Love x betrayal

chapter 16: He's my man

As the car pulled up to the party, Sadie’s unease only grew. She glanced nervously at Jake as he opened the door for her, noticing the smirk on his face. "Feeling tense?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement. Sadie hesitated before nodding slightly, trying to steady her breath. Jake’s smirk deepened. "Get ready for the fun," he said, stepping aside to let her out.

Entering the party, Sadie was immediately overwhelmed by the sea of unfamiliar faces. The vibrant lights and loud music did little to soothe her nerves. Jake leaned in close and whispered, "Don’t talk to anyone unless I’m with you." His words, though spoken softly, felt more like an order than advice.

Moments later, a man approached Sadie with a confident swagger. "Hey, beautiful, wanna dance?" he asked, his eyes raking over her. Before Sadie could respond, Jake stepped between them. "She’s already taken," he said coldly. The man frowned and shoved Jake in defiance. Jake’s expression darkened, and without a word, he signaled his bodyguard, who swiftly appeared to drag the man away as he screamed in protest.

Sadie’s heart raced in fear. "What did they do to him?" she asked, her voice trembling. Jake ignored the question, instead asking, "What would you like to drink?" "Some water is okay," Sadie replied, but Jake dismissed her request. "I’ll bring you some wine," he said with a cold stare, leaving her with the instruction not to go anywhere.

As Sadie sat on a nearby stool, trying to calm herself, she suddenly spotted two familiar faces—Greg, her ex-boyfriend, and Anita, her ex-best friend. Her stomach dropped as they approached. "Who invited this hag to a party for classy people?" Greg sneered, loud enough for Sadie to hear. Anita looked her up and down, a smirk playing on her lips. "I know you’re a maid, so fetch us some drinks, would you?" she scoffed. "Oh, and where did you steal that dress from?"

Anger surged within Sadie. "I’m actually here with my man, so don’t mind me. He just went to get a drink," she retorted. Greg looked taken aback, but quickly recovered. "She’s obviously lying to cover her shame," he said dismissively. Anita, grinning wickedly, threw her wine onto Sadie’s dress.

Before Sadie could react, Jake appeared beside her. "What’s going on here, and why is your dress stained?" he demanded. Greg quickly responded, "Sir, this hag lied about being your woman, so we were just teaching her a lesson." Jake turned to Sadie, his expression unreadable. "Oh, so now I’m your man?" he asked, smirking. "And who poured the drink on you?" Sadie pointed at Anita. Without hesitation, Jake slapped Anita across the face. "How dare you mess with my woman?" he growled. Anita started crying, and Greg furiously pushed Jake. "Who the hell are you?" he shouted.

Jake, unfazed, called his bodyguards. As they dragged Greg and Anita away, Jake announced loudly for the entire crowd to hear, "I am Jake Hampshire, the CEO of Hampshire Tech Ltd, and no one is allowed to touch this girl by my side." Greg and Anita, now terrified, began begging for their lives, but Jake ignored them. He then gently picked up Sadie and carried her to the washroom to help clean her up.

As Jake carefully wiped the wine off her dress, Sadie finally asked, "Who are you, and why are they so scared of you?" Jake smirked, his cold aura returning. "I am your man—or so you said," he replied, teasingly. Sadie tried to cover her face, embarrassed, but Jake gently removed her hand and placed a soft kiss on her lips. This time, she didn’t resist. "No one is going to hurt you as long as I’m by your side," he assured her.

Sadie was startled by her own reaction, wondering why she hadn’t fought back. Suddenly, she noticed someone standing at the door—her mother. "What are you doing with this man?" her mom demanded. Sadie, gathering her courage, replied, "I thought you didn’t know him. Mom, you’re just a liar. Stay out of my life."

Her mother, taken aback and guilty, tried to warn her. "Stay away from him, Sadie," she pleaded. But this time, Sadie stood her ground. "No, Mom. You can’t push me around after what you did. You sold your own daughter to be defiled. I’ll leave you alone because you’re my mother, but if not, you would have rotted in jail with Serena."

Her mother was shocked, realizing Sadie knew more than she let on. But Sadie simply said, "C’mon, Jake, let’s go home." Jake, clearly enjoying the drama, had a smug look on his face as they walked out. He noticed Sadie holding back tears and gently caressed her cheek as they drove home, the tension between them thick with unspoken words.