Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 1261

Claire ended up walking out with Jaxson Grant.

She blamed herself. Her mind had been entirely consumed by thoughts of Wilbur, and in her distracted state, she had somehow agreed to Jaxson's dinner invitation. Backing out after saying yes would have been a slap in the face, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go.

During the day, they were surrounded by colleagues at the training camp, making it impossible to speak freely. She figured this dinner was the perfect opportunity to clear the air so things wouldn't be awkward between them moving forward.

Jaxson had booked a highly atmospheric restaurant. In fact, the lighting was so dim and moody that it practically screamed intimacy. It was a prime spot for couples on a date.

Claire frowned, hesitating at the entrance.

Ever the attentive gentleman, Jaxson noticed her reluctance. "Don't like the vibe, Claire? We can switch to another place if you'd prefer."

"Forget it," Claire said, not wanting the hassle. "Here is fine."

She planned to lay her cards on the table the moment they sat down anyway. They probably wouldn't even make it to the appetizers. The ambiance hardly mattered.

Jaxson had reserved a table right by the floor-to-ceiling windows—which inadvertently gave Wilbur a perfect view of everything.

Jaxson leaned forward, a thinly veiled heat burning in his eyes.

Out on the street, inside a parked Rolls-Royce, the air was cold enough to freeze.

Wilbur leaned back in the driver's seat, his jawline tight enough to cut glass, his lips pressed into a harsh, unforgiving line. His normally detached gaze was pure ice.

Inside the restaurant, Claire glanced up, and Jaxson seized the moment to flash a charming smile.

Wilbur's eyelashes barely fluttered, his Adam's apple bobbing.

In the passenger seat, Gideon Kane could feel the cold sweat plastering his shirt to his back. He didn't dare turn his head to look at his boss, but out of the corner of his eye, he could see Wilbur gripping his phone so hard his knuckles were stark white.

Gideon's mind raced, desperately trying to figure out how to defuse the ticking time bomb.

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