If he thought she was beautiful, tonight she surpassed anything he had imagined…
She looked radiant, her blonde hair was tied in a high bun, with a few rebellious curls escaping… but she looked incredible. The color of the dress, the makeup, it was all just an accessory she made look stunning.
She smiled and spoke animatedly while everyone listened, as if no one wanted to interrupt just to let her keep expressing herself.
Dominick felt jealous—that was it—and he didn't want to admit it.
"Jade looks..." Maximiliano murmured, drawing his friend's sharp gaze, "wow, she's absolutely gorgeous."
"I know," he growled, annoyed. She was drawing too much attention, and it started to bother him. "Let's go say hi."
"Dominick..." Maxi warned, grabbing his arm. "Remember what we talked about."
He shook him off and didn't respond, walking straight toward her. He told himself not to make a scene, though he doubted he could keep it together. He was just more irrational when it came to her… and he didn't want to admit what that meant. Even less, did he want to prove his friend right.
"What did I do to deserve this?" Maxi muttered, following behind him.
Dominick recognized half of the men at the table—two of them were business partners.
Jade
The night had started off splendidly. She met as many people as always when she came to these events, and reconnected with a few as well. Some of those people were extremely important, others were insufferable, but a few were genuinely nice in her opinion.
At the table where she was chatting, there were six men including Christian, and four women with her. Even though she didn't want to be the center of attention, she couldn't avoid it—her lively conversation kept everyone entertained and laughing.
She was about to take her fourth sip of champagne when that unmistakable voice said:
"Good evening..."
She nearly choked and started coughing. Christian, sitting to her right, rushed to help her, patting her back.
"Are you alright?" asked Aurelio Chazo, an industrial engineer sitting on her left.
"Yes..." she managed once she got air into her lungs. She felt incredibly embarrassed for the scene, and blamed Dominick for it, since he always showed up at the most inconvenient times.
"Here," Aurelio offered her his navy blue handkerchief. She thanked him quietly.
"Mr. Jackson, what a surprise to see you here," commented Emmanuel Fuentes, one of his business partners.
"The same to you, Mr. Fuentes," Dominick replied with a smile, sneaking a glance at Jade, who was still being tended to by Christian and a very concerned Aurelio. Dom clenched his jaw when the man placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder, causing her to shift uncomfortably. He forced himself to stay calm.
"Maximiliano, so good to see you again," said Julio Beltré, an old college classmate. The atmosphere had shifted; Jade looked anywhere but at Dominick.
"Would you like to sit with us?" Julio asked.
"Thanks," Dom accepted before Maxi could politely decline—which was exactly what he'd intended to do. Backed into a corner and unsure what else to do, the brunette sat beside his friend.
"You'll pay for this," Maxi muttered so only Dominick could hear. He just smiled.
Dominick stared at Jade, while she tried to focus on anything but him. But it was becoming harder by the second.
A long while passed, with everyone trying to keep up conversation and ease the tension that had taken hold when Dom and Maximiliano arrived. But Jade was restless, nervous, and ready to leave. What was meant to be a lovely evening had turned into an extremely uncomfortable one.
"I'm surprised to see you here, Dominick," came a woman's voice, making everyone at the table turn to see who it was. Shana smiled with her usual subtle flirtatiousness.
Her black hair was tied in a low bun, and she wore bold red lipstick that made her beautiful lips look even more tempting. Her black dress was dazzling—with a small opening at the chest that left much to the imagination, and a thigh-high slit that added a touch of sensuality.
"Shana," Dominick exclaimed, standing up. "Excuse me for a moment—I'll be right back."
Dom walked away with the woman under Jade's watchful gaze, and she didn't know how to react. So, she just sighed and smiled—maybe she was the distraction he needed to leave her alone.
"Want to get some fresh air?" Christian asked, taking her hand and gently caressing it.
"Yes, let's go." She picked up her small clutch.
They promised they'd be back soon and stepped out onto the balcony. The city lights shone, and in the distance, they could see Central Park—everything looked breathtaking.
"I never thought he'd show up," Chris broke the silence, staring straight ahead.
"Me neither…" Jade murmured.
"If you want, we can leave," Chris suggested, looking at her this time.
She considered it. She'd already spent some time with the kids, but they'd had to return since the convent where the orphanage was located was far away. She shook her head—she couldn't do that to Christian, who, as always, looked thrilled to be at one of these events.
"Don't worry, we should stay until the end. We always do," she said with a smile, trying to comfort him.
"Mr. Jackson," a woman called to Chris. He and Jade turned toward her. "Mrs. Edith is asking for you—she'd like to see you for a few minutes."
He looked at Jade.
"Go, I'll stay out here a little longer. I'll be inside in a few minutes," she assured him. Christian nodded, not fully convinced about leaving her alone, but in the end, he left.
She rested her forehead against the railing, gripping her small purse with her left hand.
"I need a long break… if I keep going like this, I'm going to have a heart attack," she whispered.
"I'd hate for you to die without knowing what it's like to be in my arms. Not to sound full of myself…" Jade lifted her head and opened her eyes to find Dominick leaning against the railing, staring at her.
"But so far, no woman has ever complained."
He smiled, and she rolled her eyes.
She turned to leave, but Dominick gently grabbed her arm.
"Don't go—I'm not here to argue, I just want to talk. I come in peace."
He let go.
Jade felt conflicted. This wasn't the Dominick she was used to, and that piqued her curiosity. Against her better judgment, she stayed.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"You look stunning," he said, scanning her from head to toe. "Shame you don't dress like that for me."
