Chapter 118 One Hundred & Eighteen
The ballroom buzzed with laughter and polished conversations.
Crystal glasses clinked. Cameras flashed. Deals were being made in low voices behind perfect smiles.
Dominic stood beside his mother, nodding when spoken to, shaking hands automatically. His body was there.
His mind wasn’t.
Across the room, Izzy and her husband moved easily through the crowd. She smiled warmly at donors. He leaned close when people spoke to her, protective but relaxed. They looked… comfortable.
Like they belonged together.
Dominic’s throat felt dry.
“I need a drink,” he muttered.
Miranda shot him a warning look. “One.”
He didn’t answer. He was already walking toward the bar.
The bartender handed him a glass of whiskey. He downed half of it in one swallow. It burned going down, but it didn’t touch the ache in his chest.
He leaned slightly against the bar, watching.
Izzy laughed at something an older woman said. Her hand rested lightly on her husband’s arm. The gesture was simple. Natural.
Intimate.
Dominic hated how much that detail bothered him.
“Awwn Isabela and Steve look good together, they both look happy” someone beside him commented casually.
He didn’t respond.
Happy.
That word echoed louder than anything else tonight.
Six years ago, she had cried in his arms. She had fought him. Loved him. Challenged him.
And now she was smiling like none of it ever existed.
His grip tightened around his glass.
Her husband leaned down to whisper something in her ear. She smiled again, softer this time.
Dominic looked away sharply.
“Dominic.”
Miranda’s voice was calm, but edged. She appeared at his side again. “Mr. Laurent will be free in a few minutes. Pull yourself together.”
He gave a stiff nod.
“I am together.”
“You’re staring,” she said quietly. “Stop it.”
He forced his gaze elsewhere, scanning the room instead. Investors. Politicians. Socialites.
But no matter where he looked, he felt her presence.
Like gravity pulling him back.
From the corner of his eye, he saw her excuse herself from a group and step aside for a moment, checking something on her phone. Alone.
His pulse quickened before he could stop it.
Don’t, he told himself.
Don’t make a scene.
Don’t lose control.
Miranda lightly touched his arm. “There’s Mr. Laurent.”
A distinguished older man stood across the room, finishing a conversation.
Dominic straightened his shoulders automatically, mask sliding back into place.
Powerful. Calm. No emotions.
But even as he began walking toward the investor, his eyes betrayed him one last time.
They searched for her.
And found her.
Izzy looked up at that exact moment.
Their eyes locked across the crowded room again.
This time, her smile faded slightly.
And Dominic realized something dangerous in that second…
She wasn’t avoiding him.
She was watching him too.
Wanting him to notice her.. z
Miranda’s grip tightened slightly around Dominic’s arm as they approached.
“Smile,” she murmured under her breath.
Dominic’s expression shifted instantly …confident, unreadable.
“Mr. Laurent,” Miranda greeted smoothly, extending her hand.
The older man turned with a pleasant smile. “Ah, Mrs. Steele. Dominic. Good to see you.”
Dominic shook his hand firmly. “Thank you for inviting us .”
“Wouldn’t want you to miss it,” Mr. Laurent replied warmly. “Impressive turnout. Very impressive isn’t it?”
Miranda beamed politely. “Yes very impressive.
Dominic kept one ear on the conversation, but his senses felt split in two. Even while standing here, discussing numbers and expansion, he could feel Izzy somewhere behind him in the room like a silent current.
Mr. Laurent gestured lightly with his glass. “I’ve reviewed the proposal. Expansion into European markets is ambitious.”
“It’s calculated,” Dominic replied smoothly. “We’ve secured the logistics. We’re ready.”
Mr. Laurent studied him for a moment, then smiled slowly.
“I believe you are.”
Miranda’s eyes flickered with satisfaction.
“But,” Mr. Laurent continued casually, “I should clarify something before we go further.”
Dominic stilled slightly. “Of course.”
Mr. Laurent took a small sip of his drink. “I’m not actually the biggest investor in this deal.”
Miranda’s smile faltered just a fraction. “I beg your pardon?”
Mr. Laurent chuckled lightly. “I’m involved, yes. But the primary capital is coming from someone else. Someone who insisted on reviewing tonight’s interactions personally before making any final commitment.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened subtly. “And who would that be?”
“You’ll see,” Mr. Laurent said, clearly enjoying the suspense. “They’re finishing up a prior engagement. I’ll be introducing you in about fifteen minutes.”
Miranda straightened slightly. “We weren’t informed there was another decision-maker.”
“It was intentional,” Mr. Laurent replied smoothly. “They prefer discretion.”
Dominic felt something shift in his chest. Something instinctive.
Discretion.
Reviewing interactions.
For a brief second, his gaze flickered across the ballroom again.
Izzy was no longer standing with her husband.
She was speaking to a group near the center of the room.
He dragged his focus back to Mr. Laurent. “We look forward to the introduction.”
Mr. Laurent smiled knowingly. “Oh, I think you’ll find it… interesting.”
Miranda forced a polite laugh. “We always appreciate new opportunities.”
“Fifteen minutes,” Mr. Laurent repeated. “Enjoy the evening in the meantime.”
He excused himself, disappearing into the crowd.
Miranda turned sharply to Dominic once he was out of earshot. “Why wasn’t I informed about this?”
Dominic’s eyes were distant, scanning the room again.
“I don’t know,” he answered quietly.
But something in his gut was tightening.
Fifteen minutes.
Across the ballroom, Izzy laughed softly at something someone said.
Dominic could shake the strange, unsettling feeling…
That this reunion might not be an accident at all.
Dominic barely heard the music anymore.
Fifteen minutes.
It felt like fifteen hours.
Miranda was speaking beside him … something about projected returns and strategic partnerships … but his attention kept drifting. His instincts were on edge, a quiet tension settling under his skin.
Then he saw Mr. Laurent moving toward them again.
And he wasn’t alone.
Dominic’s breath caught.
Izzy walked beside him.
Graceful. Composed. Effortless.
Her husband was nowhere in sight now. She walked alone, heels clicking softly against the marble floor, posture straight, expression calm.
Miranda stopped mid-sentence.
Mr. Laurent beamed as he approached. “Ah, there she is.”
Dominic felt his pulse in his throat.
Mr. Laurent stepped aside slightly and extended his arm toward her with clear respect.
“The real powerhouse behind this investment,” he said cheerfully. “The largest stakeholder in this expansion.”
He turned fully toward Dominic and Miranda.
“Allow me to formally introduce Mrs. Isabella Valenti.”
Silence.
For a split second, the ballroom noise faded into nothing.
Miranda’s face drained of color again. “Excuse me?”
Dominic didn’t speak.
He couldn’t.
Izzy met his eyes first.
This time, there was no unreadable mask.
There was hate… anger..
“Good evening,” she said smoothly, extending her hand toward Miranda first. Professional. Polite. “We meet again Miranda Steele.”