Chapter 2

“Hey hey, maybe Mr. Hayes is just exhausted.” Someone quickly cut in to ease the tension, chuckling, “Honestly, these girls all look great. Come on, let them in!” Ms. Carter followed the moment and hurried down the steps, calling the girls over to greet the guests. Dominic already said he didn’t want anyone hovering around him. The girls, not wanting to tick off a big spender, held back—no one wanted to risk messing up a good tip. Emilia glanced at Dominic, hesitating. The others weren’t making a move. If she went alone, would it seem weird? But the thought of the hefty amount of cash she desperately needed—money that could be snagged from a guy like that—made her clench her fists and step forward. Just before she made it to the couch, a man nearby snagged her wrist, clearly wanting her to stay and drink with him. Emilia threw a quick sideways glance at Dominic but still forced a polite smile as she leaned into the guy wearing glasses. With a pretty girl now part of the mix, the room suddenly felt more alive than before. Some guests even started playing drinking games with the girls, getting giggles out of them. Only Dominic sat off to the side silently sipping his drink, like he didn't belong in this scene at all. When Emilia handed over a drink, the glasses guy grabbed her hand and downed it, then tried to feed her a sip in return. She smoothly dodged it, but he snapped instantly. “What, you trying to be all pure now? Please.” Then he gave her a hard shove. Emilia lost her footing and landed on the floor, the drink spilling straight onto a ridiculously expensive leather shoe. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly, grabbing a napkin to wipe at the soaked shoe. As she looked up, her eyes accidentally locked with Dominic’. Just one look was enough to make her heart stop cold. She lowered her gaze immediately and continued cleaning. But then long fingers gently but firmly lifted her chin. Dominic’s gaze was glued to her face, the surprise in his eyes obvious for a second—but only for a second. It vanished fast, replaced by his usual detached coldness. Only this time, his grip on her chin tightened.