While all the commotion was happening, Jake's half-brother, Jeb Lewis, entered the room as the hall doors opened, preventing the fight from escalating.
Jeb was a tall, good-looking man who exuded the recklessness of an A-list star. He was accustomed to getting anything he asked for. He recently returned from filming a film in Nation C that will be nominated for best actor.
As soon as Jeb walked into the room, everyone's attention focused on him. Those who knew him looked at him with admiration as he emanated a royal assurance.
But even with all the attention, there was only one person on his mind: Emily Moore. The only person who could melt his frigid heart was her.
The crowd murmured something under their breath as Jeb approached Emily, but he was unfazed and stared at her with unrelenting attention.
"Emily," he smiled confidently to meet her.
"It feels like an eternity since we've last met."
Emily blinked, taken aback by his sudden appearance.
"Jeb, what are you doing here?"
Jeb took her hand, kissed Emily on the knuckles, and gave her a half grin that ended just past his ear.
"I could not turn down the chance to see you again. You know my sentiments for you, which I have always had."
Emily got a shiver down her spine. She was well aware of Jeb's reputation; he was strikingly handsome but also crafty and used to getting his way. Since they were young, she had tried her best to stay as far away from him as possible. She's also planning on doing the same this time.
However, Jeb Lewis was not listening.
"I was thinking about how you could have more free time now that you aren't the CEO. Maybe we could —" Emily guessed that he'd been keeping a tab on her since arriving in Las Vegas.
"That's enough, Jeb." A gruff, forceful voice broke through, and Jake Lewis appeared beside Emily, his face booming.
"Back off."
Jeb arched his brow, attempting to appear nonchalant.
"Jake quit being pretentious. I'm just conversing with Emily right now. What's it got to do with you?"
"This concludes your conversation," Jake declared, walking up to his half-brother.
"Emily is my wife, and I won't let you play games with her." That earned a stunned look on Jeb Lewis's handsome face. He has no idea that Emily is now his sister-in-law. When did that happen?
To destress, Emily gave Jake a touch on the arm.
"Jake, don't worry. Let's avoid making a big deal. Jeb and I have known each other since we were kids. It's a long story."
However, Jake was everything from calm. He gave Jeb a barely controlled stare.
"If you ever try to come between us, I won't be so forgiving. Get that to your empty head."
Jeb smiled, clearly happy with the reaction he was getting from his arc enemy.
"Relax, older brother. I was only passing the time. There's no reason to get upset." To show his sincerity, he bowed to Emily before leaving.
There was a tense quiet as Jeb turned on his heel and walked away.
Jake clenched his hands and watched him walk away. His expression softened as he turned to face Emily. "Are you okay?" he said, his tone revealing concern.
Emily nodded despite the experience, which had made her heart pound. "I'm doing okay. Let us get through tonight, please. As soon as possible, I would like to go home. I'm concerned about Aiden."
Jake wrapped her in a protective hug and held her firmly.
"Emily, I will not let anything happen to you or Aiden. Never, ever, not now."
As they stood amid the evening's chaos, Emily couldn't shake the feeling that this was merely the beginning of an even more dangerous chapter in their lives. She knows how Jeb Lewis plays his games. He had done it before when they were in high school, and he would do it again. She firmly believes it.
Her efforts to restore her status within the family paled compared to the struggles ahead, in which she faced both familiar opponents and unexpected threats.
Despite Jake's warning, Jeb Lewis plans to resume his pursuit of Emily Moore.
His charisma and tenacity were undeniable, and it was evident that he would not give up quickly. His true motivation was to steal his elder brother's girlfriend.
Emily's predicament was getting more uncomfortable, straining her already delicate relationship with Jake.
Jeb was her dream guy in college, but she couldn't pursue a relationship with anyone else after Aiden.
She had made that plain to Jeb then but assumed he had already moved on.
But now he's back, and despite knowing she's Jake's wife, he doesn't seem to care and has been pursuing her recently.
Emily wasn't sure what to do with Jeb and Jake. However, she has more severe problems to deal with right now.
As a result, she put everything behind her and focused on her bucket list preparations.
After a particularly heated confrontation with Jeb, Emily, and Jake found themselves alone in the calm of their house.
The air was thick with unsaid emotions as they sat across from one other in the living room, the fireplace's warmth creating long shadows on the walls.
"Jake," Emily started, her voice gentle but firm. We must discuss what's been happening, especially our situation and Aiden's parentage."
Jake groaned and ran a hand over his hair. "I understand. Jeb is not going to quit, is he? I ordered him to back off, but he kept pressing." He's ignoring the fact about Aiden's parentage.
Emily nodded, her gaze remote. "It's not only about Jeb. It is about our history and how things have been between us. I believe we've been dodging it for too long."
Jake leaned back in his chair and fixed Emily with a steely stare.
He had been lost in the past lately, thinking back on the past primarily because of Jeb's unwanted approaches.
Recollections of their early years returned, bringing to mind the understanding between their families and his own internal conflict stemming from his conflicting desires and his parents' expectations.
Jake finally nodded in agreement after pausing to think for a while.~~