Chapter 28 – Fire in the Air

Mannie’s POV

I knew coming to Zarah’s house for the party was a bad idea.

Everything about the place made my skin crawl. The big gold pillars. The fake white roses covering the walls.

The loud, rich music that felt like it was trying too hard to impress. Even the cake was taller than me.

I stood by the drink table, holding a plastic cup filled with orange juice, my eyes scanning the crowd. Most of them were strangers dressed in flashy clothes that I probably could never afford.

Some were taking selfies or showing off jewelry or laughing too loud.

Then my eyes landed on him.

My heart stopped.

Dominic.

He had just walked in. His black coat still on, eyes sharp like they were scanning the room for a target. His face looked the same as always—cold, serious and unreadable.

I froze.

What was he doing here?

This wasn’t his kind of party.

From the little I knew of him. He was someone who hates noise and drama. Those things could tick him off in so many unexpected ways. So why was he here?

I ducked behind one of the tall flower vases and pulled out my phone with shaking fingers.

“Mom, please take the kids to the car, now! I’ll meet you outside.”

A few seconds later, she replied.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Please, just do it.”

I peeped again. He was walking deeper into the room now. People turned to stare at him and whispers followed him like a shadow.

He didn’t notice me yet.

I pressed my back to the wall and swallowed hard.

This couldn’t be happening.

After the day I found out he was the father of my kids, I’d done everything to stay far away from him. I avoided his floor at work. I didn’t even let the kids watch the news, just in case they saw his face, again.

I was scared.

Scared that he would recognize the kids. Scared that he would find out the truth.

What if he took them away from me?

What if he used his money and power to say I wasn’t fit to be their mother?

I couldn’t lose them.

They were my whole world.

Every breath I took was for them.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward, just as he turned his head—and saw me.

His eyes locked with mine.

He didn’t blink.

I didn’t either.

He walked toward me slowly, like a hunter who had just spotted something strange.

I stood straight, hiding the fear that had crept into my bones.

When he reached me, he stopped just a few inches away.

“You’re here,” he said flatly.

“Looks like you are too,” I replied, keeping my voice calm.

His eyes moved over my face. “This party doesn’t suit you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Neither does your face.”

He chuckled lightly, but it didn’t sound real. “Still full of fire, I see.”

“I don’t waste it on people who don’t deserve it.”

He stared at me for a long moment.

Then he said, “You didn’t invite me.”

“Why would I?”

“I thought it was your celebration.”

“It’s not. It’s Zarah’s party. You’re in the wrong house.”

His eyes narrowed just slightly. “You’re saying that like you want me to leave.”

“I do.”

He folded his arms. “Why? You hiding something?”

“No,” I said quickly. “Just don’t want unnecessary trouble.”

“Trouble,” he repeated. “That’s what I am now?”

I looked away, heart racing. “You’ve always been.”

His voice dropped low as he commented casually, his gaze scanning the crowd. “You are quite uptight.”

I looked him in the eye. “Because life made me.”

A heavy silence fell between us.

He leaned closer. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

“What question?” I asked, pretending not to know.

But I knew.

I felt it in my gut.

“The hotel,” he said slowly. “That night… Did we—did we have a one-night stand?”

My throat dried up.

The words stuck in my mouth.

Panic rose in my chest.

I couldn’t answer.

Not without risking everything.

If I slipped up—even a little—he’d start connecting the dots. He’d start looking at the kids, their faces, their eyes...

So I dodged.

I folded my arms and gave him a cold look.

“Is that why you’re here?” I said sharply, my voice rising. “To find another girl you can play your hotel trick with, just like you did to me?”

His face changed.

For a second, he looked like I’d slapped him.

“Mannie, I will keep asking you this question because once I do my investigations, you wouldn’t like the result. Also Mannie—”

“Don’t,” I cut in. “Don’t you dare say my name like it means something to you.”

“I’m not trying to fight you,” he said, stepping forward.

“Well, you’re doing a bad job of that,” I snapped, stepping back again. “Don’t come closer.”

But he didn’t stop.

He kept coming.

One step at a time.

And the more I backed away, the more he seemed determined to close the space between us.

“Stay where you are,” I warned, eyes darting around. “I don’t want this scene.”

“Mannie, what exactly are you afraid of—”

That was when I hit something.

“Ah!”

It was the waiter.

I’d backed into him.

His tray flew out of his hands. The glasses of juice tipped and tumbled.

Splash!

Cold orange liquid poured all over my dress.

The gasps around us echoed like fireworks.

My mouth dropped open as I stared down at the soaked fabric.

My only decent dress.

Now dripping.

Sticky.

Ruined.

“Are you serious right now?!” I yelled, spinning toward Dominic. “This is your fault!”

He blinked. “What?”

“You kept walking toward me when I told you not to! I was backing away!”

“I didn’t mean for—”

My anger exploded. “You never mean for anything, do you? You just do what you want and leave others to clean it up!”

More people were watching now.

But I didn’t care.

I felt embarrassed.

Wet.

Angry.

And worst of all—seen.

Dominic opened his mouth like he wanted to argue.

Then his phone rang.

He looked at the screen, frowned, then answered.

Just like that.

While I stood there dripping in front of everyone, he picked up a call.

Didn’t even apologize.

Didn’t even check if I was okay.

I clenched my fists and turned away.

My phone buzzed.

A message from Mom.

“We’re outside. Waiting for you.”

I almost cried in relief.

And with that, I turned and walked away before he could say another word.

I walked fast, past the music, past the crowd, out the door.

Outside, the air felt lighter. I saw the car we had come with and my mother was standing by it with the kids were already inside.

She waved. “We’re all ready.”

I nodded. “Just give me a second. Lily forgot her book. I’ll check inside.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll wait.”

I ran back inside, trying not to think about Dominic.

I headed straight for the room we’d used earlier and found Lily’s storybook sitting on the chair.

I grabbed it and turned to leave.

At that same moment, outside, my mom and Tera had stepped out of the car.

Tera saw Dominic and gasped.

“Grandma! Look! He looks like Nate!”

My mother chuckled. “He does, doesn’t he?”

But then she looked closer.

Her smile slowly faded.

She stared at him. Her hand dropped to Tera’s shoulder.

And she whispered, “That’s him, isn’t it? That’s Zarah’s rich boyfriend?”

Tera nodded. “He’s handsome.”

But Dominic didn’t see them.

He was on call.

My mother stared at him too.

And I knew what she was thinking.

Zarah had money.

Mannie had eight kids.

One sister had everything.

The other one had nothing but love.

She sighed and pulled Tera close. “Let’s go wait for your mom.”

Back inside, I came out of the hallway just as my phone rang again.

It was a work number. I answered it quickly.

“Yes?”

Dominic passed by me then. Our shoulders almost touched.

But he didn’t look at me.

He was already answering a call of his own.

His voice low and serious.

I didn’t wait to see his face again.

I walked out the door, holding the book tight.

I wasn’t sure what just happened between us but I really hoped if the truth about the kids ever come to light, that he’d still allow me to be with the kids. The stories I have heard about the rich weren’t helping and neither was Dominic’s attitude.