Chapter 768:

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“For the record, I’m not untapped,” he replied, the words escaping before he could catch them.

A surge of irritation prickled beneath his skin. Why had he even blurted that out? Inexperience aside, that didn’t make him some gigolo for others to sample and toss aside.

With a steely glare, he challenged her. “How dare you trick me?”

Katherine’s lips curled in a teasing grin. “Why are you getting so defensive? I’m just talking here, not twisting your arm. But let’s be honest—a skilled ex like you is a rare find. If you’re ever up for it, let me know.”

He could see through her bravado and scoffed. “Even if I agreed, you wouldn’t have the guts.”

𝖸ou𝗋 n𝘦𝘅𝘵 𝖿a𝘃о𝘳𝗂𝘵𝘦 𝗿е𝘢𝘥 iѕ оո 𝗀а𝗅𝗇𝘰𝘃е𝗅ѕ.𝘤о𝘮

Katherine answered by rolling up her window, leaving Julian standing motionless in a cloud of exhaust, his expression as dark as midnight.

At home, Katherine found Colten in the living room, playing with Jillian. Colten looked up, still buoyant. “Kate, did you hear? Jillian called me ‘dada’ today.”

Not wanting to twist the truth, Katherine said plainly, “She meant Julian, not you.”

Colten’s smile faded, a hint of confusion settling in his eyes.

“The nanny told me she went looking for Julian herself.” A weary sigh slipped from Katherine. “Life keeps throwing us together in ways I never imagined.”

Colten’s expression grew grave. “You ran into him again, didn’t you?”

“I did,” she admitted, a faint curve touching her lips.

He searched her face. “Do you still have feelings for him?”

Katherine’s eyes glittered with a quiet, knowing smile. “Right now, the only thing that matters to me is finding my own happiness.”

That was answer enough, and Colten’s shoulders slumped ever so slightly. “If you’re happy, then I can’t ask for more.”

She turned to him with gentle curiosity. “I’m planning to take Jillian to visit Laurence soon. Do you have any objections?”

Colten paused, silent for a few heartbeats, then simply shook his head.

“I’m not going.”

“Okay.” Katherine left it at that, asking nothing more.

Later that afternoon, Julian found himself unable to focus during the meeting. Katherine’s brief reply echoed in his head, looping over and over until it blurred into a taunt. Without realizing it, his fingers started moving on their own, typing the name of the club Lila liked to visit directly into his notes.

A sudden hush fell over the conference room.

Cayson edged closer and muttered, “Mr. Nash, your laptop’s projecting onto the main screen.”

Julian remarked in a monotone, “I’m aware.”

His only goal was to handle the current issue, so he chose to delay the meeting. The entire boardroom grew hushed, observing as Julian finished up his task.

Once he had examined the club, Julian deliberately searched for details about their most in-demand male escorts. After reviewing the material, he found nothing particularly remarkable.

Then he returned to the meeting table with his full attention restored. As the meeting drew to a close, a participant asked, “Mr. Nash, is there an intention to diversify into additional ventures?”

Julian answered with ease, “That relies on how I feel.”

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