After the CEO Divorced Me, He Wants Me Back

Jolie didn't like the way Gavin's gaze lingered on her.

It was heavy, oppressive, and carried an intensity that made her inexplicably tense and uneasy.

"Mr. Cooper, aren't you busy these days?" she asked, attempting to shift the atmosphere.

""Not too busy," he replied, his tone flat and indifferent.

Jolie was speechless.

How could someone be so adept at killing a conversation?

Still, for the Quin family, he was a distinguished guest. She couldn't afford to appear impolite or neglectful, or her parents would never let her hear the end of it. Being grounded would be the least of her worries. Yet, she didn't want to engage with Gavin more than necessary.

For one, she didn't like him. He was rigid, dull, and utterly devoid of emotional value.

And for another, she refused to play into Daisy's obvious plans. It was clear that her parents wanted her entangled with Gavin, but she had no intention of letting that happen.

Caught in the push and pull of these conflicting feelings, Jolie found herself staring blankly at her wine glass, lost in thought.

She didn't even notice when Gavin moved closer, until suddenly, her chin was tilted upward by the light press of his fingers.

snapped out of her daze. Her eyes flashed with confusion before the

back. "Mr. Cooper, what

close? And what was with this intimate

how this might

contemplative, and carried an air of deliberate

resisting the urge to roll her

standing there? Did he really expect her entire

arrogant, self-absorbed

for him

"Apologies, did you

just find a

up. His piercing gaze remained fixed on her, his voice dipping slightly. "You're deliberately avoiding

skipped a beat.

yet he still

To acknowledge it would be to offend him-and that wasn't a risk she could afford. Keeping her composure, Jolie

gaze, his tone nonchalant as if the conversation no longer interested him. Jolie couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling, and that unsettled her

the wine glass, her thoughts spinning as she tried to decipher his intentions. "When are you planning to repay me for last

sudden statement hit like a