The Almighty Dominance (by Sunshine) novel Chapter 852

The next evening, at six o'clock, Alex was in the east room of the Tiffany house when Serena rang from Halcyon.

"I'm stuck here until midnight," Serena said. Behind her voice, glass clinked and somebody was shouting about labels.

"The new bottles came in wrong. Every single one. Alex, I need you to do something for me."

"Anything."

"It's Patricia's birthday tonight. She's taken Nora with her." Serena dropped her voice.

"Patricia has been hanging on Nora's arm since the day she landed. A Hale from the capital looks very good in a photograph. And Patricia's friends are sharks. Go with Nora. Look after her."

"Does Patricia know I'm coming?"

"She will when you get there." A pause. "Be nice."

"I'm always nice."

"That's what worries me," said Serena, and hung up.

Then the phone buzzed again.

"Alex? One more thing." Her voice was softer. "Thank you. I've never had anybody I could just ask before."

"You have now," said Alex.

The coffee house on the harbour front was the expensive one, with little gold cups and no prices on the menu.

Patricia sat at the best table in white silk, with a girl in pink beside her, and Nora Hale at the end by the window, watching the boats.

Patricia saw him crossing the road.

"Oh, look," she said. "A loser."

"Who?" said the girl in pink.

"My cousin's husband. Grandmother made Serena marry him." Patricia smiled her sweet smile. "We're not allowed to call him names in the house any more. Grandmother's rule. But this isn't the house, is it, Chloe?"

"Wait." Chloe sat up. "Is he the one with the glass house? Your aunt posted about thirty pictures."

"Aunt Marissa told the whole family how he got it. He opened Chat Gaia and bought medicine for the old man," said Patricia.

"What?" said Chloe.

"He managed to cure Mr. Wolfe, so the old man signed over an entire estate to him. Talk about a lucky bastard. He's nothing more than a blind cat that happened to trip over a dead rat."

Chloe laughed so hard she had to put her cup down.

Alex came in and stopped at their table. Chloe read him like a price tag, from his old shoes up.

"Twenty-dollar jeans," she said. "I'm right, aren't I? And that jacket. Has it been through a washing machine or a war? My bag cost more than everything you've ever owned."

She tipped her head at the window. "And do you know how many rich men in this town would kill to sit next to Nora Hale tonight? Half the north shore. And not one of them is you."

"Chloe," said Patricia, in a voice that did not mean stop.

"I'm not here for her," said Alex. "My wife asked me to come."

"He's here for me," said Nora, without turning from the window. "Serena sent him to keep me away from you, Chloe. It's working."

Chloe's mouth fell open.

Alex bought the cheapest coffee on the menu and sat at the end of the table. Nobody spoke to him.

Then the glass doors swung open, and the rest of the party arrived: twenty of the coast's young rich, all good teeth and new clothes.

At the front of them came Tyler Hunt, tall and tanned, with a gold watch he liked people to see.

He kissed Patricia on the cheek, and then his eyes went straight past her to the girl by the window.

"Nora Hale," he said. "They told me you'd be here. Happy birthday, gorgeous," he added to Patricia, a second too late. "Tonight's on me."

Then he saw Alex, and his smile changed shape.

"Well, well. The Wolfes' little friend."

The last time they had been in a room together, Alex had let Tyler Hunt bid himself into a four-million-dollar fish vase at the Grand. Tyler had not forgotten.

He clapped his hands.

"Right! Karaoke first. The new place in the harbour district, the Royal. Then dinner. Then the clubs. Nobody goes home before I say so!"

They cheered and poured out onto the pavement, where six cars stood along the kerb.

"Seats!" Tyler pointed down the row like a man handing out sweets. "Birthday girl, in my front. Chloe, in my back. Nora, in my back seat, right behind me, where I can keep an eye on you. Preston, you and your girl in the second car. You can't drive with that arm anyway. Everybody else, find a door."

Doors slammed. Engines started. In a minute every seat was full, and Alex was the only one left standing on the pavement.

Tyler hit his forehead with the flat of his hand.

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