Called Off the Wedding, Left Him Bankrupt novel Chapter 186

"Mr. Holloway, is it alright now?"

Cynthia squinted into the darkness, trying to make out the man's silhouette in the shadows.

Dominic didn't answer.

She pressed her lips together, wondering if he'd finally drunk himself into a stupor and passed out.

After a moment's hesitation, she started toward him.

But just as she'd taken two steps, his deep voice cut through the darkness, sounding almost like a reprimand.

"Get out."

She froze, instinctively glancing toward the door.

Get out?

Did he mean her?

"Me?"

"Yeah." His response was little more than a raspy grunt.

"Then I'll just—let me help you with—"

The room was pitch-black, and with as much as he'd had to drink, if he hurt himself in her room, she'd never forgive herself.

"Out."

This time, his single word was laced with something she couldn't quite read—frustration, maybe, or something else entirely.

Cynthia quickly retreated, slipping out of the room.

It was her room, and yet somehow she was the one being kicked out.

Who was she supposed to complain to about that?

The calmer Juliet appeared, the more desperate the guests became to get her attention, eager to outmaneuver their competition.

Cynthia felt a quiet relief. With Juliet in control, everything was going according to plan.

And tonight's results—well, she had Dominic to thank for that. Thanks to his cooperation, Tremaine Holdings was starting to see a way out from under the bank's thumb. They could pay off a chunk of their debts and buy precious time to renegotiate the rest.

Cynthia finished preparing the hangover soup and carried it out of the kitchen. The guests were still clustered on the sofas, so she offered a polite smile.

"I made a little extra hangover soup—would anyone else like some?"

They were quick to thank her, one of them joking, "We owe you, Miss Tremaine! Thanks to Mr. Holloway, we get to enjoy your homemade soup tonight."

Cynthia smiled graciously, her tone as gentle as ever. "You're too kind. My cooking's hardly anything special, but I hope it suits your taste."

More flattering words followed.

Cynthia didn't linger. She asked Camilla to bring out the rest of the soup for the guests, then took a bowl upstairs—leaving them to their speculations, and giving Juliet the perfect stage to work her magic.