Chapter 205 Dorian’s Secret Love
Wesley set down his wine glass gently on the white tablecloth. A small, polite smile appeared on his face.
"A good friend of mine restaged Swan Lake," he said, looking right across the table at her. "It is opening at the National Center for the Performing Arts in just three days. I happen to have extra tickets. Would you like to come with me?"
Veyra blinked in complete surprise. Her mind raced for a second.
She had never been to a real ballet in her entire life. She had never stepped foot inside the National Center for the Performing Arts. She had never done anything that fancy or expensive.
But she was naturally curious about it. More importantly, she really needed Wesley’s help tonight.
"I would love to," she answered honestly.
Wesley smiled wider. "Good. I will text you all the details tomorrow."
She had always been deeply interested in highbrow performances like that.
She had read about ballets and plays in books when she was younger. She had watched grainy video recordings on her phone late at night. She had always dreamed of sitting high up in a grand theater, watching graceful artists move effortlessly across a massive stage.
She had never actually had the chance to do it before. She had always been too poor. Too busy working multiple jobs just to pay rent. Too focused on simple survival.
But things were different now. With Wesley’s unexpected invitation, she could finally experience it.
"I have actually never seen a live ballet," she admitted, feeling a little bit shy.
Wesley raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise. "Never once?"
"Never."
"Then you are definitely in for a treat."
Wesley watched her closely and noticed that Veyra was feeling quite nervous.
She kept fidgeting with her paper napkin, folding and unfolding it over and over again. Her eyes kept darting toward the door every few seconds. Her shoulders were pulled up tight and tense.
He did not try to rush her into speaking.
He did not push her or demand to know why she was really sitting across from him. He did not bring up Dorian right away. Instead, he simply poured her another glass of cold watermelon juice and started talking in a relaxed tone about the ballet, the classic music, and the beautiful choreography.
He just gave her space and waited for her to speak.
Veyra took a deep breath to calm her racing thoughts. She set her napkin down on the table.
"Wesley," she started, her voice steady.
He looked right back at her. "Yes, Veyra?"
"Before I ask you anything else tonight, I need to make something completely clear."
He nodded slowly and waited.
"I have no improper intentions toward Dorian," she explained carefully. "I am not trying to win his romantic affection. I am not trying to trap him in any way. I am just... genuinely grateful to him."
Wesley studied her face very carefully. His eyes remained totally unreadable.
"Grateful," he repeated the word slowly.
"Yes."
"For what exactly?"
"For everything he has done. He gave me a safe home when I had nowhere else to go. He protected me from trouble. He even supported my business dreams." She paused for a second. "I owe him a huge amount. But that is all there is to it. Just pure gratitude."
Wesley stayed quiet for a moment, digesting her words.
Then he nodded slowly, looking convinced. "I believe you, Veyra."
She felt a massive weight lift right off her chest. She let out a quiet breath she did not know she was holding.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"Now," he said, leaning forward slightly. "What was it you wanted to ask me?"
She hesitated for a second, biting her lower lip. Then she finally spoke the words.
"Has Dorian been having any relationship troubles lately?"
Wesley blinked hard.
He stared straight at her. His mouth dropped open in shock. He closed it, blinked again, and opened his mouth once more.
"Relationship troubles?" he echoed.
"Yes, that is what I asked."
He leaned back against his chair. His expression was one of genuine, unfiltered surprise.
"I honestly do not know," he said. "I had no idea he was having any sort of relationship problems."
Veyra frowned, looking disappointed. "You really do not know?"
"No, I do not," Wesley shook his head. "Dorian is not the type of person who talks about his personal life. He never talks about it with me, and he certainly does not talk about it with anyone else."
"But you are his close friend."
"I am his friend, yes. But he is fiercely private. He keeps all his thoughts and feelings locked to himself."
Veyra’s heart sank.
She had really hoped Wesley would have some answers for her. She had hoped he would tell her something useful that she could take back. But he knew absolutely nothing.
"The matriarch thinks he is in a terrible mood," Veyra explained, feeling defeated. "She asked me to find out why he is acting like this. I thought... well, I thought maybe it was because of relationship troubles."
Wesley tilted his head to the side. "Why on earth would you think that?"
"I do not know. It was just a wild guess on my part."
Wesley fell silent for a long moment.
His mind began to drift away from the table.
He thought about Dorian and the distant past. He remembered the woman in the deep forest.
Three years ago, Dorian had survived a terrible plane crash. He had been the only one who made it out alive. He had been terribly injured and bleeding, nearly losing his life right there in the woods.
But someone had miraculously saved him. A mysterious woman had found him hidden among the trees. She had protected him from the people who were actively hunting him down. She had stayed by his side the whole time until rescue teams arrived.
And ever since that day, Dorian had been completely obsessed with her.
He did not even know her real name. He had never managed to see her face clearly. He only had vague memories of a silhouette in the shadows, the sound of her voice, and the warm way she had held him.
He always referred to her as Iris.
Wesley had never truly understood it. How on earth could a man fall in love with someone whose face he had never seen and whose name he did not know? Someone who had vanished completely without leaving a single trace behind?
Yet, he had never questioned his friend about it. Dorian’s obsession belonged to him alone.
Wesley kept all those old memories strictly to himself.
He snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at Veyra.
She was sitting quietly, waiting for him to speak. Her eyes looked intensely curious, and her hands were neatly folded together on top of the tablecloth.
𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮
He decided not to mention Iris, the forest, or the mysterious woman who had saved Dorian’s life. None of that was his secret to tell.
Instead, he asked a question of his own.
"You mentioned earlier that Dorian told you he had someone he liked," Wesley noted.
Veyra nodded right away. "Yes, he did."
"What exact words did he use?"
She hesitated for a moment, remembering the conversation. Then she spoke.
"He told me that he already had someone he liked in his life."
Wesley stared at her with wide eyes.
"He actually told you that himself?"
"Yes, he did."
Wesley stayed completely silent for another long moment, turning the words over in his head.
Then he leaned forward across the table. His voice dropped to a soft, serious whisper.
"Veyra," he said. "How did you even find out that Dorian had someone he liked in the first place?"