Chapter 395
The bodyguards immediately alerted Dominic when they spotted Evelyn descending the stairs.
Dominic rose from the leather couch, his piercing gaze locking onto the staircase.
Evelyn was drowning in his oversized robe - the hem dragging along the marble steps, the sleeves swallowing her delicate hands.
She looked like a lost child wrapped in an adult's clothing, the contrast almost comical.
His brows knitted together. She was supposed to be resting with an IV drip. What was she doing out of bed?
"Dominic! Keeping secrets now?" One of his friends chuckled, spotting Evelyn's approach.
"Come on, he's a grown man! It'd be strange if he didn't have company!" Another teased.
"Is she from one of the noble families? Or just some temporary entertainment?"
Dominic ignored their questions, his focus entirely on Evelyn's determined stride toward them.
This woman who'd been begging for death now willingly facing his inner circle? What game was she playing?
He intercepted her path, storm clouds gathering in his dark eyes. "Did you remove the IV again?"
Her small hands pressed lightly against his chest. "You're hosting guests. Can't I join?"
Join? Fine. If she wanted to play, he'd let her.
Stepping aside, he watched as Evelyn's gaze landed on the outdoor grill.
Her face drained of color. Her knees buckled. A violent shudder wracked her body as she stumbled backward.
Their dinner tonight was the very python that had terrorized her into colliding with a wall.
She could still feel its hot breath, see its gaping maw. Now it lay cleaned and skewered over glowing coals.
Noticing her distress, Dominic seized her wrist and dragged her to the sofa.
"Since you're here, you might as well try some," he murmured, his voice deceptively smooth.
Evelyn's pulse hammered against her ribs. Why had he killed it? She didn't dare dwell on the implications.
Like a marionette, she allowed him to deposit her onto the cushions.
"Isn't that Evelyn Thorne of Thornfield Industries?" Recognition sparked among the guests.
"Ah, I've heard rumors about her."
"You two are full of surprises! Keeping this under wraps?"
"Honestly, I only noticed her company because people mentioned its beautiful young CEO."
Evelyn lowered her lashes and reached for a wine glass.
Dominic intercepted her hand. She'd been receiving fever-reducing IV medication. Alcohol would counteract it.
He replaced the wine with water, signaling a bodyguard without breaking eye contact.
"Mind your own drinks," Evelyn muttered, slipping from his side to the opposite sofa.
Dominic's jaw tightened as she settled beside a complete stranger. She'd rather sit with unfamiliar men than near him?
"Don't worry, Dominic! I'll be gentle with your little rose!" The man beside Evelyn laughed.
Dominic's expression darkened as he downed his drink in one swallow.
An hour later, the python was served. The feast began.
Dominic excused himself to the restroom.
Evelyn watched him leave before taking a sip of water.
When Dominic returned, his gaze immediately found the empty space where Evelyn had been.
"She went to freshen up," a friend explained, refilling Dominic's glass. "Drink up!"
At two AM, slightly unsteady, Dominic ascended the stairs with a bodyguard's assistance.
He pushed open Evelyn's bedroom door.
The room was empty. The bed untouched.
Where the hell had Evelyn gone?