Chapter 159: Chapter 159

Chapter 159 With everyone chatting away, Jason calmly stood up from the sofa. He then walked over to Estrella, bent down to pick up her bag from the couch, and watched her without changing his expression, saying, “Haven’t had enough fun yet? Isn’t it time to go home?”

As Jason locked eyes with Estrella, the room fell into a stunned silence before erupting into chaos.

“Jason, Estrella’s your wife?”

“Seriously?! Ravenwood College’s power couple tied the knot?”

“Man, this party just paid off. What a juicy secret!”

“Ella, this is... this is...”

“Ella.”

Bryce’s buddies were gobsmacked, witnessing the scene unfold. Bryce hadn’t mentioned this little tidbit to them. They all thought Bryce was just her friend. Given how clingy they were to Estrella just now, they were worried that Jason might be angry.

When Estrella saw Jason pick up her bag, she nonchalantly tossed the last few nuts from her hand back onto the plate and rose from the sofa. “Sure, let’s head back.”

With their relationship out in the open, Estrella wasn’t about to show Jason up. After all, to a man, pride often trumps all.

Estrella’s blasé attitude left Dominic and the others shaking their heads in amusement. She always did enjoy pulling their legs.

Just moments ago she’d been calling him Mr. Jason, addressing him with a mix of formality and familiarity-no wonder Grayson was so bemused and Jason was so broody.

“Estrella, you’re such a tease,” Dominic said with a mixture of laughter and exasperation.

Estrella flashed a grin. “Just spicing up everyone’s mundane life a bit.”

“Jason, Estrella, let’s hang out again sometime” someone chimed in.

“Mm-hmm,” Jason murmured, his arm wrapped around Estrella’s shoulders, nodding amicably in agreement.

They were all friends, and the men who had been clamoring for Estrella’s attention were Bryce’s friends, so Jason didn’t take it too personally. No harm, no foul. Their affection for Estrella was a testament to their good taste. However, if anyone seriously thought about making a move, they’d find they were sorely out of luck.

As Jason and Estrella made to leave and the clock stryck past eleven, the crowd began to disperse.

Passing by Bryce, Jason paused, turned, and said with a chilling calm, “Bryce, we’ll settle our score later.”

At the veiled threat, Bryce almost teared up, pleading with a glance towards Estrella, “Estrella, save me, please!” While begging, he clutched at Estrella’s sleeve.

Jason shot him a frosty look, and Bryce quickly let go, his eyes pleading, “Estrella.”

Estrella quipped back, “Quit your whining. You had me run a fool’s errand today.”

With that, Jason’s right hand moved from her arm to the back of her neck and he steered her away.

“Estrella... Estrella!”

“Bryce, I’ll give you a ride home. Enjoy the peace while it lasts,” Jesse offered, to which Bryce could only respond with deep, unspoken regret.

In the crowd, Serene watched Jason and Estrella’s retreating figures with a bittersweet smile. No matter how much Serene resembled Holly, Serene wasn’t her. And it seemed Jason’s heart wasn’t set on Holly after all.

“Serene, let me walk you out.”

“Sure,” she replied, pulled from her thoughts by the voice beside her.

In the parking lot, Estrella slid into the passenger seat, watching Jason circle the car to get in. Remembering his earlier declaration of not marrying Holly, she couldn’t help but smile. At the same time, the image of the white Maserati and the figure she’d seen at the karaoke bar flashed through her mind.

Her right hand rested gently on her stomach. If her guess was right, and if Jason remained as steadfast as before, she could soon share her secret with him.

Once Jason was in the car, he noticed Estrella’s complex gaze. “What’s up?” he asked.

“Nothing much.”

Jason started the engine and glanced at Estrella again, “Nothing much, huh? Well, we’ll settle the score when we get home.”

He was still irked about her casual banter with others and pretending not to know him, not to mention how she’d frolicked with Bryce’s friends. Jason was always so guarded outside, never letting women get close, yet Estrella seemed to have no such reservations. Estrella fell silent. This wasn’t over; he still wanted to ‘settle the score’?

Facing Jason, Estrella retorted, “You’ve already kissed me in public, and our relationship is He was so frustrated he could hardly swallow it down or vent it out. He wanted to whisk her away, and keep her in bed for three days straight, making sure she wouldn’t dare cause a scene of spout nonsense in public ever again.

After his rhetorical question, Jason pulled Estrella close, then pushed her back onto the bed, wrapping her bound hands with a piece of clothing, effectively cuffing her to the bed This kind of dominance play was something he had been fantasizing about for a while