Chapter 52: Don’t look at my man
Dominic’s gaze shifted from his wife to his sister.
Despite leaving Mark to keep an eye on them, he hadn’t been able to relax for even a second. Separately, Clara and Hannah were already unpredictable enough. Putting the two of them together—drunk, emotional, and unsupervised—was practically inviting disaster.
Yet, against all expectations, the two women had spent the evening talking like surprisingly civilized adults.
Well... mostly.
His lips twitched as he recalled the conversation he had just overheard.
Beside him, Mark lowered his voice.
"Boss... you’re not actually going to believe what Madam just said, are you?"
Mark had been listening to their conversation from a distance, struggling not to laugh the entire time. The moment Dominic arrived, however, he had immediately wiped the grin off his face and resumed the expressionless look expected of a competent assistant.
Even then, hearing Clara proudly declare that she would "listen to Dominic’s thoughts" to make him fall in love with her had nearly broken his composure.
Only drunk people could come up with something so ridiculous...
Dominic remained silent.
(Reading minds...)
(Hmph.)
(If she could read minds, she’d know exactly how angry I am that she drank this much.)
He walked toward the table.
His annoyance wasn’t because Hannah had cried over Eric.
It was because she had chosen a bar of all places to drown her heartbreak.
As far as Dominic was concerned, Eric wasn’t worth a single tear.
Or a single glass of alcohol.
What irritated him even more was that the person he had trusted to comfort Hannah had ended up getting just as drunk.
The moment Hannah saw him, her eyes lit up.
She pointed dramatically at Clara.
"Brother!"
She giggled.
"Did you hear?"
Dominic stopped beside the table.
"Hear what?"
"Your wife!" Hannah laughed so hard she almost slid off her chair. "She says she can read minds! She said she’ll win your heart by listening to your thoughts."
Mark immediately looked away, pretending he had suddenly become fascinated by the ceiling.
Clara’s face turned scarlet.
"N-No, I didn’t..."
"You did."
"I misspoke."
"You definitely said thoughts."
"I meant expressions!"
Dominic’s expression remained unreadable.
(Interesting.)
(So that’s her strategy?)
Before he could say anything, Clara’s attention shifted completely.
Her eyes widened.
"Dom..."
A bright smile spread across her face.
"You came!"
She hurried toward him with surprisingly determined steps.
"I missed you soooo much."
After taking exactly three steps, she tripped over absolutely nothing.
"Whoa—"
Before she could kiss the floor, Dominic caught her around the waist.
"Careful."
His arm steadied her effortlessly.
Clara looked up at him.
The moment their eyes met, her own began sparkling like stars.
A hopelessly silly smile spread across her face.
"You’re so handsome..."
The words escaped before anyone could stop them.
Silence.
Mark nearly choked.
Hannah’s mouth slowly fell open.
Dominic stiffened.
(...)
(...She has never said that before.)
Clara reached up with both hands and gently cupped his face.
"Hmm..."
She tilted her head left.
Then right.
As if admiring an expensive piece of artwork.
"So handsome..."
She nodded to herself.
"I knew it."
Dominic didn’t move.
(What exactly did she know?)
Clara poked his cheek.
"It’s real."
Poke.
"So firm."
Poke.
"Not fake."
Poke.
Mark immediately lowered his head.
Boss... please forgive me.
He wanted to laugh.
He truly did.
But he also wanted to keep his job.
Hannah burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Oh my God!"
She clapped excitedly.
"Brother, your face is being inspected!"
Clara frowned the moment she noticed Hannah staring at Dominic.
She immediately stepped between them with all the determination of a tiny, drunken bodyguard.
"Hey!"
She pointed accusingly at Hannah.
"Don’t look at my man."
Silence.
Complete, absolute silence.
Dominic forgot how to breathe.
(...My man?)
His heart, which had remained calm through billion-dollar negotiations and boardroom battles, suddenly launched into complete chaos.
(Did...)
(Did she just call me her man?)
His eyes slowly lowered to the woman standing protectively in front of him.
(Is this... a confession?)
(Does this mean she likes me?)
(Oh God...)
(My wife just called me her man.)
The corners of his lips threatened to rise.
He fought them with every ounce of self-control he possessed.
