Mark let out a nervous laugh, trying desperately to break the suffocating awkwardness caused by Jarred's blatant disrespect.

He turned to Preston and forced a change of subject, asking about Preston's latest venture capital investments.

Preston answered politely for a moment before turning his attention back to Alaina.

"How have things been at the hospital, Alaina?" Preston asked warmly. "Are the shifts still killing you?"

Alaina looked at Preston, grateful for an excuse to pull her eyes away from Jarred's burning stare.

She slipped back into her professional persona. "The surgical schedule has been packed lately. It's exhausting, but good."

Preston's eyes lit up with sudden realization. "Actually, my three-year-old niece, Poppy, is scheduled for cleft lip repair surgery next week at your hospital."

Alaina's defensive posture melted away. Her face softened into an expression of deep focus and care.

She nodded. "I reviewed Poppy's chart this morning. I am the lead surgeon for her case."

Preston exhaled a loud sigh of relief. "Thank God. Knowing she has the top maxillofacial surgeon in New York makes me feel so much better."

Jarred, who had been leaning against a marble pillar, stiffened slightly at the words "top surgeon".

The impenetrable ice in his eyes cracked for a fraction of a second.

He stared at Alaina. He saw the quiet confidence and the brilliant professional light radiating from her face.

The girl who used to study late into the night in his dorm room was now at the absolute top of her field.

A violent mixture of intense pride and sick, twisted possessiveness churned in Jarred's chest.

He forced the emotion down, burying it under his cynical armor.

Jarred let out a harsh, grating laugh. It shattered the warm moment between Alaina and Preston.

"Dr. Strong is still working herself to the bone just to climb the ladder, I see," Jarred drawled slowly.

The insult hit Alaina like a physical blow. He still believed she had left him for money and status.

Alaina straightened her spine. Her hands curled into tight fists at sides.

She met Jarred's aggressive stare head-on. Her eyes were as cold as frost.

"Saving lives requires actual skill, Mr. Mcknight," Alaina said, her voice devoid of any warmth. "Not just inheriting a trust fund."

The words struck Jarred's deepest insecurity.

Jarred's eyes turned lethal. The air around him grew heavy and dangerous.

Mark, completely blind to the deadly crossfire, decided to chime in to agree with the billionaire.

"Doctors do work too hard," Mark chuckled. "With your talent, you shouldn't have to burn yourself out like this. A woman as brilliant as you deserves a life of more ease and comfort, letting a man handle the stress, Alaina."

Jarred snapped his head toward Mark. He glared at the lawyer with a look of pure, unadulterated murder.

Mark physically flinched. The rest of his sentence died in his throat.

Alaina felt a wave of absolute disgust toward Mark. She snatched her trench coat from the attendant.

She looked at Mark with dead eyes. "If you think a woman's ultimate goal is to marry a man, then this date is officially over."

Mark's face cycled through shades of pale white and angry red after being publicly humiliated by Alaina.

Unable to handle the embarrassment, he cleared his throat loudly. "I need to use the restroom," he muttered, quickly walking away down the hall.

Preston watched Mark retreat and shook his head. He turned to Jarred.

Preston clapped a hand on Jarred's shoulder. His voice was full of genuine relief.

"I'm really glad to see you can be in the same room with her without losing your mind," Preston said. "It's good that you've finally moved on."

The words moved on triggered a violent surge of darkness in Jarred's eyes.

He turned his head slowly. He looked at Preston with a gaze so cold and hollow it made the hair on the back of Preston's neck stand up.

Preston didn't notice the danger. He leaned in closer to Jarred, lowering his voice to gossip.

"That Mark guy is a joke," Preston whispered. "He's just a mediocre lawyer looking for a trophy. He doesn't deserve Alaina."

Lachlan, who had had one too many whiskeys and always enjoyed stirring the pot, let out a low, knowing chuckle.

Lachlan took a step forward, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked at Preston with an amused, instigating smirk.

"You have high standards now, Preston?" Lachlan drawled, dragging out the syllables.

"Did you forget that three years ago, you tried to set Alaina up with your cousin?" Lachlan asked loudly.

The question dropped like a live grenade directly into Jarred's brain.

Jarred's casual stance vanished. His entire body locked up, every muscle pulling tight as wire.

The fingers holding his unlit cigar gripped it so hard that the knuckles turned a terrifying shade of white.

Jarred whipped his head toward Preston. His voice sounded like gravel grinding together. "You tried to set her up with another man?"

Preston jumped back, startled by the sudden, suffocating murderous intent rolling off Jarred. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"It was a long time ago, Jarred," Preston stammered. "Besides, Alaina refused to even meet him."

Even knowing she had refused, the venomous snake of jealousy sank its fangs deep into Jarred's sanity.

The realization hit him-during the eight years he had spent bleeding for her, countless other men had tried to touch what belonged to him.

A destructive, violent rage slammed against his ribcage, demanding to be let out.

Jarred reached up and yanked fiercely at his silk tie, pulling it loose. He took a harsh breath, fighting the urge to tear the room apart.

Standing a few feet away, Alaina heard every word. A wave of humiliation washed over her.

She hated being discussed like a piece of property by these arrogant men.

She gripped her trench coat tightly and looked down the hallway, praying Mark would hurry up so she could leave. Under the guise of adjusting her clutch, she quickly pulled out her phone and fired off a desperate text to Claire: 'Worst date ever. SOS. Come get me outside the restaurant.' She slipped the phone back into her bag.

Jarred's sharp eyes caught her movement. He saw her looking for the lawyer.

Seeing her actively wait for that piece of trash snapped the final string of Jarred's control.

He took a heavy step toward her, his body radiating a terrifying, dominant energy.

Just as Jarred closed the distance, Mark walked out from the hallway corner.