Summer’s POV
I watched as Sean pulled out his phone, his usual cocky demeanor shifting to something more calculated. The playful glint in his eyes took on a mischievous edge that made me instantly wary.
“So, Sean leaned toward Brandon with what could only be described as a deliberately “harmless” smile–the kind that screamed trouble. “I happened to witness something rather… entertaining when I was escorting Summer earlier.”
Sean swiped through his phone before holding it out to Brandon. “Just took a quick detour while seeing Summer, caught quite the show. Take a look–pretty juicy stuff!”
Brandon glanced at the phone screen, his expression unchanging. “Did she see it?” he asked, his voice low.
I felt Brandon’s eyes flick toward me.
Brandon merely shook his head slightly before returning his attention to Sean.
“Are you kidding?” Sean replied, looking almost offended. “What kind of guy do you think I am? Of course Summer didn’t see it! I made sure she was out of the lounge before I even looked.” He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “I mean, come on, how could I let your wife see something like that? I just thought, you know, it might come in handy someday…”
Oh! They’re back!” Sean suddenly announced, his tone entirely too gleeful as he nodded toward the entrance.
I turned to see Victoria and Alexander making their grand reappearance. Victoria had changed into a different dress–a champagne- colored cocktail number that showed off her legs. Her hair, which had been perfectly styled earlier, now looked slightly disheveled
despite obvious attempts to fix it. Alexander looked… well, like a man who’d rather be anywhere else.
“Damn, Alexander’s got some stamina,” Sean muttered, not quite under his breath. “Didn’t think he had it in him.”
I felt heat rush to my face as the implication sank in.
Brandon’s knuckles rapped sharply against the table, silencing Sean immediately. The warning in that simple gesture was
unmistakable.
Ruby leaned close to me. “What’s he talking about?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” I whispered back. “And if you value your sanity, never ask Dr. Sullivan for details.”
Ruby and Scarlett nodded in perfect synchronization, clearly deciding that maintaining distance from Sean Sullivan life strategy.
s their new
Across the room, Victoria was practically hanging off Alexander’s arm, her face flushed with what appeared to be genuine happiness -or at least a convincing performance of it.
Alexander’s eyes swept the room before landing on our table. When he spotted me sitting with Brandon and Sean, his entire demeanor changed. His jaw tightened, eyes narrowing with undisguised jealousy. The intensity of his stare made me uncomfortable -this wasn’t the look of a man who had moved on.
Victoria, ever observant, caught the direction of his gaze. Something dark flashed across her face before she quickly masked it with a smile.
1/3
Chapter 148
As the reception wound down, guests began filtering out in small groups. I checked my watch, realizing it was getting late.
“We should probably head out too,” I suggested to Ruby and Scarlett
Before they could respond, Elizabeth materialized at our table, her smile brittle as she surveyed our group.
“Summer, darling,” she said, pointedly ignoring my friends, “I see you’ve met Michael. Wonderful! I’ve arranged for him to drive you
home.”
I stared at her in disbelief. “That’s not necessary. I have my own car
“Nonsense! I insist.” Her fingers dug into my arm with surprising strength. “It would be rude to refuse after he came all this way to
meet you.”
Sean, playing his role to perfection, stood and offered his hand to Elizabeth. “Mrs. Taylor, it would be my pleasure to escort Summer
home. You have my word she’ll arrive safely.”
I shot Brandon a desperate look. He nodded slightly–a signal we’d worked out earlier. I pulled out my phone and quickly sent him a text: “Please take Ruby and Scarlett home”
“Fine,” I conceded, rising to follow Sean and my mother.
Brandon remained seated, perfectly composed as he watched us leave. To anyone else, he appeared completely indifferent, but I caught the slight tension in his jaw–he wasn’t happy about this arrangement, but he trusted me to handle it.
Outside, Sean led me toward his sleek sports car, opening the passenger door with exaggerated chivalry.
“Summer! Wait!”
I turned to see Chris Diaz jogging toward us, his expression desperate. Chris had been watching me all evening, I’d noticed, but I’d successfully avoided him until now.
“Chris?” I asked, not bothering to hide my impatience. “Is something wrong?”
Chris glanced at Sean, then back to me. “Can we talk? Privately?”
Sean made no move to leave, merely leaning against his car with a raised eyebrow.
“Dr. Sullivan,” Chris tried again, “would you mind giving us a moment? I can drive Summer home afterward.”
Sean said nothing, simply closing the car door and crossing his arms with an amused smile.
I sighed heavily. “Chris, whatever you need to say, you can say it here. Dr. Sullivan isn’t a stranger. And I really need to get home- it’s been a long day.”
Chris’s eyes flashed with frustration. “It’s important, Summer. Just a few minutes.”
“Fine,” I relented, stepping away from the car. “What is it?”
Chris reached for my hand, but I immediately pulled away, taking a step back. His face fell, rejection written across his features.
“Summer,” he began, his voice slightly unsteady, “I like you. I’m sure you know that already. That night at Manhattan Club, when you got hurt, I didn’t get a chance to tell you how I felt. But I’ve liked you for a long time–
