His Pretend Wife, His Forbidden Desire

Chapter Seven

Jason’s entire body tensed. Isabella felt it too—the sudden shift in the air.

She turned toward the voice, her stomach knotting at the sight of a tall, broad-shouldered man approaching them. He wore a sharp black shirt, sleeves rolled up, revealing a tattoo snaking down his forearm. His dark eyes were locked onto Jason, filled with something dangerously close to amusement.

Diane looked up from her ice cream. "Daddy, who’s that?"

Jason’s jaw clenched. His voice was low, controlled. "Damon."

Isabella glanced between them, instantly sensing the hostility.

Damon smirked. "It’s been a while, Parker. Didn’t expect to run into you on a nice little family outing." His eyes flickered to Isabella, assessing. "And who’s this?"

Jason stepped forward slightly, his posture rigid. "None of your business."

Damon chuckled, completely unfazed. "Easy there. I’m just surprised. You’ve been keeping a low profile lately. Thought you were too busy running that empire of yours." His gaze lingered on Diane. "Didn’t know you had time for… this."

Jason’s fists tightened at his sides. "Say what you came to say and leave."

Damon sighed dramatically. "Relax, Parker. I’m not here to stir up trouble." His tone turned sharper. "Not yet, anyway."

Isabella frowned, finally speaking. "What do you want?"

Damon’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. "Oh, she’s got a fire in her. Interesting." He glanced at Jason. "I can see why you’re distracted."

Jason took a step closer, voice dropping dangerously low. "Damon. Leave."

For a moment, the air was thick with unspoken tension. Then, Damon let out a small chuckle, backing away. "Fine. I’ll be seeing you, Parker. Sooner than you think."

He turned and walked off, his presence lingering like a shadow.

Diane tugged at Jason’s sleeve. "Daddy, I don’t like him."

Jason exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand down his face. "You’re not supposed to."

Isabella, still watching Damon disappear into the crowd, felt a cold unease settle in her chest.

As Damon disappeared into the crowd, Jason’s jaw remained clenched, his entire posture rigid. Isabella couldn’t tell what was going through his mind, but whatever it was, it wasn’t pleasant.

Diane, aware of the tension, tugged at his hand. “Daddy, I want to go home.”

Jason finally exhaled, crouching down to stroke her cheek. “Alright, peanut. Let’s get you home.”

They walked to the car in silence, and all the while, Isabella watched Jason. His grip on Diane’s hand was tighter than usual, his expression unreadable.

Once Diane was buckled in, Isabella lingered near the passenger side. She should probably keep quiet, but curiosity won.

“Mr. Parker…” She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “That man—Damon. He seemed… familiar with you.”

Jason shut the car door a little too hard before turning to face her. “Stay out of it.”

She blinked at his curt tone. “I wasn’t prying, sir. I just—”

“You were.” His voice was quiet but firm.

She exhaled, crossing her arms. “I was standing right there when he showed up, Mr. Parker. If there’s something—”

“There isn’t.” His gaze locked onto hers, dark and unwavering. “Drop it.”

For a moment, she considered pushing further. But then she caught something in his eyes—not just anger, but something deeper. A weight he wasn’t willing to share.

She swallowed and nodded. “Understood.”

Jason studied her for a second longer before stepping back. “Get in the car.”

She did, feeling his eyes on her even as she focused on the window.

The drive was quiet, save for Diane’s soft breathing as she dozed off in the backseat. Isabella stole a glance at Jason. His hands gripped the wheel with unnecessary force, his jaw locked. He looked as if he was at war with himself.

She didn’t know why that unsettled her.

When they reached his house, Jason parked and carefully lifted Diane into his arms. Isabella stepped out of the car, smoothing down her dress.

Jason turned slightly. “I’ll have my driver take you home.”

She nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Parker.”

For some reason, he hesitated. His gaze flickered to her as if debating whether to say something. Then, just as quickly, he turned and disappeared into the house with Diane.

Isabella released a slow breath, watching the door shut behind him.

A normal boss would have thanked her for coming along today. Maybe even said goodnight.

But Jason Parker wasn’t normal.

"Isabella! Learn to keep your mouth shut and respect boundaries." She said firmly to herself as she waited for the driver.

---

Jason leaned against his office chair, eyes fixed on the city skyline through the glass wall. His hands were clasped together, tension rolling off his shoulders. Damon’s sudden reappearance wasn’t just an irritation—it was a reminder of everything he tried to bury.

A sharp knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Come in," he said, voice low.

As expected, it was Anderson, his right-hand man and the hospital's chief legal officer.

"You look like you need a drink," Anderson mused, dropping a file onto Jason’s desk before slumping into the chair across from him.

