CHAPTER 7
1595 Words
MELIORA
“You have a delivery,” one of the security guards at the club announced, his voice neutral as he handed me a white box wrapped with the largest red bow I’d ever seen. He gave Dominic a respectful nod before leaving the room.
Dominic looked up from his bottle of whiskey, his brow arching in curiosity. “For who? Meliora?”
I glanced down at the box. Who would send me something here? And why?
Dominic leaned back in his chair, his gaze flicking from the box to me. “I didn’t take your father as the considerate type.” His lips curled in a mocking smile. “Are you going to open it, or are you going to wait all day? You have work to do.”
Of course, I did. He made sure of that, especially when he insisted I work from his office. Apparently, my own desk wasn’t good enough, and carrying empty cartons here to clip them was somehow part of my job description.
Sighing, I dusted my hands off and carefully untied the ribbon. The first thing I reached for was a card, my brows knitting together as I read the short, handwritten message.
“Well?” Dominic’s voice cut through my thoughts, his impatience evident. “Who’s it from?”
I held the card up, waving it dismissively. “It’s from Lucas.”
His reaction was immediate. “Lucas Wang?” The disbelief in his voice almost made me laugh. Almost. It wasn’t every day you heard Dominic Blackthorne sound surprised.
“What does he want?”
I pulled out an evening dress, a pair of designer heels, and a matching purse. “A dinner date, I guess.” I fought the urge to roll my eyes. The last thing I needed was to get tangled up with someone connected to Dominic.
His expression darkened. “And are you going?”
What was his problem? I dropped the items back into the box, closing it before facing him. “Is there any clause in our contract that says I’m not allowed to date during the six months?”
His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing slightly before he looked away, returning his attention to his glass of whiskey. “Do whatever you want.”
Typical. Without another word, I gathered the discarded boxes and carried them out of his office, determined to finish my work in peace.
****************
By the end of the day, I was more than ready to go home. Even though I stayed in the same house as Dominic, I rarely saw him outside of breakfast—an event he insisted I attend every morning without fail.
But as I walked into the living room, I was met with an unexpected scene. A woman I didn’t recognize was seated comfortably on the sofa, flipping through a magazine.
I tried to walk past her, choosing to ignore her presence, but she wasn’t having it. Her eyes flicked up, a look of disdain crossing her face as she took me in. “I don’t recognize you,” she said coolly. “Who are you?”
I crossed my arms, matching her stare. “Why should I introduce myself to you?”
She scoffed, rising gracefully to her feet. “I’ll go first then. I’m Isabelle, Dominic’s woman.”
Dominic’s what? I arched a brow. “Dominic’s what, exactly?”
Before she could respond, Dominic’s voice echoed from behind me. “Isabelle?”
I barely had time to turn before she rushed past me, throwing her arms around his neck in a hug that seemed a little too intimate.
For the first time, I saw Dominic smile—actually smile. It was slight, but it was there. “You didn’t tell me you were coming back today,” he said softly, his hands resting on her waist. “I would have had someone pick you up.”
I felt something twist in my chest. It was strange seeing him like this—almost human. Annoyed with myself for even caring, I turned on my heel and headed upstairs.
“Who is she?” Isabelle’s voice floated up the staircase, her tone dripping with contempt. “She was rude to me.”
I didn’t catch Dominic’s response, but I heard him laugh—a sound that grated against my nerves. I quickened my pace, eager to escape the scene.
*****************
The next morning, I dressed quickly, hoping to get out of the house without running into anyone. But when I entered the dining room for breakfast, I found Isabelle already there, giggling at something Dominic had said.
They were seated close, too close, and Dominic’s face was uncharacteristically soft as he looked at her. My stomach twisted again, an uncomfortable knot forming as I watched them.
What’s wrong with me? Why should I care who he smiles at?
I shook off the feeling, deciding to skip breakfast altogether. I turned and walked out before either of them noticed me.
I made it to the car Dominic assigned to me when someone cleared their throat behind me. I turned to find Sophia standing there, her expression unreadable.
“I saw you staring at them,” she said bluntly.
I blinked, my mouth opening in protest. “Staring at who?”
She let out a dry laugh. “I wasn’t asking, Meliora. I was stating a fact. And here’s a piece of advice—” She stepped closer. “In our world, things are never what they seem. Don’t be easily swayed if you want to survive.”
What the hell did that mean?
Sophia gave a curt nod toward the car. “You don’t want to be late for work.”
I got into the car, my mind swirling with questions as the driver pulled away.
*************
Work was busy as usual. I spent most of the day supervising the workers loading the newly produced whiskey into trucks for distribution. Everything seemed normal until a familiar voice spoke behind me.
“I see you work for him,” Isabelle drawled. “But what I don’t understand is why you’re living with him.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Was she seriously following me to my workplace now?
“If you have a problem with my living arrangement, take it up with Mr. Blackthorne.” I kept my tone professional, refusing to give her the satisfaction of riling me up.
Her lips curled into a mocking smile as she took a step closer, her eyes gleaming with something malicious. “I should pity you,” she sneered. “You’re going to end up just like them.”
My eyes narrowed. “Like who?”
She shook her head, a look of false sympathy crossing her face. “You really have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, do you?”
My pulse pounded at Isabelle’s words, but I forced myself to keep my expression blank. I wasn’t about to let her get under my skin.
“Why don’t you enlighten me, then?” I challenged, folding my arms across my chest.
She smirked, tilting her head slightly. “I don’t need to. You’ll figure it out soon enough.”
With that, she turned on her heel and strutted off, leaving behind the faint scent of expensive perfume.
I exhaled sharply, my fingers clenching into fists. Who the hell did she think she was? And what was that cryptic nonsense supposed to mean?
I hated the way she spoke like she knew something I didn’t. Like she had already decided my fate for me.
But the worst part? The nagging feeling in my gut that she wasn’t entirely wrong.
That night, I took my dinner upstairs, unwilling to sit through another meal watching Isabelle drape herself over Dominic.
Not that it mattered. It shouldn’t matter.
I kept telling myself that. Over and over.
But when I heard a knock at my door, I knew exactly who it was before I even opened it.
Dominic stood there, his eyes unreadable. His tie was loosened, the top buttons of his shirt undone, and the faint scent of whiskey clung to him.
“You didn’t show up for dinner,” he said simply.
I lifted a brow. “And?”
His jaw ticked, but he kept his voice even. “And I don’t like being ignored.”
I let out a short, humorless laugh. “I wasn’t ignoring you, Dominic. I was avoiding her.”
He exhaled, leaning against the doorframe. “Isabelle is none of your concern.”
“Then why does she act like I’m hers?” I shot back. “She practically stalked me at work today.”
His lips pressed together, his gaze darkening. “Did she say anything to you?”
I hesitated. Something in his tone made me think he already knew the answer. “She thinks I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into.”
His silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. Then, to my utter frustration, he smirked. “She’s not wrong.”
I scowled. “That’s not reassuring.”
He stepped closer, and I forced myself to hold my ground. “I don’t do reassurances, Meliora.”
I hated the way my pulse betrayed me, quickening under his intense stare.
I scoffed, folding my arms. “And yet you came all the way here because I didn’t sit at your precious dinner table.”
His smirk widened. “Like I said, I don’t like being ignored.”
He turned and walked away.
- Writer
