Submitting to my Ex Uncle-Chapter 185

"Let’s leave," Dominic whispered to Celeste.

His hand was firm on the small of her back, steady, and protective. His tone was low, but the edge in it was impossible to miss.

He’d sensed it already. The faint copper taste of tension in the air was like blood hanging around before a storm. The moment the Chairman steps away, there might be a bloodbath.

Celeste tilted her head slightly to glance at him. Her lashes brushed against her cheeks, and her lips parted as if to say something.

However, she didn’t say another word. She trusted his instincts more than her own in a room like this. She only nodded, wrapping her hand around his arm tighter.

They had only taken two steps toward the grand archway when a shadow loomed before them. The kind of presence behind them didn’t need to announce itself.

"Leaving so soon, Mr. Dominic?" The Chairman’s voice was smooth, and dipped in something that always sat between charm and command.

His gaze slid from Dominic to Celeste, then back again, deliberate, and sharp. He smiled faintly, but it wasn’t the kind of smile that was meant to soothe. It was a reminder of how he won’t be betrayed, or played with.

Dominic’s jaw tightened, but he gave the kind of nod that could pass as respect. "Chairman."

Celeste straightened subtly at Dominic’s side. She already knew what this was. Dominic had warned her about this possibility, and about how the Chairman had a habit of peeling into the people closest to his men, studying them as if they were chess pieces, and testing their weight and position.

The Chairman’s eyes softened only slightly as they lingered on Celeste. "You must be the one I’ve heard so much about." His words carried weight, as if he’d already drawn conclusions long before he’d spoken. "May I?" He gestured lightly, asking without asking to have a word with her.

Dominic’s hand flexed against her back. However, Celeste gave the faintest nod, her voice gentle but unwavering. "Of course."

The Chairman’s gaze lingered on her in approval. The corner of his lips curved faintly. "A woman who speaks for herself. That is rare, and valuable." His tone dripped with something between admiration and testing.

He took a step closer, lowering his voice just enough so that his words brushed against her ears but were loud enough for Dominic to catch. "Tell me, Celeste. Do you understand the world you’ve walked into?"

Celeste’s lips curved in a smile that was both polite and sharp. "I understand enough, sir." She said softly, still smiling. "Enough to know nothing here is ever handed freely. And enough to know that every glass raised, and every smile exchanged costs something." Her voice didn’t waver, her eyes simply locked with his.

The Chairman’s expression didn’t change immediately. Then, slowly, he let out a small laugh. The sound sent a ripple across the silence around them. Men turned subtly in their direction, but no one dared interrupt.

Dominic smirked faintly, pride flickering in his eyes at her response, though his hand remained on her back, grounding her, and ready.

The Chairman leaned just enough to let his words coat her with warning. "Sharp. You are very sharp. You’ll do well, then. But be careful. Beauty mixed with wit attracts not only allies... but enemies who would rather see the flame snuffed out."

Celeste tilted her head, unbothered. Her red lips lifted into the kind of smile that disarmed and challenged him in the same breath. "Then it’s good I’m not standing alone, isn’t it?" She squeezed Dominic’s arm lightly, her voice soft but resolutely certain.

For a fraction of a second, the Chairman’s gaze flicked to Dominic. And there it was. He saw the faintest curve of satisfaction on Dominic’s expression. "Indeed." He agreed.

He finally stepped back, his presence easing, though it never truly vanished. His parting words slid into the air like the final note of a symphony. "London will be interesting. Very interesting, indeed."

Dominic didn’t give room for further delay. The moment the Chairman stepped aside, his arm tightened around Celeste, and he began leading her toward the exit. His pace was controlled, but his body was coiled, and ready, with each step deliberate.

He also made sure to walk gently enough so Celeste didn’t have to quicken her steps.

Celeste exhaled slowly as they moved away, though her hand never loosened from his arm. "He’s... not what I expected," she whispered under her breath.

Dominic’s lips brushed against her temple, his voice low. "No one ever expects him. That’s how he wins." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

She glanced up at him, studying his profile. The hard set of his jaw, and the faint shadow in his eyes told her everything that there was to know. "But you saw it coming."

"I always do," Dominic murmured, his eyes fixed forward, with the weight of the room still clinging to his senses. "That’s why we’re leaving. Before the night tastes like more than blood."

They walked through the last stretch of the grand hall. Eyes still followed them, whispers still trailed behind. Celeste held her head high, with her red gown flowing behind her, and Dominic’s hand remained firm at her back as though daring anyone to step too close.

"Here, baby," Dominic took off his jacket the moment they stepped outside, and dropped it on her shoulder, shielding her from the night wind.

"I’m not cold," Celeste protested.

Celeste smiled faintly when she said that, her chin tilted up, but the way she tucked into his jacket betrayed her.

Dominic smirked down at her, knowing better than to argue. "I care about that, but I don’t like the night touching you."

Celeste laughed softly, and almost inaudible, but it smoothed the edges of his voice. "You shouldn’t baby me all the time, you know that, right?"

"I intend to," he answered without missing a beat. His hand slid to her waist, holding her steady as they walked toward the car waiting at the curb.

His driver had already stepped out, opening the door for them.

Celeste let Dominic guide her in. The train of her gown dragged across the ground before he adjusted it carefully inside the car. Only then did he step in after her, pulling the door close.

Celeste tilted her face toward him, watching his profile. The streetlights casted fleeting gold across his features, sharp and unyielding. Yet, they softened every time his gaze dropped briefly to her.

"You didn’t like him speaking to me." It wasn’t a question. She said it lightly, and knowingly, the corners of her mouth curving as she studied him.

Dominic’s lips twitched, but his eyes stayed hard. "I didn’t like the way he looked at you." His hand found her thigh, grounding her, and pulling her back into the seriousness that still lingered.

He leaned closer, his lips brushing just at her temple again. "You were perfect. But next time, don’t answer give them much words."

"Why?" she asked, her voice featherlight. "Because I might make enemies?"

His hand squeezed lightly at her thigh, not playful this time but possessive, and protective. "Because I don’t like giving them reasons to remember your name."

Celeste stilled at that, her chest warming, her smile softening into something more private. "You’re cute," she whispered, leaning into him.

Dominic kissed the crown of her head. The kiss lingered there. "No. I’m just yours" he said, his hand sliding higher up her waist.