Chapter 3 3

The VIP room was bathed in a sordid red glow. Empty bottles of Cristal littered the low glass table, sparkling like diamonds in the gloom.

Evelin was sitting on Hank's lap. Her dress was hiked up her thighs. Her hand was tangled in his hair.

Hank was leaning back, shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest, feeding her a chocolate-covered strawberry.

For a heartbeat, nobody moved. It was a tableau of betrayal, frozen in time.

Then, chaos.

Evelin scrambled off Hank's lap, smoothing her dress down with frantic, jerky movements. Annoyance, not shame, flooded her features.

Hank sat up, wiping a smear of chocolate from his lip. He didn't look scared. He looked interrupted.

Chloe Price and two other socialites in the corner gasped, hands flying to their mouths to hide their giggles. They were enjoying this. To them, this wasn't a tragedy; it was content.

Dominic stood in the doorway, breathing hard. His chest heaved. His suit was slightly disheveled from the kick.

Evelin spoke first. Her voice was ice cold, cutting through the tension. "What are you doing here, Dominic? You're embarrassing me."

Dominic blinked. The words didn't make sense. "Embarrassing you?" He stepped into the room, glass crunching under his shoe. "You're cheating on me. On our anniversary."

Hank stood up now. He held his hands up in a mock surrender gesture, a smirk playing on his lips. "Whoa, Dom. Calm down. We were just playing a game."

"A game?" Dominic repeated.

Chloe chimed in from the corner, her voice shrill. "Truth or Dare, Dominic. Don't be such a prude. Everyone plays it."

The room erupted in forced, nervous laughter. They were closing ranks. They were gaslighting him, collectively, right to his face.

Dominic looked at Evelin, waiting. Waiting for her to deny it. Waiting for her to say it was a misunderstanding.

Evelin picked up her champagne flute and took a sip. She didn't look at him. "Hank is a family friend, Dominic. You know that. You're being hysterical."

"A friend?" Dominic's voice rose. "You lied to me. You said you were in a board meeting."

Hank stepped between Dominic and Evelin, puffing out his chest. "She needed to blow off steam, Dom. You're suffocating her, man. Always waiting at home like a puppy. It's pathetic."

Dominic glared at Hank. The man he had built a company with. The man he had trusted. "Get out of my way, Hank."

Hank leaned in close. He lowered his voice so only Dominic could hear, the smell of expensive scotch on his breath. "Or what? You're a trophy husband, Dom. You own nothing. You are nothing."

Dominic clenched his fists at his sides. His fingernails dug into his palms, breaking the skin. "I own my dignity."

Chloe whispered loudly to her friend, "Does dignity pay for that suit? I don't think so."

Evelin sighed, a sound of pure boredom. She checked her reflection in the darkened window, fixing a stray hair. "Go home, Dominic. We'll talk when you're rational."

"I am rational," Dominic said, his voice dropping to a dangerous calm. "I'm seeing clearly for the first time in years."

He pointed a shaking finger at Hank. "He's been stealing from the firm, hasn't he? That's why you two are so close. You're covering for him."

The room went silent. The air pressure dropped.

Hank's smirk faltered for a microsecond. His eyes flicked to Evelin.

Evelin stood up abruptly, stepping in front of Hank, shielding him. "How dare you," she hissed. "How dare you accuse him of that."

Dominic looked at his wife defending her lover. The betrayal deepened, drilling down into the marrow of his bones. She wasn't just sleeping with him; she was conspiring with him.

"Leave," Evelin commanded, pointing a manicured finger at the door. "Leave now. Before I have Miller drag you out."

Dominic looked back at the hallway. Miller was hovering there, looking away, ashamed.

Dominic realized he was alone. Completely and utterly alone in a room full of enemies.

He laughed. It was a dry, broken sound that hurt his throat. "You're protecting him."

Hank regained his composure. He placed a hand on Evelin's waist, pulling her back against him. A possessive, claiming gesture. "She's protecting you from making a scene, Dom. Now be a good boy and run along."