Jason scoffed. "You know I don’t drink."

"Right. Because one of you had to be the responsible Parker."

Jason shot him a look, but Anderson didn’t back down.

"He’s back, isn’t he?" Anderson asked. "Damon."

Jason exhaled sharply. "Yeah."

"What does he want this time? Another chance to screw you over?"

Jason leaned forward, his fingers steepled. "You think I don’t know that?"

Anderson didn’t press further. He knew the weight Jason carried. The past wasn’t something he talked about often, but it lived in the shadows of his success.

Jason leaned back, staring at the ceiling, his voice lower this time. "It all started with my father’s will."

And just like that, his mind pulled him back to the past…

---

Twelve years ago

The lawyer’s voice was steady as he read out Richard Eddie Parker’s will in the grand study of the Parker mansion. Jason sat on one side, Damon on the other. Their father had died unexpectedly, leaving behind an empire.

"To my eldest son, Damon Parker, I leave the Parker Estate, the family shares in Parker Industries, and all existing assets under the Parker name."

Jason kept his expression neutral, though his stomach clenched.

The lawyer continued. "To my second son, Jason Parker, I leave Parker Medical Institute."

Silence. Jason could feel Damon’s eyes on him, but he refused to look.

The meeting ended, and as soon as they were alone, Damon chuckled dryly.

"Guess that means I won," Damon said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Jason frowned. "This wasn’t a competition, Damon."

Damon smirked, stepping closer. "You know why he did this, don’t you? Dad never wanted you. You were just his obligation. Me? I was his son by choice."

Jason felt the sting of those words but refused to react.

Damon tilted his head. "So, why don’t you make it easy on yourself and give me the Medical Institute?"

Jason’s lips parted slightly. "What?"

"Come on, Jason. You don’t even want it. You’re a people pleaser, you hate conflicts. Just sign it over to me."

For the first time, Jason stood his ground.

"No."

Damon blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said no, Damon." Jason’s voice was firmer this time. "Dad left it to me. I plan to keep it."

Damon's smirk faltered, replaced by something darker. He scoffed. "You’ll regret this."

And he made sure of it.

---

Months later…

Jason had built Parker Global Medical Group from the ground up, expanding it beyond what his father ever envisioned. His hard work was finally paying off.

That was when he proposed to Aliyah Stone—his longtime girlfriend. In public. In front of everyone.

And that was when she humiliated him.

Aliyah had laughed. Laughed and said, "Oh Jason, I could never marry you!"

His entire world had shattered in a single moment. He hadn’t known she was playing him.

Until he found out.

Until he saw the text messages.

Until he saw Damon’s name attached to it all.

Jason had confronted his half-brother, his patience finally snapping.

"You set this up, didn’t you?"

Damon grinned, twirling a glass of whiskey in his hand. "Did you really think she loved you, little brother?"

Jason’s fists clenched. "Why? What the hell did I ever do to you?"

Damon leaned in, eyes gleaming. "You said no."

Jason swallowed hard. "You’re pathetic."

Damon laughed. "And you’re predictable."

Jason left that night a broken man.

Two weeks later, Aliyah turned up dead.

---

Present Day

Jason ran a hand down his face as the memory faded.

Damon had been arrested that night, found high and unconscious near her body. He had served time but hadn’t changed.

And now, he was back.

Jason’s grip on his chair tightened.

Anderson spoke up. "If he’s back, he’s back for something."

Jason nodded. "I know."

But this time… he wasn’t going to let Damon win.

Not again.

---

Jason typed away on his laptop, scanning through reports from his overseas branches. His phone buzzed with notifications, but he ignored them, his focus sharp—until it wasn’t.

He reached for his coffee, taking a sip—cold.

With a sigh, he leaned back, rubbing his temples. His schedule had been packed, and yet, despite everything, his mind had drifted somewhere else.

Or rather, to someone else.

Isabella.

Jason tapped his fingers against the desk, recalling how she had been all day. Too quiet. Too professional.

She had always been respectful, but today felt different.

She hadn’t made any witty remarks. Hadn’t asked about Diane. Hadn’t lingered in conversation like she usually did.

He wasn’t sure why it bothered him.

Jason Parker didn’t waste time wondering about people’s moods. He had more important things to do.

And yet…

Before he could stop himself, he grabbed his phone and scrolled down to her contact.

Jason had never called her before. He never needed to.

Emails. That was how they communicated. Direct. Brief. Professional.

But tonight, professionalism was the last thing on his mind.

His thumb hovered over the call button for a second before he pressed it.

"Hello? Good evening, Mr. Parker."