Mark stared blankly.
Boss...
Please don’t smile.
You’re losing.
Hannah blinked before dramatically raising both hands.
"I surrender!"
She laughed.
"I wasn’t stealing him!"
Clara folded her arms and puffed out her cheeks.
"Good."
"He’s your husband."
"I know."
"So why are you acting like I’m trying to kidnap him?"
"Because..."
Clara leaned closer and whispered loudly.
"He’s too handsome."
Dominic’s ears instantly warmed.
(...)
(She said it again.)
Hannah burst into laughter.
"You’ve completely fallen for him!"
"I have."
The answer came so naturally that everyone froze.
Even Clara looked surprised by her own words.
"...I have?"
She blinked twice before looking at Dominic.
Then she smiled.
"I have."
Dominic’s heartbeat became impossibly loud.
(Control yourself.)
(She’s drunk.)
(She’s completely drunk.)
(None of this counts.)
Unfortunately...
His heart refused to cooperate.
Clara suddenly reached for his tie.
"Hmm..."
She straightened it carefully.
"There."
She nodded proudly.
"Perfect."
Then she patted his chest.
"My handsome husband."
Dominic caught her wrist before she could continue.
"Enough."
His voice remained calm.
Far too calm.
Only Mark noticed the faint redness creeping toward his boss’s ears.
Clara tilted her head innocently.
"What?"
"You’ve had too much to drink."
"I’ve had just enough."
She smiled sweetly.
"I still haven’t told you everything."
Dominic had a very bad feeling about those words.
"What else do you want to say?"
Clara grinned mischievously.
"I was thinking—"
"No."
She blinked.
"But I didn’t even say it."
"I know."
"You don’t know."
"I do."
"You don’t."
She leaned forward again.
"I wanted to tell you that your eyes are really—"
Dominic immediately covered her mouth with one hand.
"No."
Her muffled protest echoed behind his palm.
"Mmmph!"
Hannah laughed so hard tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Brother!"
She pointed at the two of them.
"You’re censoring your own wife!"
Dominic ignored her.
(Absolutely not.)
(If I let her continue, she’ll say something even more outrageous.)
(And I don’t think my heart can survive tonight.)
Clara pulled his hand away with both of hers.
"But I’m flirting."
"I noticed."
"So let me."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because..."
Dominic paused.
"...you’re drunk."
Clara pouted dramatically.
"You’re rejecting your own wife’s flirting."
"I’m postponing it."
"When?"
"When you’re sober."
She thought about it seriously.
"...I’ll probably be shy tomorrow."
"I know."
"So let me finish today."
"No."
"Just one compliment?"
"No."
"Half a compliment?"
"...No."
Mark quickly looked away before he laughed out loud.
I’ve worked for Boss for eight years.
I’ve never seen him negotiate this desperately.
Dominic took a slow breath before turning to his assistant.
"Mark."
"Yes, Boss."
"Take Hannah home."
Hannah immediately pointed at herself.
"Me?"
"Now."
"But I want to watch."
"No."
"This is getting interesting."
"No."
"I’ll be quiet."
"No."
She sighed dramatically.
"My own brother is ruining my entertainment."
Mark politely gestured toward the exit.
"Miss Hannah."
She stood reluctantly.
"Fine."
As she walked past Clara, she leaned close and whispered with a grin,
"Sober up quickly."
"Why?"
"So you can flirt with him again."
Clara nodded seriously.
"I will."
Dominic closed his eyes for one brief second.
(Please stop encouraging her.)
Before Clara could say another word, he bent down and effortlessly lifted her into his arms.
She let out a tiny squeak before instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Ooooh."
She smiled happily. "Princess carry"
Dominic looked down at her.
"Can you walk?"
"No."
"Were you even going to try?"
"No."
"...I figured."
She rested her head against his shoulder with a contented sigh. "My husband smells nice."
Dominic looked straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge the warmth spreading across his face.
(She is definitely never drinking again.)
(...)
(At least not unless I’m the only one around to hear her.)
With Clara curled comfortably in his arms and Mark dragging a laughing Hannah toward the exit, Dominic quietly walked out of the bar, praying the night wouldn’t give his already overworked heart another surprise.