Chapter 78

Evelyn was absolutely sure they hadn't purchased this necklace earlier that day.

Yet here it was, gleaming on her dresser as if by magic.

Stepping into the hallway, she collided with Dominic descending the staircase.

Swallowing her unease, she gestured toward her room. "Care to explain the sudden appearance of jewelry?"

Though he appeared uninvolved, every fiber of her being screamed this was his doing.

Lucas must have told him everything.

Dominic's jaw tightened visibly. "Lucas acquired it."

A weighted pause. "When I saw the price tag, it was practically being given away. No serious buyer would touch it, so..."

His voice trailed off meaningfully.

Evelyn's mind raced through polite refusal strategies until his next words derailed her completely.

He'd brought it home precisely because it was worthless to others.

Perfect.

If that's how he wanted to play it, she'd keep the damn thing without guilt.

"Join me for dinner," Dominic commanded.

Her mouth opened to decline, but her traitorous feet carried her toward the dining room anyway.

Perhaps accepting gifts came with unspoken obligations.

The crystal chandelier cast prismatic patterns across the linen tablecloth as they settled in.

Mrs. Wilkins served roasted duck with black truffle before discreetly vanishing.

Evelyn pushed brussels sprouts across her plate with surgical precision.

Dominic never initiated meals without purpose. What game was he playing now?

And those extravagant gifts - he must have authorized every purchase personally.

Her fork hovered midair, meat forgotten as possibilities swarmed her mind.

"Problem with your food?" Dominic's voice sliced through her reverie. "Or has Tristan Chamberlain been in contact?"

She forced a bite. "How well do you actually know him?"

"University days." His fingers drummed the tablecloth. Then, completely deadpan: "Would you like to see his dating history?"

Evelyn's wine went down the wrong pipe.

Coughing violently, she reached for water as Dominic produced a manila folder with magician's flair.

Her eyes darted between the file and his impassive face.

This behavior bordered on pathological.

Her dealings with Tristan were strictly professional. Why this sudden interest in his romantic past?

And to physically print dossiers like some jealous...

Dominic misinterpreted her stunned silence. "You're aware he's courting you?"

Her silverware clattered against china. "He knows I'm married. To you."

"Divorces happen. Affairs occur." His gaze turned forensic. "Your shock confirms you hadn't noticed."

"I see." She flipped through pages glossy with model headshots. "Good lord, they're all walking Victoria's Secret ads. Look at these measurements! And those pillowy lips made for..." She caught his darkening expression. "This is precisely what thrills men like you, isn't it?"

Dominic's knife screeched against porcelain.

He'd intended this as a warning about Tristan's true motives, not some bizarre beauty pageant critique.

"If I'm so clearly not his type," Evelyn tapped a manicured nail against a bikini photo, "why the sudden interest?" The answer struck like lightning. "Ah. Sisterly vengeance?"

"Occasionally, you exceed my expectations," Dominic drawled.

She rolled her eyes. "Won't this damage your precious network? You'd declare war over a misplaced paperclip."

"We ceased being associates years ago." His voice carried winter's bite.

"Noted." She resumed eating with forced nonchalance. "So what exactly do you require from me?"

He needed verbal confirmation.

"The board meeting today," she said between bites. "Every executive voted to proceed with Veritas Capital."