Page 75 of King of Rage

And standing beside it was Shane.

Lucius’s entire expression changed.

The warmth that had appeared on his face when he saw Stella vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, dark look. His fingers tightened around the door as he watched her approach Shane, his jaw clenching harder with every step she took.

“So is our dinner date still on?” Shane asked.

Stella smiled at him.

“Of course it is.”

Lucius released the door and leaned back into his seat instead.

He remained perfectly still, his gaze fixed on Stella and Shane through the window. He reached for his cigarettes, pulled one out, and lit it. Then he took a long drag, watching them through the smoke.

“She used to smile at me this sweetly for three years, and now she smiles at this fucker the same way,” he muttered, his voice low and bitter.

His fingers tightened around the cigarette as jealousy burned through him.

He took another drag, his gaze never leaving Stella and Shane.

“Was the only reason you returned to Manhattan to be with Shane?”

Stella climbed into the car with Shane, while Lucius watched from across the street. He remained motionless as the car pulled away, his eyes following it through the traffic until it vanished from sight.

A disbelieving scoff escaped him.

He flicked his cigarette onto the pavement and muttered through clenched teeth, “You got dumped by your ex-girlfriend, and now you’re stalking her on dates with her new man. Lucius Frost, how much lower are you willing to sink to get her back?”

He shook his head, visibly irritated, then turned toward Nial.

“Follow the damn car.”

Nial pulled away immediately.

Half an hour later, Lucius sat in the back seat, watching in silence as Stella and Shane settled at a dinner table inside a restaurant on the ground floor of a building in the middle of the city.

Shane had clearly spent money on the evening. The table was beautifully set, and everything about the arrangement made it obvious that he had put effort into the date.

Lucius was fuming.

His jaw clenched as he watched them through the glass partition from across the restaurant. He had followed them only because he wanted to know where Stella was going, but now he was paying attention to every little thing they did.

They talked. They ate. They laughed together.

And the longer Lucius watched, the worse his mood became.

There was an ease between them that drove him fucking crazy. They seemed familiar with each other, comfortable in a way that made something bitter twist inside his chest.

Then Stella pushed her chair back.

She said something to Shane before standing and excusing herself to use the restroom.

Lucius watched her walk away.

He waited until she had put enough distance between herself and the table before following her.

Stella had just reached the restroom when a hand suddenly covered her mouth.