Chapter 129

THIRD PERSON’S POV The hall had quieted without anyone realizing it. The laughter softened, the clinking of glasses became sparse, and the music that once buzzed in the background seemed to take center stage again—slow, steady, and heartbreakingly sensual. Dominic didn’t ask this time. He moved toward Olivia with the determination of a man who had lost her once and refused to let it happen again. The mask of restraint had dropped. Disapproving eyes followed him—some shocked by the audacity, others merely curious—but he didn’t care. Not anymore. He stopped in front of her, his hand extended. “Dance with me,” he said, voice low but firm. Olivia hesitated. Her heart thudded. She could hear it louder than the violins, louder than the murmurs around them. She shook her head subtly, stepping slightly behind Derek. “She’s already with someone,” Derek said calmly, but there was a note of warning there but he was only pulling the right strings to make him see the reality. Dominic didn’t look at