After Rejection Divorced Luna Becomes A Famous Doctor (Hailey and Dominic) novel Chapter 146

CHAPTER HUNDRED TWENTYTWO-1

Clarmy

CHAPTER HUNDRED-TWENTYTWO-1

DOMINIC

I studied her face, searching for any hint of deception. Was she being sincere? Or was this another attempt to get close? The last thing I wanted to do was cause a scene, not tonight. Not when things were finally starting to feel stable. Maybe she really was trying to move on.

“Fine,” I said, my tone clipped. “A truce. For tonight.”

A brilliant, relieved smile spread across her face. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

She reached out and put her hand on my arm. A jolt went through me, not of attraction, but of pure, unadulterated wrongness. Could things go back to the way they were? I didn’t know if it could. Not

entirely.

At that moment, my brother Giovanni clapped me on the shoulder. “There you are, Dom. I was wondering where you disappeared to.” He then noticed Tricia, and a flicker of something unreadable crossed his face before he smoothed it over. “Tricia. Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year, Gio.”

The bartender handed me my water. I took a long drink, the cool liquid doing little to calm the storm brewing inside me. Tricia’s touch was still burning on my arm, a phantom sensation I wanted

to scrub away.

“We were just catching up,” Tricia said, her fingers tightening slightly on my bicep. It was a subtle move, a claim of territory that made my stomach clench.

Giovanni’s gaze dropped to her hand on my arm, then back to my face. He knew. Of course, he knew. Nothing ever got past him. He’d seen it all unfold, had probably predicted it before Tricial even realized it herself.

“Well, don’t let me keep you,” he said smoothly, but there was an edge to his voice. “Maxine is looking for you, Dom. Seems she has something important to discuss with you.”

Saved by my brother.

I gave Tricia a curt nod. “Like I said, we have nothing to talk about. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

I didn’t wait for a reply. I turned and walked away, the feeling of her eyes on my back was alarming. I found Maxine by the bonfire, talking with Hailey and Felicia.

“There he is,” Maxine said, her smile wide. “I was just telling Hailey about that ridiculous trip we took to Cancun. Remember when you convinced me that tequila made you fluent in Spanish?”

CHAPTER HUNDRED TWENTYTWO 1

Chim

I forced a laugh, the memory a distant, hollow thing. It was on our vacation when we were much

younger.

“How could I forget? You ended up serenading a street performer with a very off key rendition of

‘La Bamba’.”

Hailey laughed, the sound genuine and carefree. It was the antidote I needed. I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her close, needing her warmth, her presence. Her scent, a mix of jasmine and wine, filled my senses, grounding me.

“That aside, can I speak to you privately, brother? For a moment.” Maxine’s expression was serious

now.

“Sure.”

I followed her a little ways from the fire, into the shadows of the garden.

“What’s up?”

“I just saw you with Tricia,” she said, her voice low and direct. “Giovanni told me what’s been going on. What the hell, Dom?”

“It’s complicated, Max.””

“I even heard she told you that she likes you. Knowing fully well that you’re engaged to Hailey, she didn’t see a problem with that? Tricia has always been a manipulative girl, and I don’t know why you’ve never seen through it. She would tell false lies about me to you, just to get your affection. She hasn’t changed one bit, Dom. She is not your friend, she is your worst enemy. She has been jealous of Hailey since day one.”

I thought about it. All those times Tricia had subtly undermined my past relationships, the casual “concern” she’d show that always seemed to highlight flaws. I’d dismissed it as her being a

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