Chapter 211 Outmaneuvered by Wesley Wynn
?Dorian did not move an inch.
?His face remained completely calm, carved out of stone. His hands stayed steady against the tablecloth, and his eyes were locked onto the rim of the glass sitting in front of him.
?Yet, underneath that icy exterior, everything felt like it was caving in. It felt as though someone had driven a fist straight through his ribs, crushing the breath right out of his lungs.
?Wesley liked Veyra.
?Veyra liked Wesley back.
?They were going to be together. After the baby was born. After the marriage contract officially expired.
?He forced his fingers to pick up his glass. He took a slow swallow of the burning liquid, pushing down the sudden wave of nausea, and forced his voice to stay perfectly level.
?"That is... good for you," he managed to say.
?Wesley watched him with a sharp, calculating gaze.
?He noticed the tiny muscle ticking violently along Dorian’s jawline. He saw the way the man’s knuckles turned completely white as his grip tightened around the crystal glass. He saw how every bit of warmth drained out of Dorian’s face, leaving him looking hollow.
?Dorian was hiding it well, putting up a masterclass in emotional control, but Wesley knew him far too well to be fooled.
?Dorian was falling apart right in front of him.
?"So," Dorian said casually. "Does she even know that you know about this?"
Wesley blinked slowly, looking at him. "Know what?"
?"That you have feelings for her. Does she know?"
Dorian kept his voice light, breezy, and entirely unbothered on purpose.
?"She knows," Wesley answered smoothly.
?Dorian’s hand froze completely mid-movement.
?"We are mutually in love with each other," Wesley continued, twisting the knife a little further. "She told me how she feels, and I told her how I feel."
?He paused for a second, letting the words sink in.
?"It is still pretty new, but it is completely real."
?Dorian stared across the table as if Wesley had just spoken in a foreign language.
?His mind was spinning wildly out of control. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird, and his chest felt entirely too small to hold the sudden panic swelling inside him.
?Veyra liked Wesley. She was in love with another man. She was planning a life with someone else once she was free from him.
?He desperately wanted to reject the thought. He wanted to tell himself it was impossible.
?But Wesley was his oldest friend. Wesley did not lie about things like this, especially not with a smile on his face.
?Dorian drew in a shaky breath, fighting hard to keep his voice from cracking. "Are you actually sure she likes you back?"
?Wesley tilted his head with a curious expression. "What do you mean by that?"
?"She is... complicated," Dorian muttered, grasping at straws. "She might just be feeling grateful to you for some reason. People often mistake basic gratitude for romantic feelings."
?Wesley shook his head firmly, dismissing the idea without a second thought.
?"It is not gratitude, Dorian. She told me directly."
?He paused, letting the silence stretch out.
?"She specifically told me that she would be with me. After the baby is born, and after your contract comes to an end."
?Dorian’s blood ran ice cold in his veins.
?He could not take it anymore. He set his glass down onto the table with a sharp clack because his fingers were shaking too violently to hold it safely anymore.
?A flood of painful memories washed over him.
?He thought back to all the little moments he had ignored or misunderstood. He remembered the quiet, resigned way she had told him that she knew her exact place in his world.
?He remembered the promises she made about never developing real feelings for him.
?He remembered how easily she had handed back his expensive leather gloves, how quickly she had stopped thanking him for his help, and how deliberately she had kept her distance from him at every turn.
?For the longest time, he had convinced himself that she was just being respectful of their boundaries. He thought she was acting professional and keeping her distance because she was shy.
?But now, everything clicked into place with absolute clarity.
?She had not been keeping her distance out of shyness or respect. She simply did not care for him. She did not love him.
?Not because of the massive divide in their social classes. Not because of the cold marriage contract. Not because she thought she was unworthy of him.
?She just did not like him. At all.
?Driven by a sudden surge of restless misery, Dorian reached out and grabbed the whiskey bottle by the neck.
?He poured another glass, and then another one right after it, tossing the alcohol back down his throat like water. The burning sting did nothing to dull the sharp ache inside his chest, but he did not care.
?He pushed his chair back and shoved himself to his feet.
?As soon as he stood up, his legs wobbled dangerously beneath him. The entire room tilted sideways, and he had to slam his palm against the edge of the table just to keep his balance.
?Wesley was out of his seat in a flash, stepping forward to wrap a firm hand around Dorian’s arm.
?"Steady there," Wesley said.
?Dorian yanked his arm away roughly, glaring at him. "I am fine. Leave me alone."
?"You are definitely not fine," Wesley said, his voice turning sharp and serious. "You are completely drunk. And worse than that, you are not just drunk."
?He paused, looking right into Dorian’s bloodshot eyes.
?"You are completely heartbroken."
?Dorian froze in his tracks, every muscle in his body going rigid.
?"What did you just say to me?"
?"You heard me clearly," Wesley replied quietly. "You are heartbroken. And the reason you are falling apart right now is because you are deeply in love with her."
?Dorian shook his head violently, refusing to accept it. "No. You are wrong."
?"I am not wrong."
?"I am telling you I do not care!"
?"You do care, and everyone can see it." Wesley stepped closer, invading his personal space. "You have been completely obsessed with her for weeks now, maybe even longer. You were just too stubborn and proud to admit it to yourself."
?Dorian’s hands curled into tight fists at his sides, his fingernails biting into his palms.
?"You have no idea what you are talking about."
?"I have known you for years," Wesley said calmly, holding his ground. "I have never seen you act like this in my entire life. Not when you were searching for Iris, and not for anyone else."
?A dangerous flash of pure anger flared up in Dorian’s eyes.
?Suddenly, everything felt too clear. The smug look, the ridiculous story, the way Wesley had pushed every single button on purpose.
?It was all a setup.
?Wesley had lied to him. He had played him like a fool just to manipulate his emotions.
?Without thinking, Dorian lunged forward, grabbing Wesley firmly by the collar of his shirt. He yanked him straight up, pressing him back against the wall of the room. His voice dropped to a low, menacing growl.
?"You set me up, didn’t you?"
?Wesley did not flinch or look away. He just stared back. "I had to."
?"You lied right to my face."
?"I had to do that too."
?"You told me she actually liked you!"
?"I had to say that to get your attention."
?"You told me she was going to be with you!"
?"I made all of that up," Wesley said smoothly, his voice remaining entirely steady. "I had to do it because I needed to know the actual truth."
?Dorian stared at him in stunned disbelief. His grip on Wesley’s collar slowly loosened, his fingers trembling before his hands dropped limply to his sides.
?"What truth?" Dorian whispered hoarsely.
?"The truth that you are completely in love with her," Wesley answered, reaching up to smooth down his rumpled collar. "And to answer your other question, no, we are not together. She does not like me that way. She never did."
?Dorian blinked hard, trying to process the words.
?"She really does not like you?"
𝖋𝖗𝕖ℯ𝘸𝙚𝕓𝔫𝚘𝒗ⅇ𝙡.𝒄𝗈𝗆
?"Not at all," Wesley shook his head. "She is not going to be with me."
?"And you made up everything else?"
?"Every single word of it."
?A long, trembling breath spilled past Dorian’s lips. It was shaky, ragged, and filled with an overwhelming wave of pure relief that felt almost too good to be true.
?The invisible weight crushing his chest vanished in an instant.
?His knees suddenly felt weak, and he sank back down into his chair, dropping his face into both of his hands as a quiet confession finally slipped out.
?"I like her," he whispered.
?The words were so soft they were barely audible above the hum of the room.
?"I really like Veyra."