Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 102

Chapter 102

DOMINIC

I sat in my office at Veil Holdings, staring at the same file on my computer for what felt like the tenth time without absorbing a single word. My hands rested on the desk in front of me and I looked down at them, at the veins running across the backs, at the gold band on my finger that I still wore out of habit.

I had come to the company for a meeting earlier that morning. That was the plan. Show up, handle what needed to be handled, and leave before anyone could corner me with more questions I did not want to

answer.

But after the call from Celeste, after I heard her voice telling me that the time had come for the culmination of our plan, something had shifted in my chest. A tightness I could not name had wrapped itself around my ribs and squeezed. The desire to leave, to retreat to whatever corner of the city I wanted, had evaporated. So I buried myself in work instead, clicking through spreadsheets and reports, trying not to think about what those words meant.

Trying not to think about her.

My phone buzzed with a text message and I picked it up, squinting at the screen in the dim light of my office. Celeste. She told me that Seraphine was at her lab, that she was requesting for Celeste to contact me through official means. Celeste had slipped out to let me know. She wanted to know what my

situation was.

I read the message twice, and then I felt my lips curve into a smile. This was not such a bad idea. If Seraphine wanted to speak to me that badly, I could give her what she wanted. I could give her a taste of what it felt like to reach for something and find nothing but air.

I typed back, telling Celeste to go ahead and contact my CEO through the official channels. I would let my CEO bring the phone to me when the time was right. And since Seraphine wanted to speak to me so desperately, I would speak to her.

“All right then,” Celeste replied.

After the call ended, I immediately called my CEO and told him that Helix Research Laboratory was going to reach out to him any moment now. They were going to say they wanted to speak with the chairman. I told him that as long as the person on the other end was Mrs. Celeste, he should bring his phone over to my office so I could take the call.

Then I waited.

It did not take long. My CEO knocked on my door and stepped inside, his phone pressed to his ear. He told me there was a call from Helix Laboratory. I took the phone from him and he slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I answered the call. I heard Celeste’s voice first, calm and professional, and I knew Seraphine was listening in. I knew she was right there, holding her breath, waiting for me to say something that would prove she still mattered. So when Celeste made mention about my wife, I asked the question I knew

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would cut deepest.

What wife? When did I have a wife? Have I ever told you in person that I am married?”

I heard her then. Seraphine’s voice in the background, rising and cracking, growing hysterical in a way that would have stirred something in me once. But that was before. Before I knew the full weight of her betrayals. I scoffed and hung up the call.

I handed the phone back to my CEO. I told him he could leave. I told him that if the phone rang again and the person on the other end was Seraphine, he was free to speak to her. He was free to be as rude as he wanted. But he was not to bring the phone to me.

After he left, I sat alone in the silence of my office and let my mind drift back to Celeste.

Earlier, when I had heard her voice on the phone, she had sounded like everything was fine. But I knew better. I knew we needed to talk, really talk, and I was dreading it. If everything ended according to the initial plan, we were supposed to go our separate ways. That had been the deal. She did what she needed to do, I did what I needed to do, and once it was all over, we would walk away from each other like none of it had ever happened.

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