Chapter 17 Is He Getting Jealous ? +2 Bonus Just then , Veronica came walking toward her . " Dr. Sheppard , why didn't you wait for me ? " Lyra turned and caught sight of Maxen standing right behind her . Before Lyra could react , Veronica turned to Julian , glanced at Lyra , and gave a playful wink . " Oh , Dr. Sheppard , is this your boyfriend ? " Maxen's gaze swept past Lyra and landed on Julian , his eyes darkening slightly . " You're seeing someone now , Mr. Quinn ? " Julian froze . " Girlfriend ? " Wait , is he talking about me and Lyra ? Julian had to admit that Lyra was undeniably attractive . She really was his type , no doubt . She hadn't been voted campus belle at the med school for nothing . He wasn't exactly the most proper guy , but he wasn't the kind to joke around when it came to women , so he said , " You're kidding , Mr. Hawthorne . Lyra and I are just friends . " But then a thought crossed his mind , and Julian grinned . " That said , if Lyra ever finds herself needing a boyfriend , I'd be more than happy to volunteer . " 3/6 22:01 Chapter 17 Is He Getting Jealous ? +2 Bonus Hearing Julian call her name so intimately , the look in Maxen's eyes darkened even further . Veronica , oblivious to the shift , laughed . " You and Mr. Quinn actually look great together , Dr. Sheppard . " Noticing Maxen's indifference , Lyra slowly loosened the grip in her hand and turned to Julian , saying , " Let's head upstairs , Julian . We shouldn't intrude on Mr. Hawthorne and his girlfriend . " Hearing that , Veronica was caught off guard but thrilled . At that moment , even Lyra seemed more likable to her . Julian shot a surprised look at Veronica and Maxen . Remembering the recent headline that had flashed across his feed , everything suddenly clicked . He kept quiet and stepped into the elevator with Lyra . Veronica clung to Maxen's arm and said sweetly , " Max , let's go too- " But Maxen pulled his arm free and , just as the elevator doors were about to close , he reached out and stopped them . He said , " You don't mind sharing the elevator with us , do you , Mr. Quinn ? " His tone was icy , though his face betrayed nothing . Julian shrugged . " Of course not . " 54/6 22:01 Chapter 17 Is He Getting Jealous ? +2 Bonus gaze Lyra had been standing quietly at Julian's side with her lowered . When Maxen stepped in and took the spot next to her , she subtly shifted a little closer to Julian . When Veronica entered , her eyes flicked to Maxen and back to Lyra , her fingers curling into a tight fist in frustration . The way he had just shrugged her off and offered no explanation lingered in her mind , and deep down , Veronica knew it was because of Lyra . Veronica had already looked into Lyra's background but hadn't been able to find any connection between her and Maxen . Everyone said she was overthinking it , but his behavior earlier had all the signs of jealousy . The thought made Veronica grit her teeth so hard her jaw ached . As the elevator ascended slowly , a heavy silence settled over the space . To make matters worse , another group of people stepped in . Lyra tried to move closer to Julian to make room . Just then , someone tugged at her , and she stumbled , bumping into the person beside her . 5/6