Vespera stood quietly as Dominic walked toward her. She wasn't intimidated by his cold expression. Who did he think he could scare her with that?
On the contrary, Gerard was terrified. Meanwhile, Calvert rushed over happily. He called out, "Mr. Reid, I'm here!"
Dominic looked like he was about to beat Calvert up. He asked, "What did I tell you before, huh?"
Calvert raised his hands in surrender and braced himself, saying, "If you're mad, go ahead and hit me. Come on. Hit me."
Dominic frowned. He knew better than to waste energy on Calvert. Instead, his gaze turned sharp as it slid past Vespera, locking onto Gerard, who was cowering behind her. He ordered, "Get over here now."
Gerard visibly wilted. He knew this was going to happen. He knew it, and yet here he was. Still, he couldn't bring himself to step forward. Instead, he peeked around Vespera and Calvert. He explained, "I told her not to come. I really did! But she wouldn't listen!"
"Come over here. I just want to talk. I won't hit you," said Dominic.
Gerard didn't believe him. He turned to Vespera with desperate eyes that practically screamed, "You dragged me here. Why am I the one about to die? This is on you! Fix it!"
Vespera shot him a reassuring look. Then, she stepped forward and met Dominic head-on. She said, "This isn't on Calvert or Gerard. I forced them to come. Hit me if you have to."
She even raised her hand, palm up. Upon seeing that, Dominic chuckled in disbelief. They stared at each other in silence. Then, he removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
His expression remained cold as he said, "I won't hit you, but you're still getting punished. You're now sentenced to being a walking eggplant.
So, Dominic thought he looked like an eggplant, too. Vespera stifled a laugh and gripped the jacket that still carried his warmth. She asked, "Do I really have to be an eggplant fairy? It's too ugly."
She glanced around, and some of the nearby guests were starting to stare. She added, "Besides, I don't think I should wear your clothes here."
Dominic raised an eyebrow. "What's done is already done. Why worry about it?"
Vespera fell silent, and so did Calvert and Gerard. As for Evelyn, she had slipped away the moment she walked in, dodging the fallout entirely.
Now, Evelyn had found her fiancé, who was standing some distance away and very clearly glaring at Vespera in Dominic's coat.
Evelyn said with a sigh of admiration, "She's adorable."
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