Chapter 105: A Desperate Move
Ultimately, after parking his car in the basement and heading back up to the main lobby, Eric sat across from Jade on the waiting couches. Ruby didn’t join them, using the excuse that she was only there to drop Jade off to see Eric, and immediately took off back outside to her car.
The two of them sat in complete silence. Eric lounged back comfortably with his legs crossed, simply staring at the version of Jade sitting in front of him, someone he honestly didn’t even recognize anymore.
Jade was decked out in a black designer dress and high heels, even though she rarely ever wore heels unless she was going to a major party. Her wavy hair flowed down, her makeup was applied thick, and she was clearly using breast pads because her chest looked noticeably larger compared to when Eric saw her at Jason’s canceled wedding.
Eric shook his head. The cousin who used to look so incredibly conservative was now sitting right in front of him looking like a completely different person. But Eric could tell that something was off, and that there was something hidden behind Jade’s overly flashy appearance.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Eric asked, his voice calm and cold.
Hearing Eric’s words, Jade immediately snapped her head up to look at him as he stared back with a freezing gaze. She looked down in silence, gripping the strap of her designer purse tightly, as if holding on for dear life so she wouldn’t fall over.
Eric didn’t push any further; he just checked the time on his smartphone screen. Noticing his movement, Jade immediately looked back up at him.
"First of all... I wanted to apologize... I know I told you back then that I believed you and was ready to stand up for you... but in the end, I did absolutely nothing... I was just so scared," Jade said.
"Okay... and what else? Did you come all the way here just to say that?" Eric asked casually, his tone icy and completely devoid of emotion.
Jade stayed quiet, her jaw tightening, but she didn’t look down. She just searched Eric’s face, looking for any opening to reconnect with her cousin. Then she asked,
"Do... do you forgive me?"
"Yeah... ever since I arrived in this city," Eric replied casually and coldly.
Jade’s face completely changed, and she opened her mouth to speak, but before a single sound could escape, Eric cut her off.
"But it wasn’t for your sake, it was for mine. The reason is simple: I don’t harbor anger, affection, or any other feelings anymore for the people I used to consider family. They’re all gone from both my head and my heart, and I certainly don’t have any space left for them. So... let me ask you one more time. Did you come here just for that? Because if there’s nothing else, I’m heading upstairs," Eric added, completely relaxed and freezing cold.
Jade’s face completely lost its color, but this time she didn’t hang her head in sadness or regret. Instead, she flared up in anger.
"You’ve really gotten arrogant, haven’t you? I came all the way here with good intentions just so we could have a nice talk," Jade said, her voice rising slightly.
Hearing Jade’s outburst, Eric stayed completely still and didn’t flinch at all. Instead, a faint smirk crossed his face as he looked at Jade, clearly judging her ridiculous appearance. Naturally, Jade noticed this and immediately shut her mouth. Eric leaned his body forward and stared at Jade with a cynical smile.
"Look at yourself. Right now, you look just like a clown in high heels. And when you show up dressed like that saying you’re full of regret and apologies, all I hear is that you want something from me. Am I wrong?" Eric asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm and a cynical smile.
"What did you just say? I just wanted to talk to you, and since it’s a day off, I just wanted to hang out. Is it really that wrong?" Jade asked, her voice trembling and rising in pitch.
After that outburst, the two of them fell dead silent again. A clearly emotional Jade kept glaring at Eric, who remained perfectly relaxed and completely unfazed. Then, Eric leaned back again, checked the time on his smartphone once more, and locked his eyes right back onto Jade.
"You want to know why I can forgive you? The truth is, I was never actually mad at you, and I don’t hold a grudge against you either. I could understand your position back then. You couldn’t move or speak up because your parents were right there at my house. It makes sense that you stayed quiet and kept your mouth shut, and I can let that go," Eric said casually.
"But... why did you avoid me at Caleb and Avery’s baby shower back then?" Jade asked, genuinely desperate to hear his answer.
"At that time, I just wasn’t ready to face you. The pain in my chest still felt way too fresh. But I had already decided that once I was ready, I would be the one to look for you. Caleb knows all about that," Eric replied.
Jade fell silent, but her expression looked noticeably less tense than before. She leaned her body forward, causing the low cut of her dress to drop open, and reached out her hand to grab Eric’s. But before her hand could reach him, he cut her off.
"But... today is different. Because you showed up here dressed like this, intentionally putting your cleavage on display and God knows what else you’re trying to flash at me. Now, I have zero interest in talking to you, and I have zero interest in ever seeing you again. So please, leave on your own, or I’m calling security," Eric said, perfectly relaxed yet freezing cold and firm.
Jade’s face, which had just begun to form a faint smile, instantly tensed up again. She seemed to freeze in mid-air, her hand hovering in the empty space between them, her eyes locked onto the version of Eric in front of her who had just gone completely cold again, a total 180 from just a few seconds prior.
"I... I wasn’t trying to seduce you... I just wanted you to notice me. I just want things to go back to the way they used to be between us," Jade said as she sank back into her seat, panicking as she tried to explain herself.
Eric let out a dismissive scoff, casting a cynical glance her way. Without even realizing it, Jade had just laid her real agenda completely bare: trying to tempt him by putting on an outfit she clearly thought looked attractive.
He shook his head and stood up, leaving Jade completely speechless. He then turned back to face her, slipping both hands into his pants pockets.
"Sorry, I’m just not interested. I actually intended to reach out and have a chat with you someday, but not anymore. By coming here dressed like a total clown and trying to play these games with me or maybe even trying to sell yourself to me, who knows, whatever lingering attachment I had left for you has completely evaporated. There’s nothing left now. So, goodbye, and change your ways for someone who genuinely loves you. Consider that my final piece of advice," Eric said, perfectly relaxed with a faint smile.
Without waiting for Jade to fully process his words, Eric turned on his heel and walked over to the elevator. He pressed the button, the doors slid open, and he stepped inside to head upstairs, leaving Jade sitting alone on the couch looking like she had just been hit head-on by a freight train.
Inside the elevator, Eric leaned back against the wall and let out a heavy sigh. He pulled out his smartphone and shot a text over to Caleb.
"Your sister just showed up down here, and this time she looked like a total clown. Do me a favor and chew her out. I already tore into her just now and told her to change her ways."
Three dots immediately popped up at the bottom of the screen, then vanished. A few seconds later, the three dots reappeared, and Caleb’s reply flashed onto his phone.
"Yeah... I know she went to your place out of desperation, even though I told her not to. She’s in a real tight spot right now," Caleb replied.
"Oh... you knew? what happened ?" Eric asked.
"Yeah... Mike walked out yesterday. He couldn’t take my sister’s escalating behavior anymore. Before he left, he met up with me and showed me Jade’s Instagram. She was grinding all over some guy and even kissing him at a bar... it’s exhausting," Caleb answered in his message, and Eric could practically feel the exhaustion radiating through the text.
"Oh... gotcha. Want to meet up?" Eric asked.
"Sure... give me three hours. I’ll head over to your place. There’s a cafe on the ground floor, right? Let’s meet there. I’ve got some things to tell you anyway," Caleb replied.
"Sounds good. See you then," Eric sent back.
Eric slipped his smartphone back into his pocket, his mind shifting to a prayer that the six girls upstairs hadn’t turned his penthouse into a total disaster zone and a biohazard lab like last time.
