First, you get Jane—who, for some reason, actually gave a damn about you.” He shot Jane a sideways glance, ignoring her glare. “Then you scam your way into Helen’s life, thinking you hit the jackpot—only for her to wise up and kick you out like the trash you are. And now,” he gestured toward Olivia, eyes narrowing, “you’ve somehow landed this one?”His bitterness was impossible to hide now. It gnawed at him, an ugly, festering thing. What does Dylan have that I don’t? He was a loser, a liar, a womanizer, and yet, somehow, he always ended up with women w

114Before Jane could retort, a well-dressed waiter appeared at their table, clearing his throat. His expression was carefully neutral, but the tension in his stance was unmistakable. He had clearly been sent to intervene before things escalated any further.“Sir, madam,” he said, his voice smooth but firm, “I must ask you to keep your voices down. We strive to maintain a peaceful atmosphere for all our guests.”Jane scoffed, her eyes narrowing at the man as if he had personally offended her. “A peaceful atmosphere?” she sneered. “You should be more concerned about the kind of people you’re letting in here.”Bobby leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Exactly. How did you even let a pauper like him into this place?” His gaze flicked toward Dylan with open disdain. “You should be kicking them out immediately, not lecturing us about volume.”The waiter, to his credit, didn’t react to the blatant insult. His expression remained composed, but there was a slight tightening of his j

116Dylan smirked, leaning back in his chair with an easy confidence that only irritated Bobby further. “You know, Bobby, I’d almost feel bad for you,” he mused. “Imagine thinking a piece of plastic makes you important. That’s like a pigeon bragging about owning breadcrumbs.”Bobby’s face darkened, but Jane rolled her eyes. “Spare us the cheap analogies, Dylan. Olivia made a claim she can’t back up. That means you two need to leave.”Olivia merely hummed, tapping her nails against the table as if she had all the time in the world. “Oh, honey, you’re so eager to get rid of us,” she said sweetly. “Could it be because you know that if I did have my card, you’d look like a couple of clowns right now?”Jane scoffed. “You don’t have it, though.”Dylan let out a low chuckle. “You sound nervous, Jane. Almost like you’re afraid she’s telling the truth.”Bobby sneered. “She’s bluffing. If she really had it, she’d have shown it by now.”Olivia exhaled, rolling her shoulders back. “I’m not bluffi

118Dylan’s fists clenched at his sides. His entire body was coiled tight, like a storm barely contained.Olivia reached for his arm. “Dylan,” she murmured, but it was too late.He turned back around, closing the distance between him and Jane in two long strides. “You really don’t feel anything, do you?” His voice was low, edged with something dangerous. “You’re not just selfish. You’re empty.”Jane smirked, tilting her head mockingly. “Oh, spare me, Dylan. I didn’t come here for a therapy session.”Dylan leaned in, close enough that Jane’s smirk flickered for half a second. “No, you came here to remind me why I was a damn fool to ever love you.”Jane arched a perfectly shaped brow. “Love?” she echoed, amused. “Is that what you think it was?”Olivia stepped forward before Dylan could respond, her voice cold as ice. “You talk a lot for someone who left her daughter without a second thought.”Jane turned her gaze to Olivia, giving her a slow once-over. “You’re still here?” she said lazi

120The slap hung in the air, its sting echoing through the restaurant like a thunderclap. Olivia’s hand slowly lowered, her fingers trembling from the force of her action, as she stood there, chest heaving. Jane, stunned, pressed a hand to her reddened cheek, her eyes wide with shock and fury.The entire restaurant had gone silent, the clinking of cutlery and murmurs dying as every gaze in the room shifted to the scene unfolding at the table. A few patrons whispered in disbelief, while others exchanged shocked glances, unsure if they’d just witnessed the kind of moment that would become a whispered story for years to come.“Did you just…?” Jane’s voice was a dangerous hiss, her anger building like a storm. Her gaze burned into Olivia, her lips curled in a snarl. “You slapped me?”Olivia didn’t flinch. She stepped forward, her eyes never leaving Jane’s. “I won’t let you insult Dylan anymore,” she said, her voice cold but steady. “And I sure as hell won’t let you insult Molly. You’ve d