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Chapter 63
RAINA
Walking through the front door, Tbarely had time to drop my purse before Dominic’s voice rang out.
“Back so soon?” he asked, his tone carrying more curiosity than judgment.
Behind me, Nathan followed, his bruised face immediately catching the attention of everyone in the living room. Grandma gasped, her hands flying to her chest as she stared at him in shock
Dominic’s tone was sharp and unyielding as his gaze moved from Nathan to me and back again. “What the hell happened?” he demanded, his brows furrowing deeply. His suspicion practically radiated off him, making the room feel tenser than it already was.
“Alex happened,” I said curtly, brushing past him without missing a beat. My hand rested lightly on Nathan’s arm as I guided him toward the couch in the living room.
Dominic stepped into our path, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms like an overprotective watchdog. “And who’s this guy?” he asked, his words laced with obvious mistrust.
I let out an exasperated sigh and turned to face him, gesturing toward Nathan with a quick flick of my hand. “He’s a friend,” I said pointedly, emphasizing the word in a way that I hoped would disarm Dominic’s overprotective streak
Dominic didn’t move. If anything, his stance became even more rigid, his eyes narrowing further as if sizing Nathen up. “A friend?” he repeated skeptically, clearly nor buying it.
“Yes, a friend,” I snapped, my patience thinning, “I left the restaurant because Alex wouldn’t stop bringing up the past–exactly what I told him not to do. I needed to cool off, and then I bumped into Nathan. And because Alexis Alex, he decided to jump him for no TMSOIL”
Dominic’s frown deepened, and he shifted his gaze back to Nathan, his tone colder now. “And you just happened to run into him?”
Nathan, who had been silent up to this point, cleared his throat and offered a small, strained smile, “I was having dinner with some colleagues nearby,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “Raina looked upset, so I offered to help. Alex, uh, didn’t seem to appreciate that”
Dominic’s glare didn’t soften, but he stepped aside begrudgingly, letting us pass. “You’re bleeding.” he muttered, his tone still suspicious.
Nathan gave a slight nod. “It’s just a scratch,” he said dismissively.
I shot Dominic a warning look before leading Nathan to the couch, where Adelaide, our housekeeper, was already waiting with the first aid kit. Her
ssion mirrored Dominic’s worry, though hers came without the edge of hostility.
“Sir,” I instructed Nathan firmly as I knelt beside the coffee table.
Adelaide opened the first aid it with practiced efficiency, pulling out antiseptic and bandages. “This looks nasty,” she murmured, frowning at the cut on Nathan’s chork
“It’s fine,” Nathan said, but the wince he tried to suppress told me otherwise
“Let me see,” I said, reaching for his chin. He hesitated for a moment before leaning slightly forward, letting me get a better look at the injury.
“This might sting,” I warned before dabbing at the cut with antiseptic
Nathan barely flinched, his gaze steady on mine as I worked. “Thanks,” he said quietly.
I didn’t respond, focusing instead on cleaning the wound. My movements were brisk but careful, the tension in the room palpable.
Dominic hovered nearby, his arms crossed as he watched us with an unreadable expression (could feel his eyes on me, his disapproval practically radiating across the room
When Adelaide handed me a bandage, I gently applied it to Nathan’s cheek, smoothing it down with a light touch. “There,” I said, leaning back and exhaling a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding
“Thank you,” Nathan sald again, his tone sincere,
I nodded, rising to my feet. “I’ll go wash up,” I muttered, needing a moment to collect myself.
As I left the room, I heard Dominic’s voice, low and serious. “We’re not done here,” he said, presumably to Nathan.
I washed my hands quickly, my thoughts racing. When I returned to the living room, the tension seemed to have eased slightly. To my surprise, Dominic was no longer glaring at Nathan. Instead, he extended a hand toward him, a small, grudging smile tugging at the corner of his lips,
Nathan stood and shook his hand firmly, the exchange so cordial it almost felt surreal and I caught the tall end of their conversation.
“See you soon,” Dominic said, his tone unusually wann
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“Looking forward to it,” Nathan replied with a polite nod.
“What’s going on here?” I asked, my curiosity piqued as I stepped closer
Dominic tumed to me, his smile still in place. “Turns out Nathan here is the director of Everline Solutions, one of our partner companies. We’re probably going to be working together a lot more.
Before I could respond, Grandpa entered the room, clearly having overheard the exchange
“Well, that settles it,” Grandpa said with a grin. “Raina, you need to go on a date with this man. It’s good for business.”
“Grandpa!” I exclaimed, my cheeks instantly burning with embarrassment.
Before I could protest further, Nathan spoke up, his tone light but sincere. “I’d be delighted to, but only if Raina agrees.
His eyes met mine, and for a moment, the room felt too small, everyone’s
yone’s eyes on me. I cleared my throat, looking away to break the tension.
“III… think about it,” I said finally, feeling the beat rise in my checks again.
