Chapter 396

Shocked

Cadence smoked slowly as he leaned against the car, his shoulders tense. He couldn’t understand why his chest burned with this restless anger. Usually, the feeling came when someone had the nerve to stare at Melody a little too long or when some fool thought they could flirt with her. That was when the urge to destroy rose in him like fire. But tonight was different. Max hadn’t even looked at Melody, hadn’t done a thing to provoke him, yet jealousy coiled in his gut as if he had been challenged.

He dragged in a breath of smoke, letting it sit heavy in his lungs before releasing it into the night air. The bitter taste only sharpened the edge of his mood. His glare stayed fixed on the restaurant entrance, every second that passed making him feel more uneasy, more restless, as though something was about to snap.

The door creaked open and a man stepped outside. Cadence’s back straightened instantly, eyes narrowing. For one wild second, he thought it might be him, but it was only a stranger fumbling with his jacket. His shoulders sagged and he exhaled, annoyed at himself for reacting.

He leaned harder against the car, tapping ash onto the ground, and tried to distract himself by watching the glow of the cigarette in his hand. When the door swung open again, he didn’t even look up. Whoever it was didn’t matter. His focus remained fixed on the cigarette, on the way it burned slowly, threatening to disappear before he could make sense of the jealousy that refused to let him go.

So, he was surprised when he heard the voice,” What is wrong with you? Where are you uncomfortable?”

Cadence lifted his head slowly, his eyes narrowing as that same surge of irrational anger returned. For a moment, he wanted to snap, to tell Dr. Jung to stop acting concerned, to leave him alone and go back to laughing and flirting with that man inside. The words almost slipped out, sharp and biting, but he held them back at the last second. Instead, he forced himself to mutter, his tone laced with irritation, “My stomach is hurting.”

Dr. Jung took the words at face value. Unlike Melanie, who would have instantly seen it as a sign of something hopeful, he wasn’t the kind to read too much into Cadence’s sudden confession or to believe that it had anything to do with feelings or jealousy. His expression remained steady, unreadable, as though he was weighing possibilities in silence. Then, without giving himself time to hesitate, he moved closer and extended his hand.

“Discomfort? Where?” he asked quietly, his palm pressing against Cadence’s stomach.

Cadence stiffened. This was not the first time Dr Jung had checked him but somehow this touch felt different. Intimate. Dr. Jung pressed lightly here and there, his fingers moving across Cadence’s abdomen with professional detachment, yet each brush of contact only made the unease inside Cadence swell.

His jaw tightened. He wanted to shrug the hand off, to snap at the doctor to mind his own business, but instead he froze, letting the silent examination continue longer than he could bear. The cigarette burned low between his fingers, the smoke curling upward, stinging his eyes. Finally, with a sharp breath, he stepped back, breaking the contact, and lifted the cigarette to his lips for a deliberate drag as though it could shield him from the weight of that touch.

Dr. Jung’s patience snapped. His eyes, usually calm, narrowed with irritation. With a sudden motion, he reached out, plucked the cigarette from Cadence’s hand, and tossed it onto the ground. The glowing ember hissed faintly as it hit the pavement.”You’re unbelievable,” Jung scolded, his voice firm and low. “You complain about discomfort, yet you stand here poisoning yourself even more. Do you even care about your own health?”

The words struck something inside Cadence, flaring his already simmering anger. His hand shot out before he could think, fingers locking around Jung’s wrist in a tight grip.

Elais Jung tried to pull free, his other hand pushing against Cadence’s arm, but the other man only tightened his hold. His lips curved in a bitter, humorless smile as he yanked Jung’s hand closer, forcing the doctor to meet his gaze as he stumbled and almost fell against Cadence.

“Why?” Cadence asked, his voice low and edged with venom. “Are you in a hurry to return to your blind date?”

Dr. Jung’s eyes flickered, startled by both the accusation and the sharpness in Cadence’s tone. He opened his mouth to answer, but the fury blazing in Cadence’s expression left him at a loss for words.

For the first time in the decaded that he had known this man, he had seen this possessiveness in him, towards him and he felt a hope that he had never let himself have, bloomed within him. Was it, really possible that Melanie’s plan had worked?

“Tell me, Dr Jung. You warmed upto him pretty quickly. Have you been suffering by my side? How come I didn’t know that? Since that is the case, I can always hire another doctor to accompany me on the island…”

Elais tried to break free of Cadence’s grip and looked into his eyes,” I was just talking to be polite. You’re imagining things, Cadence. If I had any problem living on the island, I would have said so.”

But Cadence only laughed softly without warmth, his grip on Elais’ hand quite tight, until finally, Elais stilled. He was long used to dealing with Cadence and even though this was new territory to him, he looked at the man in the eyes, lowered his voice and ordered coldly,”Cadence Sint. Let go of my hand, this instant.”

Both the men stared at each other, for a few moments, until finally, Cadence let go of the hand he held and stepped back with a curse, marching away with the murmured words of “I’m leaving.”

Elais watched him leave until he heard a throat being cleared behind him and then turned back.