He Confessed to Me in Front of My Ex

Zevian’s expression was one of barely contained fury.

I mentally apologized to Draxon, then turned my hand to clasp his and flashed a provocative smile toward Zevian.

The first to react was Winston Landers, the man seated next to Zevian.

The Landers Family had long depended on the Maxwell Family, so Winston was always the first to jump in, whether to flatter or stir up trouble.

“Vespera Darkwood? What are you doing here?” Winston shouted.

I shrugged, maintaining my composure as I took a sip of wine, my hand still clasped around Draxon's.

Winston’s face turned a shade of red, his anger barely contained. “Let go! Have you no shame? Do you even know what you’re doing?”

"What about Zevian?" I retorted, "I'm just here for a drink and to have some fun with a handsome young guy. What's it got to do with Zevian? Is he my dad or something?"

Winston’s face went pale as he quickly turned to Zevian, who was indeed glaring with barely contained fury. Seeing Zevian’s rage brought me an unexpected sense of relief.

I, Vespera Darkwood, wasn’t one to back down easily. If Zevian had managed to unsettle me, I certainly wouldn’t have wasted my energy protecting his pride in front of his friends.

I tilted my chin provocatively toward Zevian and said, “Right, Zevian?”

Zevian said, "Vespera, even if you're jealous, there should be a limit."

I couldn’t help but inwardly scoff. How far had I fallen that he still saw this as nothing more than jealousy and a tantrum?

A wave of exhaustion washed over me. The admiration I once felt had faded, replaced by a deep-seated disgust with every gesture he made.

I shot him with a cold glance at him and retorted, "If you’re going to fabricate stories, at least make them believable. Zevian, stay out of my life!”

“Fine,” Zevian snapped in a fit of rage. He stood up, locking eyes with me. “You said your piece. Don’t regret it.”

He turned and walked off, with the rest of his group trailing behind him. Only Winston remained, staring at me angrily.

“Are you out of your mind?” Winston demanded. “Zevian’s furious now. What’s going to come of this for you? You should apologize before things get worse!”

As Winston reached out to grab my wrist, I tried to sidestep him, but another hand clamped down on his arm first. It was Draxon.

Though he looked like a mild-mannered university student, his grip was surprisingly firm.

Winston struggled to withdraw, but Draxon’s hold was still too strong. His face darkened with frustration, asking, “What are you doing? Let go!”

I glanced down to see Draxon’s fingers tightening around Winston’s wrist.

The veins on his arm stood out as Winston grimaced in pain. With an easy smile, Draxon said, “Isn’t it rather rude to lay hands on a lady without warning?”

Winston gritted his teeth and snapped, “Mind your own business!”

Draxon responded casually, “How could it not be my business? I’m the one pursuing her.”

Winston’s gaze turned scornful as he prepared to retort.

I braced myself for his biting words, but Draxon had other plans. Instantly, he twisted Winston’s wrist and pinned him against the table.

“I doubt I’d appreciate what you were about to say,” Draxon said smoothly. “So, you’d better keep quiet.”

Winston’s eyes blazed with anger. “Let me go, damn it!”

Draxon chuckled, unphased. “Here’s the deal. You apologize to her and I’ll let it slide. If not, then you might not want to hear what I can do.”

He added, “I’ll make you drink every last drop of that leftover liquor on the table.”

Half a second after apologizing, Winston scurried off, tail between his legs.

I turned to Draxon with a hint of concern. “Aren’t you worried he might come after you?”

Draxon flashed a reassuring smile. “I’m just a small fry. He won’t bother with me. Besides, about what I said.”

I sighed deeply. The night had been a whirlwind and I was running on empty.

“Just give me your contact information. If he does come after you, let me know,” I said.

His smile softened as he added me on WhatsApp. When he offered to walk me home, I politely declined.

At 1:30 a.m., I opened the door to my home. The soft glow of a nightlight lit up the living room, where Zevian was lounging on the sofa.

He sneered at me and said, "I thought you were going to stay out all night."

His self-righteousness was almost funny. How could he act so upset when he had been out kissing someone else for everyone to see? His anger seemed ridiculous.

With a smirk, I replied, "Zevian, what right do you have to lecture me?”