Chapter 13

Since she was now with Dominic, Emilia had to at least keep up appearances—everything she used had to be top-notch. The high-end apartment came with two bedrooms, a living room, and a study, all decked out in a European style. Dominic had hired help; meals and cleaning were taken care of, so Emilia didn’t need to lift a finger. All she had to do was keep Dominic happy. That night, the air was chilly like still water. “Mmm, stop... please...” Emilia was on all fours, soaked in sweat, her eyes hazy from exhaustion. The intense activity had drained her completely, but the man behind her kept gripping her waist and didn’t slow down at all. Dominic had been drinking—he was tipsy. He ran his hand down her smooth back like silk. The young woman turned her head, trying to act cute, begging him to stop. But her face... there was something about it. In Dominic’s blurred vision, it overlapped with another, distant memory. That familiar tone, that bit of sass—it hit something soft in him. His throat moved as he murmured without thinking, “Isabella…” Isabella? Emilia froze, the last bit of warmth and thrill completely vanishing at the sound of that name. Her body went cold. Was Isabella the woman he really loved? After nearly twenty minutes, Dominic finally stopped. He pushed away and walked off to the bathroom naked; seemed like the shower helped him sober up a bit. “If you didn’t pull it out, take the pills. They’re in the drawer,” he said casually, then disappeared behind the bathroom door. Lying there, Emilia stared at the ceiling. His cold words echoed in her head. She clutched the blanket, knuckles pale, lips curved in a bitter smile. She was just the woman Dominic paid to keep around. For fun. That’s all. She shouldn’t dream beyond that, right? After that night, Dominic didn’t come back to the apartment again. But thanks to his arrangements, Emilia’s mom was moved into a VIP room and got the best treatment. When her mom’s brain surgery went well, Emilia was so happy she cried. “Your mom’s condition is stable now, just one more surgery to go,” Dr. Lee told her. “We’ll have nurses keeping a close eye on her. No more wandering off, I promise.” “Thank you,” Emilia said, deeply grateful. “Once she’s better, we’ll definitely take you out for dinner.” “No need,” Dr. Lee waved it off, then looked at her. “Are you seeing Mr. Hayes?” His question caught her off guard. She nodded. Unexpectedly, Dr. Lee’s whole mood changed—he stepped toward her, sounding a bit annoyed. “I know girls in your line have probably been with plenty of men. Why didn’t you consider me first? You think I’m worse than him?” “No, it’s not that…” Being so bluntly exposed made Emilia feel sick. She forced a response, “But you already have a family. I can’t do that to your wife.” Dr. Lee’s expression darkened, cutting her off. “My wife’s in Hong Kong. She has no idea what I do. And Emilia, I’ve been treating your mom like my own mother-in-law.” “Think about it—if it weren’t for me, would you even have gotten her into this hospital? Any other doctor would’ve kicked you two out. And this is how you repay me?” “Dr. Lee…” “Let’s make it simple,” he leaned in close to her ear, breath hot, his hand almost touching her, “come to my place next Saturday. One day with me and I’ll forget everything. I’ll even keep treating your mom like family.” Emilia stood there frozen, jaw clenched as his breath hit her face. “Let me think about it.” The moment she left the hospital, she called Dominic’s assistant. When she heard that Dominic was back and might return to the apartment tonight, she bit her lip—and headed straight to the mall.