Chapter 45

When she saw Benink’s mane flashing on the street, she instinctively glanced at Nancy, still slouched on the couch. It seemed sine had cooled down and was probably…

After hanging up, she walked over to Nancy. “M. Beld wants to see me. You stay here, milnest. I’ll be back soon.”

Leaning against the pillow, Nancy slowly hit her head. A cold, detached game swept over Vesperia from head to toe. As if coming to some realization, she gave a bitter smile.

What was that look for?

She hesitated, thinking of explaining herself, but the thought of it made her feel like she’d be drawing even more attention to herself.

Frustrations bobbled up inside her. But she decided to forget it. Time would sort it all out in the end.

Without saying another word, she turned and walked out. Arriving at the door of Dominic’s suite, she swiped her key card and unlocked it. For convenience, both she and Gerard had access to his, always on standby if needed; it had always seemed perfectly normal. That was until Nancy’s earlier reaction made everything feel less suspicious.

She pushed the thought aside and stepped inside. Dominic was by the window, casually removing his watch.

Vespera’s mind involuntarily wandered into a familiar cliché – two people trapped in a love-hate dynamic. To provoke the other, the male lead would flirt with his secretary in front of the female lead, hoping to break her composure and make her lose control.

“M–Mr. Reid, yini…”

“I’m hungry.” Dominic said, his deep voice slightly hoarse as his gaze settled on her.

Vespera was ready to bolt from the room. She stared at him, wide-eyed and startled, her instinct to retreat leaving Dominic briefly confused.

His eyes fell on the watch he had just unfastened, and he finally understood the cause of her reaction. With a sigh of exasperation, he explained, “I meant… I’m hungry for food.”

“Oh! That’s what you meant. Wow, you really scared me there for a second,” Vespera said, laughing with relief.

Between them, an awkward silence hung in the air, thick enough to suffocate.

Vespera mentally cursed herself, wishing she could rewind and stop herself from speaking.

Clearing her throat, she quickly turned toward the phone and dialed the front desk. Trying to regain her composure, she asked, “Mr. Reid, what would you like to eat?”

With a stoic expression, Dominic fastened his watch back on. “Anything.”

That was the most frustrating answer.

Despite her irritation, Vespera kept her tone professional, placing an order with a variety of dishes to ensure she covered all bases.

After hanging up, she turned back toward Dominic, her eyes landing on his wrist – his watch was back on.

So he knew exactly what she’d been thinking.

“Just so you’re aware, this was Gerard’s responsibility before,” Dominic said matter-of-factly, cutting through her chaotic thoughts.

Still rattled, Vespera blurted out without thinking, “Card had to do this too?”

Dominic paused, momentarily stunned. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed her. “Get out.”

Vespera hurriedly exited the room. After walking a short distance, she stopped and slammed her forehead against the wall.

At that exact moment, Gerard returned and was met with the odd scene. Just as he was about to approach her, his phone rang – Dominic was calling. With no choice but to take the call, he turned and went to see Dominic instead.

As soon as he stepped inside, he couldn’t help but say, “Mr. Reid, did Ms. Gildon have a drink? I just saw her banging her head against the wall in the hallway.”

Dominic paused for a moment, rubbing his temples. After a beat, he brushed the comment aside and redirected the conversation, turning his attention to the details of the next day’s tasks.

Then, the food arrived, and Gerard’s stomach growled. Dominic gestured for him to sit down and join him for the meal.

After they ate, Dominic wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin and casually asked, “Vespera was doing fine earlier. Why did you step in?”

Gerard couldn’t help but chuckle. “She’s got nerves of steel. At first, I was worried about her, but then she got way too into it. She wanted to go all-in on a hand, and I nearly had a heart attack. I had to make up an excuse to get her out of there. She actually thinks she’s some kind of gambling genius…...”

Dominic’s eyes darkened slightly. “She went out?”