Cancelled Wedding

Ch. Called Off the Wedding 13 Called Off the Wedding 13

Chapter 13

Father Benedict smiled and strode over, carrying himself with a quiet confidence. There wasn’t a hint of sycophancy in his manner; he simply struck up a conversation with Dominic as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“They say gifted horses are easy to find, but true judges of talent are rare. I can’t say I truly appreciate this piece, so I’d rather give it to someone who does. After all, there’s a certain pleasure in giving a gift well–matched.”

A faint smile played at the comer of Dominic’s lips, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement.8

“Mr. Shepard, with you putting it that way, if I refused, it would almost seem rude of me.”

There was a glint of ambition in Benedict’s eyes, a silent certainty that this connection with Dominic would take VistaSphere Group to new heights.

Cynthia, meanwhile, watched the auction item with a flicker of disappointment in her gaze. If the bracelet had ended up with Benedict, she might still have found a way to retrieve it. Now that it was in Dominic’s possession, she had neither the face nor the means to ask for it.”

Benedict accepted the velvet box from his assistant and offered it to Dominic, who took it and handed it off to his own aide with a casual gesture.

Now that the gift had been given, Benedict was already searching for the right moment to invite Dominic out again, hoping to solidify their their budding alliance. But before he could get a word out, Dominic’s assistant, Shaw, chimed in with a cheerful grin.5

“Mr. Shepard, you really do keep your word. Does this mean you’ll also be settling our tab for the evening?“8

Dominic laughed lightly. “What kind of private room could possibly cost that much?”

Shaw replied, “Well, I figured the price included some compensation for having to endure all the noise earlier.

Dominic nodded, amused. “Fair enough”

It was only then that Benedict realized–it had been Dominic who’d complained about his party being too loud earlier. The clever remarks he’d rehearsed caught in his throat, useless now.

He opened his mouth to explain, but Dominic and his group were already moving past him, led by the ever–chatty Shaw, who kept up a lively conversation as they walked.

“If I’d known he was going to hand over the piece, I would’ve bid more aggressively just to drive the price up,” Shaw joked.

Dominic shrugged, barely interested. “No need to rub it in when you’ve already won

Shaw shot him a look. “Saya the man who didn’t exactly go easy on him when you accepted the gift

After all, that was twenty million down the drain for Benedict.8

Dominic’s smile was light as air. “That’s only because I’m the real connoisseur here.

Shaw didn’t quite follow, but let it go.

Back at the table, Benedict stood frozen, all that earlier confidence draining away heplaced by a simmering frustration. He’d just been played–two million down and the prize handed straight to the man who’d outmaneuvered him.

Cynthia watched quietly from the side, her silence somehow sharper than words, as if mocking his foolishness. She had warned him more than once not to get involved with this crowd.

Suppressing his imitation, Benedict forced himself to offer an olive branch. “Everything I won tonight, I bave my assistant send over to you.’E

Cynthia’s face was unreadable. “If you’re giving everything to me, what about Miss Channing? She’d have wasted her whole evening here. for nothing.

Just then, Giselle stepped forward, glancing nervously at Cynthia. “Cynthia, all those pieces were meant for you anyway. I really don’t need anything”

Cynthia let out a cold, mirthless laugh. “How generous, Miss Channing. No wonder every man here praises you for not chasing fame or fortune. Women like you–so pleased to be used for nothing–are a rare breed. If all the mistresses in the world took a page from your book, the wives would have a lot less to worry about losing their fortunes.”%