Chapter 125
Dominic
My hands start shaking just by reading the headline and my heart pounds hard in my ears.
"RECENTLY MARRIED BILLIONAIRE LOVES HIS LONG-TERM GIRLFRIEND AND NOT HIS WIFE AS HE PORTRAYS IT IN PUBLIC!"
I quickly scroll down to read the article and it explains in great detail how the billionaire is married but puts on a show that he loves his wife, yet he's been sleeping with his girlfriend for a long time and his wife knows about it.
As I get to the last paragraph, I can already feel the beads of sweat on my forehead, waiting for the moment that the names will be revealed, but the article comes to an end without the names ever being mentioned. There's only a tease to stay tuned for more information.
Even though I sigh with relief as I rest the back of my head against the wall, it infuriates me that this made it to the gossip site. It's obviously about me as it fits the description and my first thought is to call Shane but right before I can dial his number, Frank calls me back.
"Have you seen it now?" he asks.
"Fuck!"
"That's exactly what I said when I read it."
"Why the fuck would Shane do this when I paid him again?"
"Maybe it's his way of getting back at you for the way you've been treating him."
Without a second thought, I hang up on Frank and dial Shane's number. He doesn't pick up the first few times and that only angers me even more as I slam the wall.
Finally, he picks up, the sound of his voice already annoying me.
"What's up? Feel like giving me more money?" he asks.
"Shut the fuck up and listen to me. You and I had a deal!"
"Of course we did, even though you've been an asshole to me, we still have a deal."
"Then why the fuck did you give out information?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me."
"Dude, I don't know what you're talking about. I would only do that if I stopped benefiting from this. Wait, you mean to tell me that someone beat me to it?"
He snickers and that only angers me even more.
I'm so close to slamming my phone against the wall before I even end the call with him. What stops me is the sound of my bedroom door creaking open as Vanessa steps out. "Hey, is everything alright?" she asks.
I sigh, ending the call with Shane. "It's nothing."
"That didn't sound like it was nothing. I could hear you yelling from inside. What happened?"
"My relationship with you and Carmella has been posted without revealing our identities."
I clench my jaw, instantly figuring out who did it and I storm down the hallway, closing the door behind me so I can be alone in another room.
Locking the door, I unblock Carmella, call her and pace around as I wait for her to pick up.
"Hey, babe!" she says.
"How dare you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I just read the article."
"Oh, that...it's no big deal. That was just my congratulatory gift to you. I know that bitch is pregnant."
"Who told you that?"
"That doesn't matter. I guess this caught your attention, huh? Maybe I should do it more often. How about every week, I give them something to talk about? You know I have so much juicy stuff." "Don't you dare."
"Why should I care when you don't care about me anymore? I even know about the apartment."
"Did you think I was kidding when I told you it was no longer yours?"
She scoffs. "You can't do everything you've done to me and expect me to sit back and do nothing in return."
I ball my hand into a fist, pointing at the wall like she can see me. "This is exactly why you're dead to me."
"You don't mean that, babe."
Irritated, I hang up on her and wipe the sweat off my forehead with the back of my wrist.
Part of me has the urge to call her back and ask what she wants out of this, but another part of me doesn't want to do it now that I can't stand her.
As I contemplate my next move, Vanessa knocks on the door.
"Dominic?" Her voice is gentle.
I take a deep breath, then open the door for her.
"Was that too loud?" I ask.
"It was."
I sigh. "Carmella's doing this on purpose. She knows you're pregnant."
"What?" Her eyes widen. "How did she find out?"
"I don't know."
"What are you going to do now?"
"I don't know."
Frustrated, I walk past her and all the way to the elevator, trying to figure out what to do next. I don't even feel like calling Frank or talking to anyone.
I won't let Carmella ruin this for me, not when everything is finally in its place.
I sit in the study alone for two hours, still unable to come to a decision of what to do about her.
Then, a knock on the door grabs my attention and Vanessa steps in, making me sigh just so I can relax.
