Called Off the Wedding, Left Him Bankrupt novel Chapter 157

Dominic lowered his voice as he spoke, and Jocelyn didn't catch a word he said to Cynthia.

All she saw was Cynthia's face turning pink the moment he finished, curiosity lighting up her eyes as she leaned in, eager to hear more.

"So, Cynthia, what did Nick say to you?"

Cynthia bit her tongue—hard. The phrase "loose lips sink ships" suddenly felt all too real.

"Nothing," she mumbled, forcing a strained smile.

But Jocelyn only grew more intrigued. "Nothing? Then why are you blushing so much?"

Cynthia pressed her lips together and muttered, "It's humiliating, and I can't even talk back. Who wouldn't get flustered?"

Dominic was still holding a grudge over the broken engagement, and he never missed a chance to remind her of it.

Jocelyn gave a knowing "Oh," then teased, "So you're just bottling it up? For a second there, I thought Nick had a thing for you."

Cynthia fell silent, the corners of her mouth twitching. If he'd ever cared about her, he wouldn't have said what he did ten years ago.

She drew in a slow breath, pushing away the thoughts that threatened to sour her mood.

Linking arms, Jocelyn led Cynthia back to their private dining room.

By now, the food was cold. Jocelyn promptly asked the server to take the dishes back and have them reheated.

While they waited, Jocelyn slipped out for a moment. She returned holding a bottle of red wine, waving it triumphantly in front of Cynthia.

"Romanée-Conti. My brother keeps a stash of this in Halcyon Hall's wine cellar."

Cynthia laughed quietly. "Aren't you afraid Garry will murder you for taking it?"

Jocelyn arched an eyebrow, looking utterly fearless. "He's got so many bottles down there, he'll never notice one missing. Besides, you haven't been back to the Capital in ten years. That's worth celebrating."

"Life doesn't give you many decades like that," she added, handing the wine to the server to open and let it breathe.

"Not for a second," she said—bracingly firm, even if there was a knot in her chest.

Jocelyn blinked, her voice dropping to a whisper. "That's good. I was worried you might. Kearney's already lining up new matches for Nick, you know. I heard the latest is someone from the Kingsley family."

Cynthia was quiet for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Kingsley's a good catch."

Jocelyn nodded. "Absolutely. The Holloways and the Kingsleys—nobody could rival that alliance."

She grinned, a teasing edge in her voice. "If this were the old days, people like us would have to bow in the presence of a Kingsley. Thank God you don't regret it—competing with a princess for a guy? That would be a nightmare."

Cynthia smiled, but said nothing, the alcohol-induced haze slipping away.

After dinner, Jocelyn insisted on driving Cynthia home.

As they crossed the courtyard of Halcyon Hall, weaving through the garden, they ran into Dominic at the front steps.