"Evelyn, are you saying that this networking event is dangerous?" Vespera asked.
"You didn't know?" Evelyn realized she had accidentally let the cat out of the bag and grew nervous. Then, she said, "I'm just messing with you! It's a perfectly normal event. Nothing dangerous at all. You should just follow Dominic's arrangements."
Vespera was at a loss for words. Did she look that easy to fool?
She said, "You already said too much. Don't try to brush it off now. I just want to understand what kind of event this actually is."
Evelyn replied, "If Dominic didn't tell you, I definitely can't. He would be furious."
Vespera was frustrated. Evelyn had already let half the truth slip. Vespera already thought something was off, and now that she had heard all this, how could she pretend not to hear it?
After a pause, Evelyn leaned in and lowered her voice. She said, "Honestly, we all think it's a little risky. Dominic doesn't want you to get involved. That's why he hasn't said anything. But keeping secrets like this is only going to hurt your relationship in the long run. There's nothing wrong with facing things together. If you really want to go, I can make it happen."
Then, Evelyn continued to drink her tea while Vespera thought over every word. A moment later, Evelyn excused herself to the bathroom.
The instant Evelyn left, Gerard and Calvert quickly sat next to Vespera on both sides. It was obvious that they had heard the conversation.
Calvert asked, "Mr. Reid is in danger? I have to protect him!"
Gerard reprimanded, "Will you stop being impulsive? Mr. Reid has already made the call. You can't change anything."
Calvert felt deflated. Meanwhile, Vespera was frustrated. She knew that once Dominic made up his mind, there was no changing it. And if she confronted him now, he might just put her on a plane forcefully to keep her out of the way.
Calvert's eyes lit up, and he said, "What if we follow him secretly? He won't even know!"
Gerard was speechless. He responded, "How do we follow him secretly? Can we become invisible?"
About an hour later, Dominic and Vance finally came back downstairs. Evelyn crossed the living hall and called out, "Vance, it's time to go home."
Dominic walked them to the door. When he came back inside, he noticed that Vespera was no longer in the living hall. He went upstairs and stopped in front of her door. Then, he knocked gently and asked, "Ms. Gildon, are you asleep?"
The door creaked open a few inches. Vespera answered, "I was just about to shower."
She peeked out, hand resting on the doorframe. Her hair was down, and she wore a sleeveless nightgown. She truly intended to shower, but to a man's eyes, it was seductive.
Dominic gazed at Vespera. The usual calm in his dark eyes had been replaced with something more unreadable. He leaned in, and his warm breath brushed her cheek as he asked, "Do you need help?"
Vespera's cheeks instantly went crimson. Her mind snapped back to what happened last night. Her hand on the doorframe was starting to sweat. She cursed to herself, "Stop seducing me!"
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