Chapter 70 A Man on Edge

Nicholas Andrieux The burn of whiskey did nothing to dull the irritation clawing inside me. I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, watching the way the dim lighting of my club reflected off the crystal edges. My phone vibrated again on the table next to me, the screen lighting up with another call—probably another journalist, another vulture wanting a statement, a reaction, anything to fuel the damn fire. I picked it up long enough to put it on do not disturb and tossed it aside with a frustrated sigh. I was sick of it. Sick of the headlines. Sick of seeing Alicia’s name tied to another man. Sick of feeling this—whatever the hell this was. The door to the lounge opened, and I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Lucas. I heard his measured footsteps before he came into view, his brows raised as he took in my state—tie loosened, shirt slightly unbuttoned, and a near-empty bottle of whiskey sitting on the glass table in front of me. He let out a short laugh. “Well, you