Dangerous Love: You Are My One and Only Bride novel Chapter 1786

A few dextrous inputs later, Alejandro obtained Melanie’s exact location.

For some reason, anxiety bubbled within him as he stood outside the fine diner—it was one of those establishments meant for couples, he realized. What if it was a man who was eating with her right now?

He forced his composure to remain and descended the car before heading inside the restaurant. It was all too easy to descry the one silhouette that was so familiar that it was impossible for him to miss; she was sitting right next to the window. Then he saw him—Mateo Rodriguez, sitting across her on that same table.

Spleen skyrocketed within Alejandro, but he halted his step and stood still. He dialed Melanie’s number again.

He watched her pick up the phone. Watched her push the call away with a skillful tap. Watched her not breaking her composure, as though the call did not happen, before jumping right back into a lively conversation with Mateo, laughing.

It was the first time Alejandro had ever experienced the broiling rage of a man scorned. Storms pooled over his mien as he stormed his way swiftly to Melanie’s table. “Old friend, huh? Now what kind of old friend would mind if you answer your husband’s number?”

Hearing Alejandro’s voice, Melanie leaped to her feet with a thud. “Why are you here?!”

Alejandro leveled a quick glare at her before training his eyes on Mateo. “So, you’re gonna explain or what? Beg pardon, mate, but I’m gonna have to ask you to explain your a**. Why are you dining in a refined place like this with my wife?”

Mateo was not the least bit panicked. He, too, rose to his feet with aplomb and studied Alejandro with interest. Then, he extended a hand to him. “You must be Alejandro Smith, yes? Your reputation is quite far-reaching! I am Mateo Rodriguez; I think I’m qualified to be called Melanie’s childhood friend. Though... we haven’t exactly seen each other for a pretty long time.”

Alejandro espied the jewelry box laying before Melanie’s seat, and a veneer of hardened steel coated his eyes. He ignored Mateo’s hand—still raised in midair—and hissed, “Home. Now.”

Melanie frowned. “What do you mean? Our marriage isn’t annulled yet; I know there are lines not to be crossed. At the very least, I know better than to drink myself stupid, offer myself up for any woman, and then go home with her mark on me! You might be a disgusting, debauch scumbag, but don’t, for one second, think that’s true for literally everyone else in the world. Honestly, why are you even here? Hoping to catch an affair in action? Please. Teo and I are childhood friends, for God’s sake. We met by happenstance just this evening, which was why we planned to catch up at night over an innocuous meal!

“You know what puzzles me the most? You never gave a damn about what I did in the past. So why is whoever I’m eating with suddenly a big deal to you now? Wow, should I be honored for how rare this is?”

Alejandro reached his boiling point. In retaliation, he raised his voice too. “It was just a f**king lipstick stain—and that was proof that I’ve f**ked other women?! You think I offered myself to them of my own volition? Hell, those sluts threw their disgusting kisses all over me themselves; I didn’t know jacksh*t about it!” he fumed. “Don’t f**king twist that one-time incident to fit your biased narrative while you’ve been blatantly—shamelessly—addressing that man only with an affectionate ‘Teo!’ all the damn time. Look at yourself! Look at how dressed-up you are for an ‘innocuous’ meal… You’re f**king telling me that the two of you share no feelings for each other?!”

Melanie was suddenly reminded of the cryptic words Mateo had said, causing her sense of righteousness to falter a little. Yes, she harbored no romantic undertone at all, but that did not mean Mateo’s intention was as innocent as hers, did it?