Chapter 213 My Stubborn Friend
?The private room felt stuffy and warm.
?The bottle sitting on the center table was almost completely empty. The glasses were scattered haphazardly across the surface, some tipped over on their sides, and the white ceramic ashtray was overflowing with ash and cigarette ends.
?Dorian and Wesley had been sitting there, pouring drinks and talking in circles for hours. Because of the sheer amount of alcohol, their words came out a bit slower now, and their physical movements were far less precise than when they had first arrived.
?Even so, they were still lucid enough to understand what was going on around them. They were still holding onto their wits.
?Wesley had learned through years of expensive dinners and business meetings how to pace himself carefully. He knew how to ride right along the edge of being tipsy without ever losing control or falling over the line.
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?Dorian usually knew how to do the exact same thing. But tonight, his mind was entirely overwhelmed, and he was struggling to keep his balance. His eyes looked cloudy and unfocused, and his hands trembled slightly as he set his empty glass back down.
?He decided it was time to leave, pushing his chair back and attempting to stand up.
?As soon as he got to his feet, the room gave a violent tilt sideways. His vision blurred, and he had to slam both hands down onto the table just to keep from falling over completely.
?Wesley sat back and looked at him with genuine concern in his eyes. "Are you going to be okay to stand?"
?"I am fine," Dorian mumbled, his voice raspy.
?"No, you are definitely not fine. You are completely hammered."
?"I am not hammered. I am just... a little tipsy."
?Wesley let out a dry, disbelieving laugh. "Dorian, you are literally staggering like a sailor on a rolling deck."
?Ignoring the comment, Dorian tried to take a brave step forward toward the door. His left foot caught awkwardly against the floor, and he stumbled hard, barely managing to catch his weight by throwing his arm over the back of an empty chair.
?Realizing there was no way his friend could even walk out in this condition, Wesley shook his head with a sigh. He pulled his smartphone out of his jacket pocket and quickly dialed Kaelenโs number.
?"Get over to Bordeaux right now," Wesley ordered the moment the line connected. "Your boss drank way too much and he needs a reliable ride home."
?True to his word, Kaelen arrived at the venue just ten minutes later.
?He pushed the door open and stepped into the private room, his eyes scanning the scene. His face remained calm and professional as always, but a clear look of worry flashed across his eyes when he saw the state of his boss.
?"Sir," Kaelen greeted quietly, stepping closer.
?Dorian lazily waved one hand in the air to brush him off. "I am fine, Kaelen. Go away."
?"Sir, you are clearly not fine," Kaelen said firmly, closing the distance between them. He reached out and slipped his strong arm securely around Dorianโs broad shoulders to support his weight. "Come on, let us get you back home where you can rest."
?Dorian was too exhausted and drunk to put up a fight, so he let out a low grumble and allowed himself to be guided forward.
?Just as Kaelen was steering him slowly toward the exit, Wesley called out across the room.
?"Dorian."
?Dorian paused near the door, his heavy head turning back slowly. "What?"
?"I know I have told you this before but let me still repeat it again, Veyra actually came by to see me earlier today."
?Dorian blinked his cloudy eyes, trying to process the words and asked again. "What?"
?"Yes, she did. She wanted to ask me about you," Wesley explained clearly. "She specifically wanted to find out if you were dealing with any relationship troubles lately."
?At that exact moment, Dorianโs facial expression shifted. The thick alcoholic fog clearing from his mind just enough for a sharp wave of awareness to cut through.
?"She was actually worried about me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
?"Yes, she was."
?Hearing those words sent a sudden, warm jolt straight through Dorianโs weary heart.
?She had deliberately sought out Wesley. She had asked about him behind the scenes. She had been genuinely concerned enough about his bad mood to try and find the root cause.
?He stood there in the doorway, staring blankly at Wesley, completely unsure of what to do with that sudden piece of information. He did not know how to handle it or where to put the rising swell of feelings inside his chest.
?He just lingered for a second longer, frozen in place.
?"Just go home, Dorian," Wesley said gently, waving a hand toward the hall. "Sleep it off and figure it out tomorrow."
?Dorian gave a slow, jerky nod of his head. He turned his face away and let Kaelen lead him out of the private room and down toward the waiting car outside.
?Wesley sat alone in the quiet private room after they left.
?The amber bottle on the table was completely dry, the collection of glasses looked messy and dirty, and the long night had finally come to an end.
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?He stared out into the empty space and thought deeply about Dorian. He was his closest friend, someone who had always felt more like a blood brother than an ordinary associate.
?For as long as Wesley could remember, Dorian had been entirely alone in the world. He was always standing at a distance, emotionally distant, and wearing a coat of ice toward everyone around him.
?But things were different now. Whether he was ready to admit it or not, Dorian had Veyra in his life now. Even if the stubborn man was still too blind to see the truth of his own heart, she was already there.