Where is your son?

Genevieve’s pov

Jamie was the first to notice the angry man, but he quickly looked away, as if it had nothing to do with him. I could tell he was trying to stay focused on tonight, our date, the most important thing for him right now. He had been waiting for this moment for months, and I knew how much effort he had put into making it happen.

At first, I thought he had moved on from whatever had caught his attention, but then I noticed his expression change again. His eyes darted toward someone approaching our table. My heart skipped a beat when I realized the man was heading straight for us.

"Jamie?" I called, noticing how distracted he suddenly looked. "Is something wrong?"

He blinked and turned to me, forcing a smile. "Nothing, I was just wondering…"

"Wondering what?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.

"How it would feel to have you as my woman."

I felt warmth rush to my cheeks, but I quickly covered it with a smirk. "I wouldn’t keep my hopes up if I were you."

"So, you’re pushing me away?" he asked, his voice gentle but persistent.

I sighed, swirling my drink in the glass. "Don't see me as a bad person, Jamie. I thought I already explained everything to you."

He nodded. "You did, and despite everything, I’m just happy to be here with you tonight. Even if I can’t have you the way I want, I’d still be honored to call you my friend."

"You really have a way with words, don’t you?" I teased.

"I don’t think so," he said, shaking his head. "I’ve never seen myself as a romantic guy, but when I care about someone, I go all out. That means giving them all my love, attention, and care."

I smiled softly, but deep down, my heart ached. Jamie was sweet, too sweet. But I had already been down this road before. Once, I believed I had the perfect man by my side, only for him to treat me like I was nothing. Like I didn’t deserve love.

"Jamie…" I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. "At some point, I felt like you didn’t want anything to do with me because of my status."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You kept declining my invitations. A part of me thought it was because I was your senior at work and you didn’t want any trouble."

He chuckled. "You think too low of me, don’t you?"

"No, never," he said quickly. "You’re an amazing woman, Genie. I could never think badly of you."

I smiled faintly. "Being rejected can make people overthink, I guess."

"I won’t lie," he admitted, leaning in slightly. "I get jealous of the people who are close to you."

I raised a brow. "Why?"

"Because they get to be around you all the time, while I don’t," he said sincerely.

I laughed softly, taking a sip of my drink. "I’m honored by the compliments, but I’m really not that big of a deal. I have flaws and struggles like everyone else."

"We all do," Jamie said. "But that wouldn’t make me care for you any less."

For a moment, I let myself get lost in the conversation. Jamie had a way of making me feel comfortable, even when I tried to keep my guard up. But just as I was about to respond, a sharp voice cut through the moment.

"What the hell are you doing with him?"

My hand trembled, and my wine glass almost slipped from my grip. My breath caught in my throat at the sound of that voice, familiar, yet chilling. No, it couldn’t be him. I must have misheard.

But then, the voice came again, harsher this time. "Can’t you talk? I said, what the hell are you doing with him?"

My heart pounded as I slowly placed my glass back on the table. My hands felt cold, my chest tight. I forced myself to look up.

And there he was. The anger in his eyes burned with an intensity I had never seen before. My stomach twisted. This wasn’t a coincidence. He had been watching. Waiting.

"Excuse me, how can we help you?" Jamie’s voice cut through the tension. He was clearly confused but trying to stay calm.

But the man didn’t even glance at him. His glare was locked on me.

"Keep your mouth shut and mind your business," he spat at Jamie. "I’m not talking to you."

I gripped the edge of the table, my pulse racing. The night had just taken a very dangerous turn.

Even though Alex was used to getting attention back home, tonight felt completely different. He was in a place filled with the richest people in society, and no matter how angry he was, he couldn’t afford to make a scene. Someone here might recognize him.

"Dressed in expensive clothes but acting like this? No manners at all? You must be insane," Jamie muttered, keeping his voice low.

His hand rested on the table, and I gave it a light squeeze. I wanted him to stay calm. I wanted him to know I was here with him.

"Who the hell are you, and why do you keep following me?" I finally spoke, looking at Alex for the first time since he approached us.

If he was annoyed before, now he was furious. The fact that I was denying him again made his anger worse.

"Genie…" he started but then sighed.

"I'm not Genie. I'm not your damn Genie. Why can't you get that?!"

I was glad we were in the VIP section because I might have raised my voice a little.

"Stop denying who you are. We need to…"

"Who do you think you are?" I cut him off. "Coming up to me, saying all this nonsense like you know me?"

"You can keep pretending, but I know everything."

"Screw you and whatever you think you know. I don’t know you, I don’t care about you, and I won’t let you bully me just because you feel like talking."

"I know you're angry. I know I’m probably the last person on earth you want to see. But babe, please, come with me. We need to talk. You don’t need this guy."

Jamie started to stand up, probably ready to defend me or push Alex away, but I stopped him. I laced my fingers with his over the table, keeping him in place.

"I control my own life. No one tells me what to do. I don’t know you, so leave."

"Why are you being so cold to me?" Alex asked, his voice softer now.

I let out a short laugh. "Wow, you sound so hurt. My look alike must have really messed you up. She must be haunting your dreams, huh?"

"I’ll wait for the day you stop being a coward and admit the truth."

"Wait," he said suddenly. "Where is your son?"

I froze. Not because I was shocked that he knew. No, I already expected that. After seeing him earlier, I had no doubt he would dig into my life and find out about her. What scared me was what he might say next.

"If you were a real mother," he continued, his voice full of anger, "why the hell would you leave her alone to waste time with this jerk?" He gestured at Jamie.

I could see the pain in his eyes, but I didn’t care. He had no right to question me.