Called Off the Wedding, Left Him Bankrupt novel Chapter 362

To hear his name spoken by certain people was, to him, a kind of desecration.

Father Benedict’s gaze lingered on Cynthia as she returned, her steps brisk and face taut with emotion—emotion Dominic had stirred in her. It felt as if a boulder crashed down inside his chest, crushing the breath from him.

Cynthia strode up to him and set her briefcase on the reception desk with a determined thud.

“Don’t let me ever hear you say something like that again,” she said, her voice icy. “You’re not even worthy to be compared to him.”

The air between them sparked with tension—volatile, electric. It felt as if either one of them could snap at any moment.

Sensing the storm brewing, most of the onlookers who’d moments ago been egging Cynthia on to marry Benedict made themselves scarce, eager to avoid collateral damage.

But a few lingered, unable to resist the lure of front-row drama.

Benedict’s face changed instantly, his chest heaving with anger.

“So it’s true, then? You really slept with Dominic? That man you mentioned before—was he Dominic all along?”

A raw, inarticulate pain twisted in Benedict’s chest. He stared at Cynthia, his eyes blazing with accusation.

“No wonder he helped you at the auction,” he sneered. “So you two were sneaking around behind my back—”

Cynthia didn’t give him the chance to finish. Her palm connected with his cheek in a resounding slap, leaving a vivid mark.

“He’s not as filthy as you think.”

Benedict’s face reddened with the force of the blow. He narrowed his eyes dangerously, taking a step closer to her.

Cynthia, without hesitation, grabbed the small potted plant from the counter, weighing her options—where could she hit him that wouldn’t be fatal, but might finally teach him a lesson?

Benedict’s gaze flicked to her hand and he stopped short, a flicker of apprehension in his eyes.

In the past, he might have believed Cynthia would never actually hit him.

Cynthia shook her head, and the sight of Fred seemed to steady her.

“I’m fine.”

Benedict knew he was no match for Fred—and had never truly meant to hurt Cynthia physically—so he stepped back, putting distance between them.

But as he left, his gaze lingered on Cynthia, pleading and insistent.

“Cynthia, you can still come back to me. We could still make this work.”

“No one in this world could ever love you more than I do.”

Cynthia let out a cold laugh. “If your idea of love is getting another woman pregnant right before our wedding and shoving it in my face, then believe me, I want nothing to do with it.”

She would rather marry for convenience, tie herself to someone who didn’t love her, than ever go back to him.