Chapter 39
<Chapter>Chapter 39 - Open and Aboveboard </Chapter>
"Felix..." Bella said, stunned as she watched the two in disbelief. She hadn't anticipated seeing Felix brazenly cradling Gianna in broad daylight.
Not even during the heyday of their romance had Felix ever held her like that.
Jealousy surged within her, threatening to overwhelm her senses.
Felix, equally taken aback by Bella's presence, instinctively set Gianna down.
A hint of mockery flashed in Gianna's eyes. "I won’t interrupt your sweet talk," she quipped as she stepped into the elevator. "Take your time."
She briskly closed the elevator doors, cutting off Felix's angry glare.
As the elevator started moving, Gianna found herself in a dilemma. Without her room card and ID, which were still with Felix, she couldn't get into her room. However, going back to Felix was not an option at this point.
She pressed the button for the twentieth floor. If her memory was correct, there was an indoor pool and a restaurant on this level. A meal and some relaxation sounded like a good idea.
Upon arriving, Gianna had just settled into a restaurant booth when Jonah spotted her.
"Gianna, what brings you here?" he asked in surprise.
Gianna smiled, "Just enjoying the weekend. How about you?"
"I'm here for some location shooting for my new film. I just arrived today; I didn't expect to run into you," Jonah explained.
She nodded, "I won't keep you, then. Go on with your shooting."
"Oh, we're not in a hurry. Filming officially starts tomorrow. I just got done meeting with the director and my fellow actors."
"Really? So, how long will you be staying?"
"Probably a little over a week. Speaking of which, do you remember your offer to treat me to dinner?"
At Jonah's remark, a look of surprise crossed Gianna's face, and she raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you just have a meal with your director? Can you still eat?"
Jonah sat down across from her with a resigned smile. "You know how it is eating with the director – it’s always more talk than eating. I barely had a few bites."
Holding back a laugh, Gianna handed him the menu. "Well, take a look and order whatever you like!"
"I won't hold back, then."
After they placed their orders, Jonah poured Gianna a glass of water and inquired, "Are you here by yourself?"
Gianna shook her head, "No, I was with my husband."
"Felix?!" Jonah's eyes briefly showed disappointment as his voice softened. "Did you two patch things up?"
For some reason, Gianna's mind flashed back to when Felix had mentioned that Jonah had feelings for her. Her grip tightened unconsciously around her teacup. Then, she chided herself for overthinking. She'd been Jonah's behind-the-scenes agent for over a year; if he had really been interested, he wouldn't have waited until after she got married without saying a word.
With that thought, she looked at Jonah and said, "No, what we have now is just the illusion of peace."
After a brief silence, Jonah offered, "If you ever need a divorce lawyer, I can recommend a good one."
His words had barely left his mouth when a chilly voice sounded from behind.
"This matter between Gianna and me doesn’t require the concern of a movie star!"
Jonah noticed Felix approaching, his expression icy. Their eyes locked, neither wavering, the tension thick between them. Gianna frowned, her gaze at Felix lacking any warmth.
Fury simmered within Felix. In just a short time away, she was already dining with another man. If he had arrived later, he might have found himself wearing the proverbial green hat.
Taking a seat next to Gianna, Felix shot a mocking glance at Jonah.
Unphased, Jonah retorted with a smile, "Felix, anything concerning Gianna concerns me too. I’m always ready to help if needed."
Felix glared back, "I didn’t realize our movie star was so charitable, meddling in other people's affairs. Maybe you should focus more on brushing up on your acting instead of being a busybody!"
"No need for Felix to worry about my acting."
The two men locked eyes, neither willing to back down.
Sensing the mounting hostility, Gianna frowned at Felix, "Mr. Clinton, if you came here to cause a scene, you can leave now."
Felix's fury boiled over, his teeth clenched, "Gianna, this pretty boy is stirring up trouble between us, and you're asking who is causing problems?!"
Her eyes ice-cold, she responded, "Firstly, Jonah is not a pretty boy; he's my friend, and you will respect him. Secondly, our relationship doesn’t need stirring. We both know the reality of it."
Felix's anger twisted into a sardonic laugh as he grabbed Gianna's hand, pulling her toward the exit.
As Jonah passed by, he suddenly grasped Gianna's other hand.
"Felix, didn't you see Gianna almost take a tumble?"
Seeing Felix treat Gianna like that, anger rose within Jonah. Was this the man she had left everything behind for?!
If she were with him, he would never let her suffer any slight injury instead of being utterly disregarded like she was now!
Felix turned to see Jonah holding Gianna's hand, and his pupils shrank, his gaze icy as if it had been frozen for millennia.
"Let go if you're fond of your hand!"
Unintimidated by the chill in his eyes, Jonah enunciated clearly, "You're the one who should let go!"
The two men stood there in a cold standoff, quickly drawing the attention of those around them.
Gianna felt a headache coming on. All she had wanted was a quiet meal, but things had escalated to this.
After a few seconds of silence, she shook off both of their hands and walked briskly out of the restaurant.
She had just reached the elevator when Felix caught up.
"Gianna, it seems you really don't learn, do you? Without a lesson, you'll never smarten up!"
He took out his phone and dialed Sophia's number, "Check into Jonah's recent and upcoming acting gigs at once..."
Before he could finish, his phone was snatched away.
Gianna ended the call deftly and sneered, "Felix, is this the best you can do? Resorting to such low tactics?"
Felix radiated a cold aura, his expressionless voice breaking the silence, "You think this will stop me from dealing with Jonah? Unless you watch me 24/7, I'll find a way to make him disappear from the entertainment industry!"
Gianna frowned, about to speak, when Jonah's voice came from behind.
"Gianna, don't worry about this. I'm curious to see how Felix thinks he can make me vanish from the scene."
Turning to Jonah, Gianna whispered, "This is between him and me. I don't want to drag you into it and cause you trouble."
Clearly, Felix was taking his anger out on Jonah, who had worked so hard to reach his current status. She didn't want all his efforts to be spoiled because of her.
Jonah chuckled, "I'm not afraid, and I don't believe Felix can do as he pleases."
Felix let out a cold laugh, "You're welcome to try!"
