Chapter 10

Dominic stepped out of the car and glanced up at the hotel at City A.

It was tall, polished, and quiet in a way that spoke of power. People walked in and out in expensive suits and dresses, but no one stopped. No one stared.

No cameras. No Paparazzis.

For the first time in a long time, he was just another rich man walking into a luxury hotel.

His assistant walked beside him. “Everything has been arranged, sir.”

Dominic said nothing as they stepped inside.

The receptionist looked up immediately and smiled. “Welcome, Mr. Ainsworth. We’ve been expecting you.”

Dominic only gave a small nod. His assistant stepped forward smoothly. “I assume everything is ready.”

“Of course,” she said quickly, though there was a brief hesitation before the smile returned fully.

They moved toward the elevator.

“Top investors are already here,” his assistant continued. “Cole Group naturally arrived at the hotel this morning.”

Dominic slowed slightly. “Cole?”

“Yes, sir. Lucian Cole is attending personally.”

Dominic’s jaw tightened.

Of course he would be here. That bastard never missed anything important.

The elevator doors opened and they stepped in. Neither of them spoke as it moved up.

When they reached the suite, Dominic walked in first.

The room was large, and clean. Floor to ceiling windows showed the city stretching out below.

He dropped his jacket on the chair and walked straight to the table where files had already been arranged.

“Leave them,” he said.

“Yes, sir.”

The assistant placed the last file down and stepped back. “I’ll return shortly with updates.”

Dominic gave a short noddef as his assistant left the room.

He opened the first file and scanned through it. Numbers. Declines. Projections that didn’t look good no matter how many times he went through them.

His phone rang.

He picked it up without checking. “Yes.”

“Dominic.”

His mother.

He exhaled slowly. “I’m in the middle of something.”

“Chelsea called me,” she said immediately. “She’s been crying. Why would you travel without informing your wife?”

Dominic’s expression turned cold. “She’s not my wife.”

There was a pause.

“And she never will be.”

“Dominic—”

“If you’re so concerned about how she feels, go be with her yourself.”

“Watch your tone—”

“I’m at an important event,” he cut in. “I don’t have time for this.”

His voice was flat, controlled, but final.

“If there’s anything urgent, call my assistant.”

“Dominic—”

He ended the call.

A few seconds later, there was a knock.

“Come in.”

His assistant stepped in carefully. “We’ve secured two meetings, but they’re… cautious.”

Dominic did not look up. “Cautious means no.”

“…Yes, sir.”

Dominic loosened his tie slightly and leaned back in his chair.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then he stood and walked to the window. His reflection stared back at him from the glass.

This trip was not optional, it was survival.

The next afternoon, the pre-event lounge was already filled. Soft music played in the background as groups of people stood in quiet conversations.

Dominic walked in with his assistant behind him.

A few heads turned.

He approached a small group of investors.

“Mr. Ainsworth,” one of them said politely. “God to see you here.”

Dominic gave a slight nod. “ President Colin.”

Colin was the CEO of one of the biggest entertainment companies in the Middle East.

The man smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. “We’ve heard a lot about your recent… situation.”

Dominic’s gaze sharpened. “Then you’ve heard gossip, not facts.”

Another man chuckled softly. “Mmmhmm. I see. What about the strange woman in that video? The one claiming ties to you.”

Dominic went still.

“It’s barely three years since your wife passed, if I remember correctly,” the man continued casually. “We are men, of course. We have needs. But if you’re not married to her, why is she making claims publicly?”

Dominic’s eyes darkened.

“Who do you think you are to—”

The man raised a hand with a laugh. “Relax. I’m only asking what everyone is thinking.”

Dominic stepped forward slightly. “Then everyone should learn to mind their business.”

The man smiled wider. “Or maybe investors should learn where they’re putting their money.”

Dominic’s control snapped just a little. “Watch your words.”

“Or what?”

Before Dominic could respond, his assistant stepped in quickly.

“Gentlemen, excuse us,” he said smoothly, placing a firm hand near Dominic’s arm.

“Sir, we have another meeting.”

Dominic stared at the man for one more second, then turned sharply and walked away.

His assistant followed closely behind.

“Sir,” he said quietly, “this isn’t worth it.”

Dominic huffed and adjusted his suit as they moved further into the hall.

As they passed another group, voices drifted toward them.

“Cole Group already secured two partnerships.”

“That man doesn’t lose.”

“If Lucian Cole backs something, it’s done.”

Dominic slowed.

“I heard he has a new CFO,” another voice said. “No one knows who they are.”

“For three years now,” someone added. “And still no identity.”

“Lucian trusts that person completely,” the first man said. “They’re basically running everything.”

“Maybe it’s family,” someone joked.

Dominic’s jaw tightened.

Why did he have to be here?

Lucian owned this city. The west. Everything.

Dominic looked away, irritation rising in his chest.

Before his thoughts could go further, his assistant spoke again.

“There’s something else, sir.”

Dominic glanced at him. “Say it.”

“I heard that Cole Group didn’t come alone. They brought that executive.”

