CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: THIS ISN’T HEALTH TEA AT ALL, IT’S CLEARLY...

Renee Winslow lay pressed against Jack Yates for a while until she said she was hungry, and then Jack finally let her go.

She followed Jack to a luxurious private room on the second floor of the hotel for dinner. When they arrived, three people were already seated in the room, one of whom was the host, Matthew Shaw.

Matthew Shaw was much younger than she had imagined, not at all like a man in his thirties, he looked like he was only in his twenties. He was also more handsome than she had imagined, with a charm that exceeded her expectations.

She had always thought Matthew Shaw would be a middle-aged man with a portly build and a bit of baldness, but he turned out to be a well-refined, noble and elegant man, a very typical image of a cultured businessman.

The other two were Declan Donovan, the second son of The Donovan Family, the richest family in Southedge, and this was also Renee’s first time meeting him.

The other was a soldier, who had been Jack’s comrade-in-arms, once serving in a special forces unit together, and they had a very good relationship.

The soldier was named Shane Grant. As soon as Jack entered the private room, he stood up, walked over to Jack, and patted him familiarly on the shoulder, then smiled at Renee.

Matthew Shaw was able to invite Jack only because of Shane Grant. Without Shane acting as a middleman, Jack would never have agreed to come to Matthew’s gathering.

Although Jack and Matthew both grew up as children of high-ranking officials, there were still levels among them.

Like Jack, whose grandfather was a founding hero and father was a regional governor, even in Northcity, where influential families were everywhere, he was a standout among the children of high-ranking officials, a top nobleman in The Capital Circle.

Moreover, Jack’s abilities were exceptional. He distinguished himself at a young age, winning numerous first-class merits in his twenties. In other words, even without the protection of his grandfather and father, his abilities alone were enough for people to call him "Third Brother."

So even if Matthew had become a local tycoon, he still had to bow down in front of Jack, having no choice but to warmly welcome him and respectfully call him "Mr. Yates" or "Third Brother."

After Shane and Jack had exchanged greetings, Matthew smiled and extended his hand: "Welcome to Vintara, Mr. Yates."

Jack shook his hand briefly: "You’re too kind, Mr. Shaw."

Matthew offered the main seat to Jack, who took it without ceremony, while Renee sat to his right.

Matthew was about to offer Jack a drink, but Jack waved it away, saying, "My wife is allergic, can’t touch alcohol."

He specifically used the word "touch," meaning can’t touch alcohol, not can’t drink alcohol, which was quite thought-provoking.

All three men present were highly perceptive, especially Matthew, a seasoned player in politics and business, who immediately grasped the subtlety in Jack’s words.

Matthew smiled, called over the waiter, and whispered a few words.

After a short while, the waiter pushed a cart into the room, placing a pot of wellness tea brewed with black maca, black goji berries, and some unknown supplements on the dining table, then poured four glasses of very dark purple tea.

Matthew picked up the first glass and respectfully placed it in front of Jack, then picked up another glass, smiling: "Since Boss Yates can’t drink, I’ll use tea as a substitute and toast to Boss Yates."

Jack picked up his teacup, his long, sensual fingers caressing the cup’s surface, leaned over to look at Renee, and asked in a low voice, "Can I drink this?"

Renee glanced at him: "If you want to drink, go ahead, how can I stop you?"

Jack curled his lips: "I’ll drink if you let me. If you don’t want me to, I won’t."

Renee looked at the others and hurriedly lowered her eyes: "You can drink it."

Jack raised his teacup to lightly clink it with Matthew’s, then tilted his head back, drinking the whole cup of wellness tea like it was alcohol.

Matthew praised him with a clear conscience: "Boss Yates, you’re bold and generous!"

Then Declan also picked up his teacup, offering a toast to Jack, saying the typical things one says at a drinking banquet.

Shane smiled: "With both Boss Shaw and Young Master Donovan toasting you, as your old comrade-in-arms, how can I not join in?" He raised his teacup, shaking it from afar, and added, "This tea is strong, you should drink less."

Renee initially didn’t understand; it was tea, after all, not alcohol—how could it be strong?

However, after hearing the meaningful laughter from Matthew and Declan, she realized a bit too late that this was not just wellness tea, but an aphrodisiac...

So after dinner, when she and Jack returned to their suite, she picked up a clean dress, intending to change in the bathroom since she accidentally spilled oil soup on herself during dinner. But just as she took off her dirty dress, Jack forcefully entered the bathroom, embracing her from behind.

Jack’s breathing was heavy, and the air he exhaled was hot. His arms were tightly wrapped around her waist.

"Baby." He lowered his head into the nook of her neck, gently biting at her skin, his searing lips brushing against her neck, "Can we go to the hospital after three?"