The Billionaire Recluse & The girl who stayed.

Her coffee date.

~ Jasper ~

The meeting ended.

Voices faded.

Screens went dark.

And yet—

I hadn't taken in a single word of it.

Not properly.

My mind had been elsewhere.

Distracted.

Unfocused.

Dangerously so.

—

I stood at my office window, staring out across the grounds, one hand resting against the glass.

The estate was quiet.

Still.

Controlled.

Just the way I liked it.

Predictable.

—

And then I saw her.

Lexi.

Walking across the driveway toward her car.

Coat wrapped around her, bag over her shoulder, hair catching slightly in the breeze.

Purposeful.

Like she knew exactly where she was going.

My eyes narrowed slightly.

Where is she going?

She hadn't said anything.

No mention of leaving.

No update.

Nothing.

A flicker of irritation settled in my chest.

Unnecessary.

Unwanted.

But there.

—

Before I could think it through—

I reached for my phone and dialled her.

It rang once.

Twice.

Then—

"Hello?"

Her voice.

Soft.

Casual.

Like everything was normal.

"Are you going home?" I asked, my tone sharper than I intended. "Are you okay?"

There was a slight pause on the other end.

Then—

"No," she said. "I'm just meeting Dale for a coffee. Do you want anything bringing back?"

—

Dale.

Of course.

My jaw tightened instantly.

A coffee.

She's meeting him again.

My grip on the phone tightened.

Something hot and sharp twisted in my chest.

Jealousy.

There was no point denying it.

It was there.

Loud.

Uncomfortable.

And completely unjustified.