He Ignored My Grief, I Chose Duty

Chapter 3

The VIP room at the Jade Pavilion Private Dining buzzed with the raucous teasing of Dominic's friends the moment Linnea arrived.

"Dom, Sonya's back! She helped you clinch the Sydney title... how can you not patch things up with her?"

"Yeah, Dom, come on, right here in front of all of us, say something."

Dominic sat at the head of the table, saying nothing.

Beside him, Sonya lifted her glass, took a slow sip, and cut in. "Smartass, quit it. Dominic's got a new girlfriend now. They've been together three years."

The man she was talking to was someone Linnea knew. His real name was Jesse Vance.

Jesse let out a scornful snort. "Sonya, everyone else might not know, but you do. Dominic only got with Linnea because, four years ago, you broke his heart—"

He was about to say more when the door swung open, and a waiter stepped in.

All eyes snapped to the doorway where Linnea stood, her makeup flawless.

A flicker crossed Dominic's face at the head of the table.

Still in his racing suit, he strode over, acting as if nothing had happened.

"What took you so long?"

"Got held up wrapping my resignation paperwork," Linnea answered curtly.

'Resignation?'

Dominic's brow furrowed. "You quit? Why so sudden?"

"Found a new job," she replied.

Dominic didn't press further. Instead, he steered her around the room to reintroduce his friends.

In truth, she'd met them all before.

Only Sonya... this was their first real face-off.

"Hello there. I'm Sonya, your senior in the racing world. A pleasure to finally meet you in person." Sonya extended a glass of wine toward her.

Linnea made no move to accept it.

"Sorry, I'm allergic to alcohol. Can't drink."

Dominic knew that all too well.

But a mocking glint flickered in Sonya's eyes. "I heard from Dominic that your family is strict, so it's no surprise you don't drink. Still, lying at a gathering like this? That's not cool."

Right in front of her, Sonya tossed back her drink in one swift gulp, then cast a red-rimmed glance at Dominic.

"Dominic, your girlfriend really is a delicate little thing."

A frown creased Dominic's brow, unbidden.

Once seated, he leaned in, voice low. "You don't have to like her, but there's no need to humiliate her in front of everyone."

'Humiliate her in front of everyone?'

Who was the one truly being humiliated here just moments ago?

Linnea had no desire to dwell on it... after all, she was leaving in just four days.

She murmured back, "Have you ever thought about it, Dominic? It's not that I'm trying to embarrass her. You're so wrapped up in her that you feel like I've wronged her."

Dominic froze, the words dying on his lips.

The rest of the meal dragged on, each person stewing in their own private thoughts. Sonya kept knocking back glass after glass of wine. Linnea couldn't help but notice that her boyfriend's eyes never strayed from Sonya. It was as if she were the only person in the room. Just like all those posts online said: when you truly like someone, you only have eyes for them, no matter how many people are around.

The restaurant was just a stone's throw from the FLY Racing Club. When the dinner finally wrapped up, everyone said their goodbyes one by one.

But Sonya was already drunk and making a scene, clinging to Dominic's arm and refusing to let go, her voice cracking as she sobbed, "Dominic, let's get back together. I don't want to be apart from you anymore. I can't live without you."

Her voice cracked with raw emotion, tears streaming down her face. "You have no idea what those four years without you were like. How I even survived them."

Linnea just stood there, watching her in silence.

She couldn't help but wonder... if Sonya truly loved Dominic, then why had she walked away when he was broken and battered?

"She's drunk. Don't let it get to you. I'll take her home first, then come back for you."

Dominic's voice snapped Linnea back to the present.

"Fine."

She took the racing car key he handed her.

Whether Sonya loved Dominic or not, Linnea couldn't say for sure. But one thing was crystal clear... Dominic definitely still loved Sonya. When the ex-cries, the current lover always loses.

As the crowd drifted away, Linnea caught their fading voices.

"Gotta admit, Dom's girl tonight was drop-dead gorgeous."

"Pretty face, sure. But what good is that? You guys couldn't tell? Dom's heart still belongs to Sonya."

"Exactly. A top-tier racer doesn't just fall for looks. That Linnea's just some desk jockey. How could she even compare to Sonya, the one who stands shoulder to shoulder with him on the track?"

Their voices faded into the night. Linnea made her way over to Dominic's blazing red race car. Her eyes swept over the words emblazoned on the body, "Cyclone Speed" and "Phantom" before she pulled the door open.

She slipped the helmet on, fired up the engine, shoved it into gear, and slammed the gas. The car shot forward like a streak of lightning.

She was police academy-trained, the daughter of Jackson Valmont. She could handle a patrol car, so she could damn well handle a race car too.