She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 859

Dominic shot to his feet. "Impossible!"

Leila offered an awkward smile under his furious glare. "I didn't make it up! The entire Royce Group is talking about it. They said... Preston was passionately kissing her in the company elevator, and they're already living together. If that's not getting back together, what is?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Dominic bolted out of his office.

He refused to believe it. There was no way Melanie had gone back to Preston. Who the hell was Preston Whitmore anyway? His family was bankrupt; he was completely unworthy of her. Even if Melanie didn't want Dominic, settling for that vice president at Stellaris PharmaTech would have made more sense than returning to a broke loser.

Dominic's mind boiled with rage. He had only one goal: find Melanie and demand the truth face-to-face.

But the moment he stepped out of his office, his phone rang. It was Holden Lockridge's assistant.

"The Chairman needs to see you. Come to the headquarters immediately."

Meanwhile, at the Royce Group, Melanie was well aware of the rumors circulating through the building. She chose not to clarify anything. Denying office gossip usually just made people believe it more, so she kept quiet and let the storm blow over. In a few days, everyone would find something else to obsess about.

She could tell Preston was in a fantastic mood, likely because he overheard everyone saying they were back together.

That evening, Melanie wrapped up work right on time. She had arranged a dinner to celebrate Bryant Lennox's official transfer back to Averin as the director of the CDC. Since it was just meant to be a quiet meal for her, Bryant, and his daughter Elina, she had booked a table at a cozy, family-friendly restaurant.

The three of them arrived almost simultaneously. But just as they settled into their private booth and prepared to order, the door swung open, and Preston strode in.

Bryant and Elina immediately looked at Melanie.

Melanie's eyebrow twitched. "What are you doing here?"

Bryant meant it as a polite, albeit forced, courtesy. To his surprise, Preston immediately pulled out the chair next to Melanie and sat down. "Sure."

Melanie was speechless.

Bryant looked equally stunned.

So Preston had lugged a briefcase full of paperwork to the restaurant just to ensure she didn't have a private dinner with Bryant. Melanie didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused.

After scanning the QR code to order, a heavy, awkward silence descended over the booth. Thankfully, the waitress arrived quickly with their food.

As she set the plates down, the waitress paused, looking deeply confused. The restaurant was famous in Averin for its kid-friendly atmosphere. Ninety-nine percent of their patrons were parents dining with their children.