"Ladies," he said, flashing a wink as if he’d just walked into a comrcial. "Sorry for the delay. Bla the idiot beside ."
"Hey!" the so-called idiot protested, glaring up at him. He was shorter by a few inches, with a boyishly cute face and warm honey-colored eyes that instantly softened the mood. His fluffy hair curled slightly at the edges, and he carried that familiar air of soone perpetually scolded by life for cris he never committed. "It wasn’t my fault! He said, ’Take a shortcut,’ and that shortcut went through a construction site!"
The taller one chuckled lazily. "It worked, didn’t it?"
The cute one puffed his cheeks, clearly losing the argunt. "You’re lucky you’re handso, or I’d report you!"
Every head in the lounge turned toward the newcors, curiosity filling the room. Alexa’s breath hitched, her jaw nearly dropping. Wait—that face, that sharp jawline, those smug dark eyes...
Wasn’t that Dominic King?
The Dominic King—international model, luxury brand ambassador, and the man whose smirk had sold more perfu than the actual scent ever did. What was he doing here?
And the other one—shorter, wild-haired, with a smile that could light up an entire racetrack—Alexa blinked twice before realization struck. Jason Vale, the youngest professional racer to ever win the International HyperDrive Grand Prix. His na alone made car companies beg for collaborations.
Dominic didn’t seem remotely fazed by the attention. He shoved his hands casually into his pockets, a faint smirk curving his lips as if he owned the air itself. His gaze swept lazily across the room—until it landed on Scarlett.
"Oh, no," Scarlett muttered under her breath, grimacing.
Dominic’s grin widened, clearly amused by her annoyance. He loved won who rolled their eyes at him—it made the chase far more entertaining.
But then his gaze shifted again, and sothing in his expression changed. The teasing arrogance lted away, replaced by genuine awe.
So this is Bellatrix... he thought, staring straight at Bella. Her soft features, gentle eyes, and the quiet warmth in her smile didn’t belong to the glittering, artificial world he ca from. She looked real—beautifully, disarmingly real.
"Beautiful eyes," he murmured under his breath before he could stop himself.
Alexa’s expression twisted imdiately, jealousy burning hot beneath her forced smile. What the hell? Why is every man suddenly obsessed with her?
Dominic didn’t even notice her. When his gaze finally flicked her way, his smirk vanished, replaced by the faintest look of disgust. He rembered her now: Alexa DeLuna, the influencer who had once tried to flirt with him at a private fashion event, boasting about her "connections" until he’d walked away mid-sentence. Seeing her again made his stomach turn.
Jason, anwhile, looked around curiously. When his honey-brown eyes t Freya’s, he paused. She froze under his gaze, clutching her hands nervously.
Jason’s lips curved into a soft, reassuring grin. "Hey," he said kindly, voice gentle and warm. "You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."
Freya blinked rapidly, her cheeks flushing. "I-I’m fine," she said shyly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dominic glanced between them, smirking faintly. "Jason, stop scaring the civilians," he drawled, earning an eye roll from Scarlett and a quiet laugh from Bella.
The two n finally took the empty seats on the couch.
"Sir Dom! What a surprise! So good to see you again!" Alexa said in her sweetest, most high-pitched voice as she practically leapt to her feet. She smoothed her hair, adjusted her dress, and extended her hand like she was greeting royalty.
Dominic blinked once. Then again. Even that looked sinful. His dark eyes lifted lazily to her face, his expression unreadable—half bored, half dangerous.
"Oh," he said finally, tilting his head slightly. "You again."
Just you again.
Alexa’s smile twitched, but she forced a laugh. "Yes, ! Hahaha... destiny, right?" She brushed invisible lint from her dress, desperate to look confident. "I saw your campaign with D&M—amazing work! You’ve... improved a lot!"
Jason, who had just taken a sip of his drink, nearly choked. Improved? he thought, biting back laughter.
Dominic leaned back lazily, one arm over the couch. "Improved?" he echoed, his deep voice smooth as velvet. "You an I wasn’t perfect before?"
His tone was teasing, but there was a glint in his eyes that made Alexa’s knees wobble. She let out a breathy giggle. "No, no! You were already perfect! Just... even more now!"
Jason leaned forward, his honey eyes filled with mock innocence. "So his last face didn’t et your standards?"
Alexa’s smile froze. "I—uh—I didn’t an it like that..."
Dominic chuckled lowly, his smirk lazy and knowing. "Careful, miss," he said, voice low and unhurried. "If you keep flattering like that, people will think you’re my PR manager."
"I wouldn’t mind that!" she blurted, eyes sparkling.
Jason snorted into his drink. "Oh no, trust , you don’t want that job," he said with mock seriousness. "His ego already has a full-ti staff."
Dominic turned his head toward him, feigning offense. "Excuse ?"
Jason grinned, unbothered. "I an, look at you. You walk into a room and mirrors start clapping."
Bella burst out laughing, the sound light and genuine. Dominic’s lips curved into a devilish grin. "That’s only because they recognize quality," he said smoothly, his gaze flicking briefly to Bella before returning to Jason.
Alexa saw that look and nearly combusted. Did he just glance at her? Her?!
Jason kicked one leg over the other, smirking. "So, Alexa," he said casually, "how’s the influencer life? Still reviewing protein powders and crying in comnt sections?"
He actually knew her all too well—he’d once helped Scarlett build a bot-multiplier program that flooded Alexa’s pages with fake comnts and exaggerated engagent.
Scarlett choked on her drink, while Bella blinked in shock before covering her smile.
Alexa froze, color draining from her face. "I—I don’t cry," she said quickly, forcing a laugh that sounded painfully brittle.
Dominic raised an eyebrow, pretending to look impressed. "Really? That’s admirable. I cry sotis. Usually when I see bad editing."
Scarlett snorted so hard she had to cover her mouth, while Bella tried to hide her giggle behind her hand.
Jason leaned forward again, his tone mock-gentle. "Don’t take it personally. He’s just allergic to filters. And lies."
Dominic’s lips twitched. "Mostly lies," he murmured.
The room erupted in laughter again—everyone except Alexa, whose brittle smile was threatening to shatter.
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