Chapter 722

I tried to play it cool. “Oh, nothing. I just got some water on myself in the restroom.”

“Oh,” she said, clearly skeptical, but she didn’t dare push for more details.

Once I was in the car heading back, my heart finally started to calm down.

I couldn’t believe I’d actually mistaken Ryan for Edward—and even tried to kiss him and tear his shirt open like that.

‘Damn it,’ I cursed inwardly.

From now on, I couldn’t let myself drink like that ever again. If I got wasted and made a fool of myself, it could really ruin me.

When I got home, I collapsed onto my bed and slept until the early hours of the morning. The next day, I called in sick.

That morning, Jared came knocking on my door. He’d just dropped Yvonne off at school.

I’d just taken a shower and was in my pajamas, and as soon as I saw Jared, I grabbed a jacket and threw it on.

“What are you doing here?” I frowned.

If it had been any other guy, I could’ve just ignored him.

But Jared was Yvonne’s dad and my boss—seeing him was practically routine at this point.

“I brought you breakfast,” Jared said, setting it down on the table. “Why’d you get so wasted last night? Did you end up grabbing the wrong guy or something?”

My face shifted. “Did you hear people talking about it?”

“Nah, I just know how you get when you’re drunk,” Jared teased, a sly smile on his lips.

Suddenly, flashes from my previous life hit me. Back then, I’d get drunk on purpose just to show up at his door, hoping to make him mine. God knows how many times I pestered Jared like that.

“Relax,” I shot back, giving him a smile even icier than his. “Even if I do mistake someone for you, I won’t go chasing after you again.” Instinctively, I pulled my jacket tighter around myself.

Jared caught the way I pulled my jacket tighter, his eyes growing unreadable. Then he gave a faint, almost mocking smile. “Yeah, you’re over me now. Even if you needed someone to comfort you, I know I wouldn’t even cross your mind.”

“Good, as long as you know. Go on, you can leave now—I still want to sleep a bit more,” I said, my head still fuzzy from last night’s drinking.

“So the state-owned company came knocking with a bag of cash this time—let me guess, that’s your doing again,” Jared said, but instead of leaving, he pulled out a chair and sat down.

I shot him a surprised look. “Are you just looking for another excuse to stuff my pockets? If that’s the case, just call it a bonus and wire it straight to my account—the more, the merrier.”

Jared fixed me with a serious look. “Are you still in contact with Ryan?”

“Of course not. He’s married now,” I blurted out, my eyes darting away, unable to meet his gaze.

“I actually looked into his marriage, but I couldn’t find much. Their whole situation is way too hush-hush,” Jared said, his tone almost soothing.

“No need to dig into it,” I interrupted him. “We don’t talk anymore—there’s nothing between me and Ryan.”

Jared leaned back in his chair, looking totally relaxed. “Hey, I’m a guy too. If I’ve got a woman I actually care about, there’s no way I’d just up and marry someone else. Even if I did, it’d just be for show—no real feelings, trust me.”

“Don’t you guys just take whoever comes your way?” I snorted, rolling my eyes. “Isn’t it in your DNA to never say no?”

Jared just grinned, not really denying it. “Well, that’s only because most guys don’t have options. But for someone like Ryan—a top-tier elite—if he isn’t picky, that’s just not in his nature. If his pride gets trampled, it’s basically admitting he’s weak, and then everyone will start treating him like a doormat.”

My eyes went wide in surprise. ‘Seriously? People actually think like that?’

Jared gave a cold chuckle. “At their level, it’s all constant invisible battles for dominance. That’s just business as usual. Ryan would never let the Chamberlain Family control him.”

“Then what’s the point of him even getting married?” I asked, honestly baffled. “I just don’t get it.”

“It’s just a transaction—mutual benefits, shared influence. Everyone gets what they need,” Jared replied coolly.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Jared, do you think you’ll ever end up marrying just for an alliance?”

Jared looked at me, his eyes unreadable. “What do you think?”