After Betrayal - I Married a Handsome Tycoon-Chapter 158: Deep Affection or Despicable

Moira Sloan teased him with practiced ease, leaving Connor Quinn with no choice but to go along with it.

As soon as she finished speaking, Moira Sloan rose from Connor Quinn’s arms. While gesturing for him to get the door, she couldn’t resist giving his perpetually stoic face a playful pinch.

Tsk.

’When will I ever get to see another flicker of emotion on his face?’

’I always get the feeling that even if the sky were falling, this damn man wouldn’t show the slightest emotion.’

’So calm. Way too calm.’

’Was he some enlightened monk in a past life, detached from the mortal world?’

As Moira Sloan sat on the sofa, lost in thought, Connor Quinn rose to open the door.

As the door swung open, the breath of the person standing outside hitched.

It was Shane Jennings.

A drunk Shane Jennings.

The moment he saw Connor Quinn, his eyes instantly went bloodshot.

An instant later, he threw a punch at Connor Quinn’s face.

As Shane Jennings’s fist flew toward him, Connor Quinn’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t dodge, taking the punch head-on.

Shane Jennings, blind with rage, completely missed the deeper meaning in Connor Quinn’s eyes. He grabbed Connor by the collar, dragged him into the hallway, and slammed him against the wall. "How could you be so despicable?" he snarled through gritted teeth.

He had only just found out today. It wasn’t just the marriage alliance with the Blanchett Clan—Connor Quinn had been behind the scenes, orchestrating everything that had happened to him.

Connor Quinn had used every trick in the book to utterly destroy his reputation in Moira Sloan’s eyes.

Connor Quinn sneered, "You’re the one who’s stupid. How can you blame me?"

Shane Jennings shot back, "That expression on your face—I dare you to show it to Moira."

Connor Quinn replied, "Do you think I’m as stupid as you are?"

The moment Connor Quinn finished speaking, Moira Sloan came rushing out of the room in her slippers.

Connor Quinn’s expression shifted in an instant. His jaw tightened, and he fell silent.

Seeing Connor Quinn’s act, Shane Jennings grew even more furious.

Just as Shane Jennings was about to lunge again, Moira Sloan’s icy voice stopped him in his tracks. "Shane Jennings!"

At the sound of her voice, Shane Jennings clenched his fists and turned to her. The sight of her only made his eyes grow redder. "Moira, he..."

Moira Sloan took a deep breath, forcing down her anger. "We need to talk."

Shane Jennings said nothing.

Moira continued, "Or I can just call the police, and you can talk to them at the station."

As Shane Jennings released Connor Quinn, Moira Sloan stepped forward, grabbed Connor’s wrist, and pulled him behind her protectively.

Once she was sure Shane Jennings wouldn’t charge at them again in a drunken rage, she glanced at the bruise forming on Connor Quinn’s cheekbone. Frowning, she said, "Go back to the room and wait for me."

"I’ll stay with you," Connor Quinn said. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Listen to me," Moira said.

Connor Quinn’s eyes darkened. "What if he..."

Sensing the unease in his eyes, Moira Sloan sighed softly. "I’m not getting back together with him. I’m your girlfriend now, aren’t I?"

With that, a smile touched Moira Sloan’s lips. "Connor Quinn, you have to trust your girlfriend."

Connor Quinn’s Adam’s apple bobbed. "Okay."

Standing a few steps away, Shane Jennings’s face grew dark and sullen as he watched Moira Sloan and Connor Quinn’s casual intimacy, oblivious to his presence.

A moment later, Connor Quinn returned to the room, leaving just Moira Sloan and Shane Jennings in the hallway.

The smile instantly vanished from Moira Sloan’s face, replaced by a look of sheer impatience.

"Did Finn Fuller tell you I lived here?"

Shane Jennings looked down at her, his eyes lowered. He didn’t deny it.

Moira Sloan scoffed and dialed Finn Fuller’s number right in front of Shane Jennings.

The line rang for a moment before connecting. "I’m returning your check," Moira Sloan said coldly. "Our partnership is over."

Finn Fuller’s voice was laced with panic on the other end of the line. "Moira, what are you doing? Why are you backing out all of a sudden? We had a deal..."

Finn Fuller tried to talk her down, but she just scoffed. "Finn Fuller, I get by in this industry on my talent, not my body. If I were selling myself, the pittance you’re paying me wouldn’t be enough even if you added two more zeros."

With that, she hung up, not bothering to listen to Finn Fuller’s excuses.

And to prevent him from calling back, she blocked his number for good measure.

Once that was settled, Moira Sloan put her phone away and turned to Shane Jennings. "I thought I made myself perfectly clear last night. I can’t believe you still haven’t given up."

Moira Sloan let out a contemptuous laugh. "Shane Jennings, can you tell me what you think you’re doing, showing up again and again? Are you playing the part of the devoted ex?"

The scorn on Moira Sloan’s face was plain to see. As Shane Jennings took it in, a pain flared in his chest, as if he were being torn apart from the inside.

"You’re not the Moira I know."

"She wouldn’t be so cold to me."

"She would never say such hurtful things."

Moira Sloan scoffed. "Shane Jennings, have you gotten so lost in your own act that you’ve started to believe it?"

’Harassing someone after a breakup isn’t devotion. It’s just pathetic.’

’Especially when he was the one who broke up with me, and now he’s the one who can’t let go.’

’So indecisive. He wants to have his cake and eat it too.’

Shane Jennings’s face was twisted in pain. "Moira, what if our breakup wasn’t my choice? What if it was all a setup by someone else? Would you still take me back?"