Chapter 104 Jealousy in Black Tie
The charity gala was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Imperial Hotel.
Crystal chandeliers cast warm light across the marble floor. Men in tuxedos and women in gowns mingled beneath the vaulted ceiling. A string quartet played something soft and classical. Waiters circulated with trays of champagne.
Dorian Thorne stood near the edge of the room, a glass of sparkling water in his hand. His tie was slightly loosened. His face was impassive.
He hated these events. The small talk. The forced smiles. The way people angled for his attention like they were positioning for a photograph.
He had been here for an hour. He had already donated more money than most people earned in a lifetime. He had smiled at the right people and nodded at the right speeches.
He was ready to leave and his phone buzzed, he pulled it out of his jacket pocket. A message from Wesley Wynn.
Thought you might find this interesting.
He opened the attachment.
The photograph was clear. Well-lit. The composition was almost too perfect.
Veyra stood close to Xavier Lala. Their hands were clasped. Their eyes met. They looked like two people who shared something intimate.
Dorian’s fingers tightened around the phone.
His jaw clenched.
The admiration in Xavier’s eyes was unmistakable. The way he looked at her—focused, intent, like she was the only person in the room.
Dorian’s expression turned icy.
He was still staring at the photograph when a voice cut through his thoughts.
"Enjoying the view?"
Naya Whitmore appeared at his elbow. She wore a form-fitting red gown. Her hair was loose. Her smile was calculated.
She reached for his phone.
"What are you looking at?"
Dorian pulled the phone back. But she had already seen the image.
Naya’s smile faltered.
"Who is that?" she asked.
"No one."
"She’s not no one. You’re staring at her like she’s the only person in the room." Naya’s voice was sharp. "And who is that man?"
Dorian said nothing.
Naya’s eyes flickered. Jealousy. Hot and immediate.
"That’s the woman you married," she said slowly. "The one you used to get out of our arrangement."
"She’s none of your concern."
"None of my concern?" Naya laughed. "You broke off a political alliance for her. You embarrassed my father. You humiliated me. And now you’re standing here, staring at a photograph of her with another man?"
Dorian’s hand tightened around the phone.
"Give me the phone," Naya said.
"No."
Naya reached for it again. She was fast. Her fingers closed around the edge. She pulled.
Dorian let go.
The phone slid out of his hand. Naya turned it over. She looked at the photograph again.
Her face went red.
"You married a woman who’s already involved with someone else," she said. "You gave up everything for someone who doesn’t even want you."
Dorian reached over. His hand closed around the phone. He pulled it out of her grip.
"Give that back."
Naya’s voice rose. "She’s using you. Everyone can see it. She’s playing you for a fool."
"Enough."
"Your family is going to be a laughingstock. Everyone in this room is watching. The great Dorian Thorne, married to a woman who—"
Dorian turned away.
He did not look back at her.
He walked toward the exit. His strides were long. The crowd parted around him.
Behind him, Naya’s voice was still rising.
"Where are you going? You can’t just leave! The auction is about to start!"
He did not answer.
The car was waiting at the curb.
Dorian climbed into the back seat. The door slammed shut. The engine started.
Kaelen was in the passenger seat. He turned to look at Dorian.
"Sir? Where to?"
"Home."
Kaelen nodded. The car pulled away from the curb.
Dorian stared out the window. The city lights blurred past. His hands were still gripping the phone.
The photograph was still on the screen.
Veyra. Xavier Lala. Their hands clasped and their eyes meeting.
He thought about the night he had met her. The hotel bar. The way she had leaned across the table and kissed him. The way she had left before dawn.
He thought about the way she had looked at him in the armory. The way she had said his name.
He thought about the way Xavier Lala was looking at her now.
The same panic he had felt some months ago rose in his chest. The same helplessness. The same fear of losing someone he had only just found.
He pressed his palm against the window. The glass was cool. His hand was warm.
"Kaelen," he said.
"Yes, sir?"
"I need you to investigate someone. Xavier Lala. Solstice Pharmaceuticals."
Kaelen’s brow furrowed. "May I ask why?"
"Just do it."
"Yes, sir."
The drive was silent.
Dorian stared at the ceiling. The leather seat was soft. The air conditioning was cool. He could not relax.
His mind kept circling back to the photograph. The way Xavier had looked at Veyra. The way she had looked back.
He told himself it was nothing. A business meeting. A handshake. A shared moment.
But the panic did not fade.
The car pulled through the gates of the estate. The driveway stretched ahead. The mansion loomed.
Dorian stepped out. He walked toward the front door.
His phone buzzed.
A message from Kaelen.
I have information on Xavier Lala.
Dorian stopped.
He opened the message.
The text was brief. Direct.
Xavier Lala has ties to the Zed family. Complicated. Long-standing feud. He’s been fighting them for years. The Zed family has been blocking his company at every turn.
Dorian stared at the screen.
The Zed family. One of the three great noble families of the Aethelred Empire. Commerce. Politics. Military. Untouchable.
And Xavier Lala was their enemy.
Dorian’s jaw tightened.
Veyra had chosen a partner who was already fighting a war. She had aligned herself with someone the Zed family wanted to destroy.
She had not told him.
He walked into the house. The door closed behind him.
The hallway was dark. The servants had retired. The lights were dim.
He stood alone in the silence.
The photograph was still on his phone. Veyra and Xavier. Hands clasped. Eyes meeting.
He looked at it for a long moment.
Then he put the phone away.