Chapter 43 Just Trying to Seduce Me?

That afternoon, Dominic Hawthorne took me to a haute couture atelier. I chose a petite evening gown, and he personally paired it with a short, elegant cape. My makeup and hair were done there as well. When it was all complete, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I thought about the life ahead. Only darkness looked back at me. How pitiful. How absurd. That evening, I returned to Harlan Hawthorne's estate at Dominic's side, playing the role once again—the image of a devoted wife. At the banquet, Harlan pressed us over and over to give him a grandson soon. I smiled, nodding in polite agreement. But in my heart, I knew it would never happen. On the way back, as I stepped into the car, the tassel of my cape snagged on the clasp of Dominic's belt. Since my gown was low-cut, I'd kept the cape on all night. Now, with it caught, bending closer would have been unbearably awkward. I tried to free it quietly. "Almost there," I murmured. But the more I tugged, the tighter the knot grew. The fa