Dinner Party 3

Jess was committed to her attempt and misinterpreted Julian's silence as interest. "Oh, come on, Julian. You can't tell me you wouldn't appreciate a little variety."

She leaned forward even more, trying to catch his attention. "I mean, I could make something a little more exciting for you. Just imagine—"

Julian's eyes hardened, and he cut her off mid-sentence. "I'm not interested, Jess," he said, his voice cold and firm.

The room fell into an awkward silence. Jess's face turned red in embarrassment, finally snapping out of her delusions.

"I see," she muttered quietly. She then stood up and excused herself from the table, unable to tolerate the awkward atmosphere any longer.

Julian watched her leave without a word, his expression cold as ice.

He turned back to Rayne, his gaze softening slightly as he gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't mind her," he said quietly. "The roast was amazing. Really."