As Cynthia sat lost in thought, a man's cool voice sounded from above her.
"If you regret it now, you'd better stop before things get out of hand. There's nothing more humiliating than making a scene, only to crawl back later."
Startled, Cynthia snapped back to reality.
She didn't regret it.
She'd come this far—there was never any room for second thoughts.
"If you mistake making a fool out of yourself for bravery, I'm afraid you're just being stupid."
His low voice came again from beside her. Cynthia lifted her eyes, catching the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, but there was something else in his gaze—something she couldn't quite read.
For a moment, she couldn't tell if he was amused or quietly furious.
A chill ran through her, and she suddenly felt uneasy.
"I don't," she answered quietly.
Dominic cast her a sidelong glance. "Good. That's for the best."
"Being blind to the truth once is forgivable. But if you can't even use your head, then there's no saving you."
Cynthia said nothing, lips pressed together.
When they reached the car, Dominic opened the door for her, all polished manners and gentlemanly grace, as if he hadn't just gone out of his way to cut her down.
"The flight's not for another three hours," he said. "Have dinner with me first, then we'll head to the airport."
Cynthia nodded obediently and followed his lead.
They arrived at a quiet restaurant.
Seated across from Dominic, she took the menu he handed her without hesitation and ordered her favorite steak.
Dominic didn't bother looking at the menu; he rattled off his order, then asked the waiter to bring a bottle of red wine.
Cynthia hesitated for a moment—she'd be getting on a flight soon—but in the end, she didn't object. After all, today was as good a day as any to toast to new beginnings.
Her tolerance wasn't great, but a glass or two wouldn't hurt.
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