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Chapter 528
Tina was visibly taken aback.
She hadn't expected Alfred to be here, and even less did she expect Phillip to exit his car, let alone grab her hand in front of Alfred. Wasn't this basically a direct challenge?
Alfred had just witnessed Tina stepping out of that car, which initially didn't bother him much. However, seeing Phillip now, his gaze shifted from Tina to Phillip's hand holding hers, and his expression darkened. Phillip, entirely ignoring Alfred's reaction, simply told Tina, "Go upstairs."
Faced with such a scenario for the first time, Tina was admittedly overwhelmed.
She feared a confrontation might break out between them-not that it would actually come to that, but still, avoiding conflict seemed like the best course of action.
"Why should I go upstairs?" she questioned. "Do you two have some secret matters to discuss?"
Phillip looked at her with an undeniable firmness in his voice, "Tina, go upstairs."
He had never spoken to her in such a tone before, prompting an obedient "Okay..." from Tina.
It wasn't until she entered the hotel elevator and the doors closed that the two men outside took their eyes off her.
Alfred felt as if he was being made a fool of: "You brought her back? What were you two doing?"
"Just grabbing a bite," Phillip stood before him, his demeanor cool and detached. "Is there a problem?"
Dining out wasn't the issue per se, but considering Phillip was Tina's ex-fiancé, was it really necessary to have a meal together?
So, Alfred's invitations were declined due to busyness, but Phillip got a yes? This thought irked Alfred.
"Is this appropriate, you think?"
"What's inappropriate about it?" Phillip countered.
Confronted by Phillip's calm stance, Alfred started doubting his own perspective.
"You two were engaged before; it's inherently awkward..."
"I don't find it awkward."
"And now she's my fiancée, and you're pulling her close, not even considering my feelings?"
Phillip stated, "As far as I'm aware, you two haven't gotten engaged yet."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
Alfred choked on his words, as Phillip was technically correct. Without an engagement, he wasn't Tina's fiancé, let alone her boyfriend, and had no right to dictate her actions.
"That's beside the point..."
Phillip's eyes lacked any discernible emotion, "I recall seeing you getting cozy with someone in public; I thought you weren't bothered by such trivial matters." Compared to Alfred's public display of affection, Phillip merely holding Tina's hand seemed insignificant.
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, Alfred rubbed his nose and cleared his throat, "That was all for show."
Phillip casually remarked, "I wasn't."
Alfred was both frustrated and unable to retaliate, aware of the double standards men often have-they allow themselves liberations that they deny their partners.
Moreover, if it were any other man,
Alfred might not have cared as much, but Phillip being the ex and the current rival made him insecure. On one hand, Alfred was confident in his own worth, yet on the other, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy.
Trying to keep his anger in check, Alfred said, "Mr. Richardson, I used to think you were a reasonable man, but I didn't expect you to linger over her. We're both men here, I respect you, expect you to do the same. Tina... well, Tina and I will be
and
engaged soon, so perhaps you
should keep your distance from her."