"Hey, dinner's ready," she says, closing the door.
"I'll be there soon." I don't even look at her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She stops right on the other side of the desk.
"No."
"Then I'll give you some more time alone.
She turns around to leave and I actually feel like reaching out to her, so I speak before she gets to the door.
"I can't have this go wrong now," I say to her.
She stops in her tracks and turns around to look at me with a half smile. "I know and that's all I wanted to hear, now come downstairs for dinner."
I'm so glad that I don't have to
explain anything more to her as she understands the rest. Her efforts to get me to talk about this also carry so much weight since she's still dealing with my father-in-law's current state of health.
Putting my thoughts aside about Carmella, I head downstairs a few minutes later so we can have dinner together but during the meal, I'm so slow as I still can't stop thinking about the article.
"An hour ago, I was talking to my dad," she says, grabbing my attention from across the table.
"Is everything okay with him?"
"Yes, everything's fine. He came up with some name suggestions of his own. If it's a girl, Patricia and if it's a boy, Julian."
I instantly scoff. "No."Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
"That's exactly what I said to him."
"You did?" I raise my eyebrows, pleasantly surprised that we agree on this.
"Yes. I told him there was no way those names would work. I actually have a few more."
"Let's hear them." I lean back.
As she gives me her name
suggestions, end up disagreeing with them all, just as she disagrees with mine and finishing up our meals takes longer than it should. Even with that, it's all worth it as it
takes my mind off of Carmella's bitterness and calms me down even
more.
After dinner, I head up first to the bedroom so I can freshen up, leaving Vanessa downstairs as she talks to Mia over the phone.
I step out of the shower with a towel on my lower body and before I open the door, I hear her voice from the other side.
"Dominic!"
She sounds a little irritated, making me wonder what's going on.
I open the door and she's already in a silky nightgown. I don't even have the chance to take in how it clings to her voluptuous figure because of the look of disapproval on her face.
Pointing at my clothes scattered on the floor, she says, "We talked about this."
I roll my eyes, picking up my clothes. "It won't happen again."
I would've never thought I'd be bending to Vanessa's rules, yet here I am.
As I begin to dress up in the corner, I watch her sit down on the chair and brush through her hair. It only makes me shake my head as I still don't see the need for it.
It takes her so long to do that I even finish dressing up, get on the bed and pull out a book from my bedside table.
Once she's done with it, she rises to her feet and I glance at her figure but soon look away when she looks in my direction.
"There's something else we need to talk about." She crosses her arms and pokes out her curvy hip.
"What is it now?" I ask.
"If I'm going to be here for a long time, I need that side of the bed."
"What?" I furrow my eyebrows in protest. "I've always slept on this side of the bed. Besides, you slept just fine on the other side during the times you were here."
"I know, but that was different. I'll be more comfortable on your side." Her tone is firm.
I want to say no and fight for the side of my bed, but I know she can easily walk out of here and go back to her own bedroom, which is the one thing I don't want. No matter what happens, I need her close.
I poke my cheek, trying not to rip the book in half.
"Fine."
I move over to the other side and she chuckles.
"Thanks!"
I roll my eyes without showing her. It's starting to feel like she'll always get her way.
With her book in one hand, she gets on the bed as well and we both read in silence.
She stops reading before I do, puts
her book away, then gets in a sleeping position while facing the other side. Her hip and ass curve so perfectly in the position she's in that I steat a few glances before she gets under the covers.
The images of her naked body from earlier then flood my mind and it begins to turn me on, making me bite my lip as I try to focus on finishing the chapter I'm reading.
Only about a minute later, I give up as I can't focus, so I get off the bed to turn off the lights, my table lamp still on.
I get back on the bed and look over at her half covered body, bothered by how she's sleeping on the edge.
"Vanessa..."
"Yes?"
"There's so much space in between this big bed." My breath is a little heavy as I look at the thin strap on her shoulder. "Move away from the edge and just...come closer."