Semua Bab Divorced My Husband And Found Love: Bab 111 - Bab 120

Naomi’s povMy jaw dropped. “What? No! Ethan, it’s not like…”But he was already backing away, holding up his hands like he’d just committed a crime. “Totally my mistake. Won’t happen again. Promise.”And then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd like a frightened rabbit.I stood there, my face burning with humiliation. My hands were shaking, and I gripped the glass so hard I thought it would shatter.“What was that?” I hissed, turning to face Jace.He didn’t even flinch. “Your father wants you back at the table. The auction is about to begin.”“You scared him off! And you made me look like an idiot!” I hissed. “He thinks…” I broke off, covering my face with my hand. “God, he thinks we’re… something.”“Let him,” Jace said coldly.My hand dropped, and I stared at him. “Are you kidding me? Do you even realize how humiliating that was?”“I didn’t do anything,” he said. “He assumed. It’s not my fault if he’s easily intimidated.”His expression didn’t change. That was the worst part—th

Naomi's povI slammed the door a little harder than necessary when I came back inside, but of course no one noticed. The air inside the ballroom felt thick, the almost sickening scents of expensive perfume clinging to my skin like a second layer. My cheeks were still hot from the embarrassment I had just received.I forced a breath through my nose, squared my shoulders, and walked straight past him into the glittering chaos of the gala. The chandeliers caught the sequins on my dress and spread them across the walls like a hundred tiny spotlights. A few eyes swiveled to me, but I didn’t care. I pasted a smile on my face and tossed my hair like nothing had happened, taking a conscious effort to look casual.I turned slightly and saw him standing just outside the door leading to the balcony, hands clasped neatly behind his back. No expression, no trace of the man who had just chewed me out, insinuating that I was some reckless kid who didn’t know how to act right without supervision.I f

Naomi's povThe last bell couldn’t come fast enough.By the time the dismissal rang through the hallways, my head felt like it had been stuffed with alcohol soaked cotton wool and set on fire. My friends had talked about nothing else all day but him.Jace.The “hot” bodyguard. The “mysterious, dangerous-looking guy” who apparently stole the entire spotlight at the gala.They weren’t even at the gala, for goodness’ sake!They went on and on like he was some celebrity, like Leonardo DiCaprio had crashed the ballroom in a suit. I wanted to scream.Instead, I packed up my books with an angry snap and forced myself to walk calmly out of the classroom.“Bye, Naomi!” Ann called, giggling. “Tell Jace we said hi!”My teeth ground together so hard I thought they might crack. I waved over my shoulder like I didn’t care but inside, my blood boiled.The hallways were a swirling chaos of teenagers, their voices a dull roar in my ears. I just wanted to get to the car, to lock myself away in the back

Naomi's povMy phone felt heavy and useless in my hand. Three hundred and twelve new posts on Instagram, a dozen useless texts from the girls, a celebrity’s messy breakup—none of it mattered. It was all a desperate attempt to drown out the echo of the loop playing in my head.I tried. Lord knows I tried hard.I tossed the phone onto the plush duvet on my bed and picked up the newest issue of Vogue. A supermodel, all cheekbones and expensive silk, stared back at me. I tried to focus on the impossible price tag of the handbag she was clutching, but the image kept dissolving into a different one.No matter how many times I scrolled past dumb videos on my phone lying abandoned on my duvet, or flipped through the glossy magazine, my brain kept circling back.Jace.The calm way he’d looked at me earlier. Those eyes that didn’t seem to flinch, no matter what chaos was happening around him. And then—the jacket. The stupid, annoyingly warm, perfectly timed jacket he’d handed me without a word.

Naomi's povBy the time the bell rang for lunch the next day, I thought I might collapse from sheer boredom. Math had dragged unnecessarily, history had felt like slow torture, and my English teacher had decided we all needed to do dramatic readings of Shakespeare before noon. I deserved a medal just for surviving.“Finally,” I muttered and sagged in my seat with a genuine sigh of relief as the bell echoed through the hallway.Thirty minutes of Hamlet reenactments had successfully chased any lingering, irrational thoughts of a particular bodyguard right out of my head. For that, I was eternally grateful to Mr. Smith.I shoved my notebook into my bag and joined the chaotic stream of students surging toward the cafeteria. The relief was short-lived, though. As soon as I hit the main hall, the image of Jace’s eyes looking at me with a soft expression flashed into my mind.Stop it, Naomi. It's just a guy.“Naomi!”I didn’t even need to turn. That voice was Sarah’s, pitched high enough to