Jade rolled her eyes.
"First, I don't dress for anyone. And second, I thought you wanted to talk about something serious. I'm always wrong about you."
She turned to leave again, but once more he caught her arm—he wasn't about to let her walk away so easily.
"I brought you your phone. I couldn't find the exact same model, but it's the same brand."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out the phone, handing it to her.
Jade narrowed her eyes at the device. She had a Samsung J3 Emerge, and he had brought her the latest model.
"I'm only accepting it because you broke mine. Don't even think for a second that this puts me in your debt or gives you the right to offer me anything else later on," she warned, lifting her chin. "I hope that's clear."
"I wasn't planning—"
"Good," she interrupted. "Now that you've given me the phone, I believe we have nothing else to talk about."
"Actually, we do. There's still something unresolved," he countered, clearly uncomfortable with how distant she was being. He had to admit he preferred her heated arguments and bursts of madness over this cold indifference.
"What? As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing left to talk about." She turned her back on him.
"You're not going to avoid what happened in the bedroom," he said, making her freeze.
"You can't pretend it didn't happen—we need to talk—"
She turned back to him.
"What happened was a mistake."
"And yet you liked it."
Dominick stepped closer until he was just inches from her face. Jade's breathing grew unsteady just from remembering what had happened in that room. Her quickened breath mixed with his, and Dominick, determined not to let her go, would find any excuse to make her stay.
"And that, you can't deny it."
"You don't know anything," she growled, angry at the triumphant smile playing on his lips.
"Oh, but I do. I saw it up close: you, turned on, breathless, moaning for me…" he smirked.
That was the last straw. Jade raised her hand, ready to slap him. But Dominick was faster. He caught her wrist—he had promised himself he wouldn't let her catch him off guard again, and this time, he was ready.
"You're not going to have the pleasure of hitting me again," he said, pulling her closer.
"And you're not going to touch me again!" she shouted, losing control. Her chest heaved as she struggled to free herself.
"You know something, Jade?" Dominick leaned in so close she froze, only able to stare into his dark brown eyes, which were now turning pitch black.
"You should've thought of that before letting my lips explore your folds however they pleased…" he whispered.
She didn't have time to respond because he attacked her lips with ferocity. Jade let herself be swept away by the indescribable sensations Dominick had been stirring in her lately. His kisses were more demanding, more addictive and exquisite than any they had shared before...
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Dominick wasted no time claiming her waist.
Her purse fell to the floor.
The wild kiss had them both fighting for control. Their tongues danced a dangerous, sensual battle, each trying to win. Dominick grabbed Jade's ass, making her moan like a cat in heat, hungry for more...
In that moment, nothing existed but that magnificent, delicious kiss.
"Jade, why are you taking so—"
Christian froze the second he saw the scene before him.
"—long."
Like she'd been scorched by hot iron, Jade tore herself away from Dominick. The blonde looked at Christian, horror etched across her face.
Shocked. Disbelieving. Hurt...
Those words perfectly described Christian's state.
"I… I didn't know that… you two…" he cleared his throat, uncomfortable. He was stammering, not knowing how to react.
Jade couldn't find the words, and Dominick stood there smirking, unable to hide how much he enjoyed watching his brother suffer.
"I…" Jade started, but Christian turned around and left.
"Let him go," Dom said, crossing his arms. "Now he'll finally understand that you're mine."
The blonde turned to him and shot him a murderous glare.
"Stop talking nonsense! I am not yours, damn it! Leave me alone!" she shouted. She bent down and picked up her purse.
Her eyes welled with tears, and she didn't even know why. She ran off, looking for Christian, but didn't see him. Instead, she headed to the bathroom. She locked the door behind her and stared at herself in the mirror.
Her lips were swollen, her makeup was smudged, and her nose was red. She felt… guilty, somehow. The beautiful night she had envisioned was now completely ruined.
She pulled out makeup wipes and furiously wiped her cheeks, enraged at herself for falling back into Dominick's trap. He always used his tricks to lure her in.
"Stupid! Stupid! A thousand times stupid!" she yelled at her reflection.
"But no more…"
She finished removing her makeup, put everything back into her purse, and walked out of the bathroom. She was about to leave through the back door when Dominick's shouting stopped her...
"I don't give a damn…!"
Jade looked around until she pinpointed the exact spot the yelling was coming from. She peeked through a door that hadn't fully closed.
"You just want to play with her!" Christian snapped. He looked furious, with a split lip—just like Dominick.
"And if I do? Why do you care?" Dominick roared. "Do you think I give a damn about your pathetic feelings for her?"
He laughed, and Christian's face fell.
"You actually thought you had a chance with Jade? Oh, sorry to crush your dreams."
Jade couldn't believe what she was hearing. She clutched her purse tightly—Dominick was showing his true self: cruel and heartless.
"…Poor fool. You love her, but to her, you're just a friend. Straight to the friendzone," he mocked.
"Shut up!" Christian exploded, punching his brother hard enough to send him to the ground. "At least I do love her. But you'll never know what that's like, because you're a despicable bastard. You know something?" he laughed bitterly, wiping the blood from his lip. "For years, I blamed myself for what happened with Jazmín. But now? I'm glad. I saved her from someone like you."
Jade watched as Dominick's mocking expression shifted into one of pure hatred. She knew he was going to hit Christian, so she rushed in.
"That's enough!" the blonde cried out, nearly fainting. "Stop fighting…" she murmured, her vision blurring.
Christian reached her just in time, catching her in his arms as she collapsed.