Called Off the Wedding, Left Him Bankrupt novel Chapter 196

As expected, some rules are made only to keep regular people in line.

She realized she'd been too sheltered.

"I'll just have a soft drink," Cynthia said quietly.

She'd never tried alcohol on a plane before, but knowing how little she could handle, she decided not to risk it.

But Assistant Shaw ignored her and took a bottle of wine from the flight attendant, pouring a glass of red for her.

"Come on, just a sip won't hurt. This is from my cousin's private collection—he only brings it out for special guests. It's a rare treat he's even sharing tonight. Who knows when we'll get the chance again?"

He was still holding a cigarette between his fingers as he poured.

The smoke drifted toward Cynthia, making her cough.

"Put that out," came a low, slightly impatient voice from behind a newspaper.

Shaw quickly stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, shooting Cynthia an apologetic look. "Sorry, I'm used to being a bit too relaxed in private spaces."

"It's all right," Cynthia waved it off. "I'm just not used to it, that's all."

Dominic folded his newspaper neatly and set it aside. He picked up his glass and took a measured sip of wine.

Once the flight attendants had finished serving the meal and retreated to the galley, Cynthia found herself with a glass of wine for the first time in the air. She was never a strong drinker, and the unfamiliar environment didn't help—she felt light-headed before she'd even finished half the glass.

She tried to hold out, nibbling at the food in front of her to keep the dizziness at bay.

Dominic glanced over, then quietly poured the rest of her wine into his own glass. He spared a cool glance at the bottle Shaw had left on the side.

It was a strong vintage.

Shaw hurried to clear Cynthia's plate away, worried she might suddenly move and send everything flying.

But she simply lay there, quiet and still. Soon, her breathing evened out and she was fast asleep.

Shaw had seen both Dominic and Pearl drink before; neither ever seemed fazed by a glass or two, so he'd assumed Cynthia would be fine. Now, watching her passed out on the table, he managed an awkward smile and offered, "Maybe you should take Miss Tremaine to the lounge, cousin…"

He trailed off as Dominic was already on his feet, moving to Cynthia's side. He bent down and scooped her up with careful, gentle arms, as if afraid to disturb her sleep.

Shaw shut his mouth and said nothing more.

Clearly, his advice wasn't needed here.

Some people just knew what to do.