When Love Breaks (Josephine)

The moment Josephine allowed Yvan to get close without pulling away, Ethan clenched his fist so hard his palm ached. The pink rose he had just bought was now crushed into a mess of petals in his grip.

But when he saw the fleeting shock and confusion in her eyes after he pulled away from her touch, regret settled deep in his chest. He had worked so hard to earn her trust, and now he worried that this one move could ruin everything.

"Ms. Dunn, Mr. Dane!" Just then, George's voice cut through the tension. Josephine glanced at him. "Let's go," she said before walking over to George.

Ethan didn't follow immediately. Instead, he turned slightly, his gaze landing on the silver-haired man standing beneath a streetlamp in the distance. Yvan was talking to the woman beside him, his lips curled in a casual smile, but his eyes were locked on Ethan.

The two of them were complete strangers, yet when their eyes met, something ignited—a silent clash, an unspoken hostility that neither of them needed to put into words. It was the kind of animosity only they could understand.

"Mr. Dane!" George called out from a distance, snapping Ethan out of it. Finally, he withdrew his gaze and walked toward the car.

When he reached it, he noticed that Josephine had already taken the front passenger seat. His hand hesitated on the door handle for a brief moment before he pulled it open and got inside. He had been drinking-he didn't have much of a choice.

The drive back was heavy with silence. Ethan sat still in the back seat, and Josephine didn't seem like she wanted to talk either. She rolled down the window and gazed out at the night scene.

George, sitting in the driver's seat, was growing increasingly uneasy. Even he could tell something was off between them. Not wanting to ask directly, he tried to crack a joke. "Ms. Dunn, why'd you take the front seat today? It makes Mr. Dane look like our boss."

Josephine ignored the question entirely, choosing instead to tease him back. "Oh? So, you talk while you drive, huh?"

George chuckled awkwardly. "Well, you two were so quiet. I figured I'd try to lighten the mood."

Josephine took the excuse and ran with it. "We've both had some drinks, and we're a bit tired."

George immediately nodded, as if he had suddenly figured everything out. "Oh, I see. That makes sense. Alright, I won't bother you two anymore. Get some rest."

Since George was Josephine's personal driver and stayed at her manor, he drove Ethan home first. When they arrived, George got out of the canand courteously opened the door for Ethan. Josephine, however, stayed in the car.

Technically, she should've at least stepped out to say goodbye. It would've been the polite thing to do. But she didn't move an inch.

Ethan sat in silence for a few more seconds before pushing the door open and stepping out.

As George drove off, he casually glanced in the rearview mirror-only to see Ethan still standing in front of his house, unmoving. Yep, they'd definitely fought.

Hence, when he parked at the manor, he casually asked, "Why does Mr. Dane look kind of heartbroken?"

"Heartbroken?" Josephine scoffed, brushing it off. "He's just drunk."noveldrama

After going upstairs and taking a shower, she heard a knock at the door. It was. Gloria, the housekeeper assigned to take care of her. "Ms Dunn, Mr. Dane just called. He asked me to prepare a hangover remedy. I've made it. Would you like to have it now?"

"Mr. Dane?" Josephine opened the door, taking the tray from Gloria with a puzzled expression. "How do you even have his number? And since when do you take orders from him?