Dark Revenge Of A Jilted Bride: Till Life Do Us Part!-Chapter 65: Feelings

Zane felt it before he understood it.

It hit him like a tightening in the chest, sharp and disorienting, the kind that made him draw in a slow breath without realizing he was doing it.

He sat near the edge of the restaurant floor, half-turned toward the exit, watching Gianna and Noah walk away together.

Noah’s arm was around her waist. Casual. Possessive. Familiar.

Zane’s jaw flexed.

He didn’t know why his body reacted the way it did, why something twisted low and uncomfortable inside him as he watched them move in sync, their steps aligned like this was something practiced. Like this was something they did often.

Gianna’s head tilted slightly toward Noah as he murmured something to her, when they reached the doors, and she smiled.

That smile made everything much worse.

He had seen her the moment she entered the restaurant earlier that night. Had felt it then too, that faint restlessness creeping under his skin, unsettling him without explanation.

He’d looked up instinctively, eyes catching on the slash of red she wore, the way the fabric clung to her like it had been made with her in mind. He had watched her pause just inside the doors, taking the place in with a calm confidence that didn’t demand attention yet drew it anyway.

Then he’d seen Noah. Seen the way Noah had looked at her.

Zane’s fingers had tightened around his glass at that point. He had told himself it was nothing. The meaningless irritation of seeing people he knew crossing paths in ways he hadn’t anticipated.

But he had watched them.

Watched her being led through the room, watched the waiter guide her to Noah’s table. Watched Noah rise slightly from his seat, his attention wholly consumed by her. Watched the way Gianna’s posture shifted when she reached him, the subtle awareness in her body.

And he had kept watching. Until his date leaned in close and beckoned for his attention, her manicured fingers brushing his wrist as if she had to physically pull him back into the moment.

Even now, he could hear her, seated beside him, hissing under her breath.

"I thought you both claimed you were just friends of friends," the actress muttered, her smile fixed but brittle. "Why are you looking at her like that?"

Zane didn’t answer. He didn’t know.

He didn’t understand this sudden, unreasonable need to stride across the room and grab Gianna away from Noah. Didn’t understand the irrational surge of irritation that followed every time Noah leaned closer to her.

It made no sense. He had no claim on her. No right. No reason. And yet...

The actress touched his arm again, her fingers light, possessive in their own way. She started to complain—something about being ignored, about embarrassment, about how he was ruining the night.

Zane turned his head slowly. The glare he gave her was sharp enough to slice through words.

She stopped mid-sentence.

Without saying a word, he reached into his jacket, pulled out a stack of cash, and dropped it onto the table. Enough to cover the meal. Enough to silence her. Enough to ensure she wouldn’t follow.

He stood.

"Zane... wait—" she started, but the protest died when she saw the money. Her eyes flicked down, greed overriding indignation.

Zane scoffed quietly as she reached for it. He walked out of the restaurant without looking back.

The cool night air hit him as soon as the doors slid shut behind him. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stood there for a moment, staring out at the parking lot like he expected answers to be waiting for him between the rows of expensive cars.

What the hell was he doing?

He didn’t see them.

Disappointment passed through him before irritation took its place.

Were they dating now? When had that happened? How long had it been going on? The questions piled up, unwanted and intrusive.

He moved toward his car, unlocked it, slid into the driver’s seat. He pulled out of the parking lot, tires humming softly against the asphalt as he merged onto the road.

Where had they first met?

He shook his head, annoyed with himself. This was ridiculous. He had to go home, to Sandro’s place, and sleep off these unwanted feelings.

He drove for a few minutes before realizing he wasn’t heading toward Sandro’s place.

His grip tightened on the steering wheel, as he changed lanes. The route shifted almost without conscious thought, muscle memory guiding him toward a street he knew far too well. Toward the Thorne mansion.

Curiosity burned under his skin, insistent. Anger followed close behind it—anger at himself, at the situation, at the fact that he couldn’t seem to let it go.

Why should he care?

The question echoed uselessly.

He slowed as he turned onto the street, cutting his headlights and easing his foot off the accelerator. The neighborhood was quiet, lined with manicured hedges.

His heart began to thump harder when he saw the flash of headlights ahead.

A car pulled up near the gate.

He stilled. Even at a distance, even in the dim light, he recognized them immediately.

They were standing close, just at the gate, Noah’s body angling toward Gianna’s in a way that was intimate without being overt.

Zane watched. He hated himself for it.

Noah said something—Zane couldn’t hear the words, but he saw the way Gianna’s mouth curved, saw the softening in her posture. She smiled again, that same smile from earlier, and it hit Zane like a punch to the gut.

Noah leaned down.

Zane’s breath caught. His fingers dug into the steering wheel as he watched Noah’s head dip toward her, watched the space between them close. His chest tightened painfully—

But it was only a kiss on the cheek.

Brief. Gentle.

Zane exhaled without meaning to.

The relief that followed unsettled him more than the jealousy had. He didn’t like the way it felt, didn’t like what it suggested about him.

He would have turned then, would have driven away and pretended this never happened... But Noah’s head snapped up suddenly, eyes sharp, scanning the street.

Zane had no choice. He turned his headlights back on and pulled forward, the car rolling smoothly toward the gate.

Noah straightened, his body subtly shifting into something more guarded as Zane parked and stepped out.

The air felt heavier now.

Zane closed the car door behind him and walked toward them, his expression blank, controlled.

He gave them only a curt nod as he passed, his gaze flicking briefly to Gianna—just long enough to acknowledge her presence without betraying anything else.

Then, he walked through the gates. And started toward Spider’s cottage.