She did it on purpose. Partly to rile up that "dog" of a man, and partly to show Everett that she didn''t revolve around him. He needed a reminder that he wasn''t some rare gem.


    And oh boy, did Everett get worked up. Whether it was Callum or anyone else, he couldn''t stand it. Especially with Selena being pregnant. It waste, and she wasn''t home yet. Didn''t she realize how risky that was?


    He marched into the living room, the bright lights casting sharp shadows that only added to his stern look. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Selena''s number. But the cold automated message reminded him of the bitter truth: she had blocked him ages ago, and he was still on the cklist.


    Frustrated, he rubbed his temples and barked at Ava, "Call her and tell her to get home. She''s a mom now, staying out thiste just isn''t right!"


    Ava, unfazed, shot back, "Well, sir, you''re a dad now. Haven''t you been away for months with another woman? What does that say?"


    "Ava!" he snapped, his gaze icy and sharp.


    But Ava stood her ground. She was loyal to Selena and got her paycheck from her, so she wasn''t about to bow to Everett''s whims. Hands on her hips, she retorted, "If you want to make the call, do it yourself. I''m not getting mixed up in this."


    With that, she headed off to her room, leaving Everett with his lips pressed into a thin, tight line.


    Close to midnight, ine drove Selena back to Moon Bay. The night air had a chill, so he kindly draped his jacket over her shoulders. Once Selena realized there were no romantic undertones, she epted his gesture. After all, being pregnant meant she had to be extra careful about her health-a cold would be thest thing she needed."


    "Thanks," she said, giving him a polite smile.


    ine, momentarily captivated, couldn''t help but reach out and gently pat her head. Selena was caught off guard. It wasn''t the


    intimacy of the gesture, but the


    paternal warmth in his eyes and actions. They seemed to be about the same age, yet there was this odd sense of elder affection.


    Lost in her thoughts, she stood there, both of them caught in their musings. To an outsider, it might have seemed like something else entirely.


    Everett, watching them, felt a surge of jealousy and anger. He swiftly strode over, grabbed Selena''s wrist, and pulled her to him, yanking off the jacket and tossing it back at ine His strong arm wrapped around her waist with a


    possessiveness that was hard to miss. His dark eyes bore into ine with an intensity that seemed to challenge him.


    ine, unfazed, stepped forward, meeting Everett''s stare head-on. Neither man spoke, but the tension was thick, as if they''d been through a dozen rounds.


    Not wanting to add fuel to the fire, Selena turned to ine and said, "Thanks, you should head home. Drive safe.


    ine nodded, giving her a smile before picking up his jacket, dusting it off, and climbing back into his car. He drove off without another word.


    With the car gone, Selena treated Everett as if he were invisible, brushing past him as she made her way inside. His scowl deepened.


    In the master bedroom, Selena sat at the vanity, taking off her ne and earrings. Everett followed her in, mming the door shut behind him. Standing behind her, his dark eyes locked onto her, he demanded cotely, "When did you start seeing someone new?"