Chapter 199

**Chapter 0199**
**+25 BONUS**

Irene stared at Ethan in shock. She had suspected it all along, but hearing him confirm it was unbelievable.

“What?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. “She’s using my…”

“Is your father going to get a pet for you?”

“Yes, of course she is,” he replied, rolling his eyes. “Why else would she be hanging around him like this? It’s pathetic if you ask me. She’s flirted with me so much.”

“I’ve told her many times since she started working here that I’m not interested,” he said. “She’s not the person you think she is, Irene. You should be careful around her.”

Irene already knew this, but hearing it from him made it feel more real. Anger bubbled up inside her.

Judy’s presence made her feel a wave of irritation. She found herself starting to dislike Judy more than ever, and now Ethan, her dear friend, was caught in the middle of it all.

Ethan saw that she was upset and moved closer to her. He wanted to comfort her and help ease her feelings. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, hoping to make her feel better.

Ethan felt a mix of emotions in his body. His wolf wasn’t exactly pleased with the situation, but he knew he had to comfort Irene if he wanted his plans to succeed.

“I love you,” Ethan murmured as he kissed the top of her head. “I’m so sorry…”

“I’m so sorry that you got hurt,” he said. “But I promise, I’m not hiding anything from you anymore.”

Irene nodded against his chest and let out a sigh of relief. After their conversation, she felt much better. She now understood who her true friends were and who she could trust.

Judy’s enemies were all around her, and she couldn’t count on Judy as a friend.

**Judy’s Perspective**

Gavin gently pressed a warm cloth to my nose, carefully wiping away the blood that had smeared my face. We hadn’t said a word since Irene and Ethan went upstairs. I really hoped she had told them what was happening.

Ethan had hoped to get lost and not be taken back. But that didn’t seem to happen. The moment she took his hand, I knew she was going to forgive him. I was honestly surprised that Gavin even let that happen; he knew what was at stake.

Ethan was not a great person. Still, he was allowing his daughter to marry him.

“Were you the one who told her?” Gavin asked, breaking the silence between us.

I looked up at him, surprised by the question.

“No,” I replied.

“Of course not,” I said to him. “I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t want to hurt her like that.”

“Then how did she find out?” Gavin asked, sounding accusatory.

I frowned at him.

“I don’t know,” I said slowly. “I have no idea how she found out, but it wasn’t from me.”

He stared at my face for a moment, then nodded. After that, he turned his attention back to the conversation.

I wiped the blood off my face.

“You shouldn’t have fought with her,” he said.

I narrowed my eyes at him, surprised by his words.

“She threw the first punch,” I replied. “I barely fought back. You know I…”

“You should have walked away before it got to that point.”

**Chapter 199**
**+25 Bonus**

His words hit me hard, like a slap in the face. I didn’t know how to respond. We both fell silent for a moment, unsure of what to say next.

After a while, once he was done wiping the blood off my face, he leaned back and looked at me closely.

“I think you shouldn’t come to the villa until we finish filming,” he said. “I’ll send Matt to help you.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

“You aren’t worried about Matt finding out that I’m living here?” I asked him.

He shook his head.

“Matt’s only been there a few times himself,” Gavin replied.

“I admitted it. If he asks any questions, we can just say that you needed a place to stay and I offered the mansion. There’s nothing more to it than that, right?”

I bit my lip, feeling hurt.

I nodded in agreement.

“Right,” I said softly.

“And I think it’s best if you stay away from Irene. At least until things cool down,” he suggested quietly.

He didn’t need to say it again. I knew exactly what he meant; Irene made it clear how tense things were.

I clearly understood where I stood with her. Losing a friend hurt, but it was probably for the best that I didn’t spend time with my ex’s fiancé anymore. I nodded again, feeling embarrassed as I noticed how red my face was getting.

“You…

“Maybe I should go,” he said as he stood up. “I won’t be there tonight, but I’ll try to swing by tomorrow.”

“It’s okay,” I replied softly. “I understand.”

He didn’t seem to notice my response.

I could feel his eyes on me, even though I didn’t say anything.

“C… can you tell Irene that I’m sorry?” I asked, glancing up at him through his long lashes.

He tightened and relaxed his jaw, then nodded.

“Sure,” he said.

He said something, and I gave him a faint smile. But I turned away and left, unable to look at him again.