Dominic nodded slightly. “ TheCFO?”

“Yes. They’ve been handling most of the negotiations.”

Dominic’s eyes narrowed just a little then slow smile formed on his lips.

“Good,” he said quietly.

His assistant looked at him, confused.

“If I can get that person on my side,” Dominic continued, “it destabilizes Lucian.”

“And brings attention back to us.”

The assistant hesitated. “That may not be easy, sir.”

Dominic’s smile didn’t fade. “Nothing worth doing is easy.”

Theh made their way out of the hall and back to the hotel to prepare for the gala that night.

Back in his suite later that evening, Dominic adjusted his cufflinks.

His phone rang.

He glanced at the screen and answered.

“Chelsea.”

“You didn’t tell me when you left,” she said immediately. “Now you didn’t even tell me you arrived.”

“I’m busy.”

“You’ve been distant lately.”

“Mm.”

There was a pause.

“I miss you,” she said softly.

Dominic’s expression didn’t change.

“I’ll call you later.”

“Dominic—”

He ended the call.

He stared at the phone for a second, then placed it down.

Her voice felt empty. Like something he had outgrown without realizing. He picked up his jacket and headed out.

Tonight was not the night to play games with Chelsea. This was the chance to prove himself. The chance to reclaim all that is rightfully his and maybe more and he was not about to mess it up.

This ball would determine everything and he was not ready to risk failing.

The gala was everything it was meant to be.

Elegant. Controlled. Powerful.

The hall was filled with people who mattered. Quiet conversations, calculated smiles, deals being formed without a single document in sight.

Dominic walked in.

This time, more heads turned.

Whispers followed.

“That’s Ainsworth.”

“He’s still showing up?”

“I thought he’d lay low.”

Dominic ignored all of it. At least they still knew to only talk in hush tones and not challenge him directly. That meant he still commanded some level of respect.

The chandeliers cast a soft glow across the hall as Dominic moved further inside, his expression calm, unreadable.

His assistant stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Sir, your itinerary for the evening.”

Dominic took the tablet from him without stopping.

“First, a brief conversation with President Colin again, more like a damage control conversation…it’s not best to make enemies at the gala.”

Dominic nodded once. So this is what it has come to? Him having conversations to make amends…

the assistant continued. “Then the Al-Mansoor group. After that, a private introduction to two new investors from Europe. We need to rebuild confidence especially with new faces.”

Dominic skimmed through it. “And the Cole Group?”

The assistant hesitated. “They’re not on our schedule.”

Dominic gave a faint, humorless smile. “Of course they aren’t.”

He handed the tablet back.

“We create our own opportunities,” he said.

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll be right back sir, let me get you a drink”

Dominic hummed at this.

Suddenly, there was a shift in the air and heads turning in the same direction.

The energy in the room changed, like something invisible had just taken control of it.

Dominic noticed immediately.

His steps slowed.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward the source of the disturbance.

A crowd had begun to gather near the far end of the hall. A few reporters who had been invited to the gala furiously took shots of whatever was causing the Rokus.

Dominic spoke quietly, almost to himself. “What’s happening there?”

Someone nearby answered quickly.

“Lucian Cole is here.”

A ripple of murmurs followed the statement.

Dominic’s jaw tightened.

Of course.

Who else could command a room like that?

He exhaled once, slow and measured, then started walking in that direction.

Not because he cared.

At least, that’s what he told himself.

He hated Lucian. Always had. The man had a way of existing above everyone else without even trying. It was irritating.

So what was so special about him tonight?

Dominic moved closer, weaving through the crowd. He didn’t push. Didn’t rush.

Just observed.

People leaned in slightly, drawn by something more than just Lucian’s presence.

“Who is that woman by his side?”

“I never knew President Cole had a woman, I’m sure we were all at some point beginning to believe the rumors about his sexuality”

Dominic Frowned. A woman? For him to have brought her to the private gala she must be important. He snickered inwardly. What was all this fuss for? Because he brought a woman? Who cares about that.

He made his way closer to where the group of people gathered but suddenly there erupted a small laugh that made him pause in his tracks.

The world around him seemed to fade for a second.

That laugh—

His fingers curled slightly at his side.

No….it couldn’t be.

Soft, low, and slightly breathy at the end, like it slipped out before she could stop it.

It wasn’t loud but it was….unmistakeable and he had heard it too many times to ever forget it.

His chest tightened.

It felt like his feet had been nailed to the ground.

He couldn’t move forward.

Couldn’t turn back.

The crowd shifted, their attention easing as the welcome died down.

They parted and Dominic finally saw.

The woman holding Lucian’s hand as they walked forward into the hall…

She was elegance made flesh. Soft, graceful, every step smooth and assured. There was a quiet strength in the way she carried herself, something refined yet untouchable. Her presence didn’t demand attention, it simply took it.

But what struck him was not any of that.

Not her elegance. Not her presence.

What made his stomach turn,

Was the face.

Because the woman standing there…

Looked exactly like Sephora.