Chapter 28

“Oh my god, did Ms. Everett just blush?” A female colleague gasped in surprise. “I thought someone as tough as her wouldn’t get shy!”

“She’s human, isn’t she? It’s totally normal,” another replied. “But wasn’t she stood up at the wedding by Chase Johnson? Who was that guy just now?”

As the group stepped out of the elevator, they kept chatting.

“You’re way behind on the news,” another colleague interjected, filling them in on Brynn’s public proposal at the wedding. “Got it now? Our Ms. Everett is seriously bold.”

The male colleague who first asked the question immediately looked regretful. “If I had known she was going to propose right then and there, I would’ve attended the wedding myself!”

“Pfft!” The one explaining burst into laughter. “Dude, you’re dreaming. Even if Ms. Everett weren’t the Everett family’s heiress, with her looks and talent, do you really think she’d go for average office workers like us? Have some self-awareness.”

The female colleagues around them all nodded in agreement. “Exactly! Ms. Everett isn’t your typical woman.”

Everyone else also chimed in with nods of approval.

“But don’t you guys think her husband looked kind of familiar?” Another colleague, who liked keeping up with the news, raised a question. “He looks a little like…”

“Like what? He’s just a handsome guy, and don’t all good-looking men kind of resemble each other?” Someone chuckled. “It’s the ugly ones that each have their own unique brand of ugly.”

Some colleagues felt personally attacked and jokingly raised their fists to punch the speaker, scaring him into begging for mercy.

The group continued laughing and joking around. Meanwhile, the colleague who had raised the question shook his head.

“I must be overthinking it,” he mumbled to himself. “No matter how impressive Ms. Everett is, there’s no way she married the president. That would be way too far-fetched.”

At the same time, Dominic held Brynn’s hand as he led her out of the office building. Staring at his back, Brynn couldn’t help but feel her heart race again.

“What am I thinking?” Brynn snapped out of it. “He only married me for the child. I can’t let myself get carried away!”

She couldn’t afford to be a hopeless romantic again.

The two found a nearby restaurant with outdoor seating and sat down. Dominic opened the lunch box he had brought, revealing hearty sandwiches, fried eggs, and milk—all generously portioned.

“Wear these gloves while you eat.” He reached into the bottom of the box and pulled out a pair of disposable gloves, carefully putting them on Brynn’s hands.

This small gesture caught Brynn off guard. She had to admit that this was unexpectedly thoughtful.

“What about you?” she asked, noticing there was only one pair of gloves.

Dominic chuckled. “I’ll just wipe my hands with a wet wipe afterward. Or maybe I could wear the gloves and feed you?”

Brynn rolled her eyes. “That won’t be necessary.”

She was genuinely starving, so she quickly put on the gloves and started devouring the sandwich.

Meanwhile, Dominic ate at a much slower pace, his gaze lingering on her. It felt less like he was eating the sandwich and more like he was savoring the sight of her.

The atmosphere was peaceful, but just then, the restaurant owner walked over with an apologetic expression.

“Sorry to bother you two,” said the owner, “But the inspectors are coming. I have to clear out all the outdoor tables, so I’m afraid…”

Before he could finish, a group of uniformed officials approached them. Brynn and Dominic knew they shouldn’t stay any longer and got up to leave.

The owner also rushed to start packing up the tables and chairs. However, the officials had already arrived.

“Hello officers, I’m just packing the tables and chairs up,” seeing their stern expressions, the owner stepped forward to explain.

But the one leading them scowled and cut off the owner mid-sentence. “Enough with the small talk. You’ve violated regulations. That’s a three-thousand-dollar fine.”

The owner paled, immediately pulling out a pack of cigarettes and offering it with a forced smile. “Officer, I’ll take the tables down right away and won’t put them outside again. Please, cut me some slack!”

But the official smacked the cigarettes out of his hand, sending them tumbling to the ground. Then, he ground them under his shoe.

“Issue the fine,” he ordered coldly.

Then, his gaze swept over Brynn and Dominic, a flicker of something sinister in his eyes. “And take all the tables and chairs away.”

The owner looked like he was about to cry, but there was nothing he could do. Brynn, having watched the whole thing, was furious.

This had nothing to do with her, but the officials were blatantly abusing their power. She couldn’t sit back and do nothing.

“If I remember correctly, this area isn’t even under public jurisdiction,” said Brynn. “What right do you have to issue fines and confiscate property?”

The lead official sneered at her defiance. “I don’t have the right? What a joke! I control all the streets in Portmare. If I say you’re fined, you’re fined. If I say the tables go, they go.”

Brynn trembled with anger. She couldn’t believe such shameless people even existed.

The restaurant owner, sensing the chaos, quickly tried to de-escalate. “Miss, please, there’s no need to argue. I accept the fine.”

The official scoffed, then glanced at the restaurant before smirking. “Your shop’s interior violates regulations and poses safety risks. I’m ordering you to shut down immediately for renovations.”

“What?” The owner panicked. “You can’t do that. I rely on this place to support my family. Please, have mercy!”

But the official ignored him, instead turning back to Brynn with a smug expression. “Hey miss, didn’t you want to be a hero just now? I’ll give you a chance. If you admit in front of everyone that you were meddling and have dinner with me, I’ll let this slide.”

Brynn knew he was clearly picking a fight. She was so enraged that she was about to roll up her sleeves and go off on him when suddenly, Dominic grabbed her arm.

Startled, she looked up at him, only to see him smile at her reassuringly before stepping in front of her.

Before she could react, he coldly fixed his gaze on the official and asked in a commanding tone, “Which department are you from? You sure talk a big game.”

Dominic’s gaze was so intimidating that the official hesitated. He scrutinized the man before him. Something about him screamed importance.

Feeling a sudden sense of unease, he asked cautiously, “And who are you?”

“I’m her husband,” Dominic answered.