Chapter 5

Madison paled, quickly ducking under the table to retrieve her fallen spoon. Vincent stepped in to smooth over the tension. "Come on, Albion. She's not pregnant—she's been sick." She returned to her seat, looking visibly relieved. I added casually, "Actually, we're preparing for a baby. We've been doing IVF." Vincent hadn't expected me to be so blunt. He always treated my infertility like a private humiliation, something shameful that shouldn't be spoken of. Everyone at the table fell silent, their expressions shifting—some to awkwardness, others to curiosity. After all, with IVF, one of the partners must be infertile. Only Madison kept her head down, eating quietly. The shrimp platter rotated in front of me. I hadn't touched it yet, but Vincent was already peeling one for me. He knew I only ate shrimp when it came to seafood—he had been doing this for ten years. "Here," he offered gently. Instead of offering the shrimp to me, he turned and fed it to Madison, who was sitting right next to him. She accepted it with a satisfied smile. Vincent must have felt my stare because a second later, realization dawned across his face. He scolded her with a forced frown. "Seriously? What are you, helpless? Scared of shrimp but still eating it? I'm not your maid." "Mr. Dolton, I'm sorry. I won't do it next time," she said sweetly. He brushed it off like a joke, which caused everyone to laugh. She chewed like it was the best bite she had had all night—smug, satisfied, glowing. Then, without a pause, Vincent peeled another shrimp. He used the same fork—the one Madison had just used—and offered the shrimp to me. I pulled back. "No, thanks." My tone was cold. I didn't hide my disgust. Only then did he realize what he had done. His face flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry, Ali. I didn't think…" he said as he quickly switched to a new fork. For the rest of the dinner, he acted like the perfect husband. He peeled shrimp just for me, cooled my soup, and selected my favorite dishes, placing them in front of me. He didn't miss a single detail. … Toward the end of the dinner, he had a bouquet delivered to our table, trying hard to please me. Madison's earlier excitement and smugness had long vanished. Now, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears and silent frustration. Someone beside her asked gently, "Madison, are you okay? Are you crying?" She wiped her eyes and shook her head. "I'm fine. My boyfriend's just being mean to me tonight." Vincent didn't even flinch. … On the drive home, I sat in the passenger seat quietly. Vincent was still rambling on, trying to justify everything he had done that day. All I could picture was Madison, shamelessly naked on this exact seat, just like in the car footage. I looked down. Of course, there it was. A faint, sticky white stain on the edge of the leather. Vincent noticed it too and immediately barked, "That was Albion. He spilled a milkshake or something. I'm gonna make him pay for the cleaning." He put on a show of outrage, but before I could respond, his phone started ringing. The call picked up automatically through the car's Bluetooth, and a woman's sobs came through the speakers the moment it connected. Vincent immediately switched it to his phone. "Okay, I get it." The car came to a sudden halt. "Ali, there's something urgent at the office. I need to head back for a bit. You should take a cab home. I won't be long." I nodded without a word. He leaned over to kiss my forehead, helped me out, and even waited with me until I got into the car. He stood there and watched me leave, like a man who had nothing to hide. … Once we turned the corner and he was no longer in view, I spoke. "Sir, follow that car. Keep some distance." The driver gave me a knowing glance through the mirror and smoothly kept pace. Vincent's car stopped right in front of the same hotel where we had had dinner earlier. He jumped out and immediately swung his fist at a male colleague who had his hand wrapped around Madison's arm. The man crumpled to the ground, a dark bruise already forming on his face. "Touch her again, and I swear I'll break your damn hand!" Madison stood frozen nearby, her eyes full of tears. The murmurs from coworkers nearby weren't exactly quiet, and I could hear every word. "Winton was being handsy and kept trying to get Madison's number. Pushed a couple of drinks on her at dinner, too. Guess Mr. Dolton finally snapped." So, Vincent had come back not because of work, but to defend her. The new guy looked stunned as he stumbled over his words, apologizing again and again. He hurried off while the rest of the staff slowly dispersed, clearly wanting no part of the scene. Everyone at the company knew about their relationship. I was the only one left in the dark—the fool in the room. Once everyone left, the two of them stayed behind on the sidewalk, kissing like no one was watching. Madison looked up at him with teary eyes. "He almost hurt me. If you'd come a minute later…" "It's okay. I'm here now," Vincent whispered. And in that moment, something inside me shattered. The weight in my stomach suddenly became unbearable, and my knees buckled beneath me. A warm rush rose in my throat—I collapsed, coughing up blood. He was right there, just steps away, but he didn't even turn around to look at me.