บท 21: Sign it, Kitten

After an hour, Magdalene and Caleb stood outside the office while Evangeline walked in, taking a deep breath. She hadn't wanted to come, but curiosity about Dominic's intentions got the better of her. She found him sitting there, waiting for her, his fingers interlaced.

"I came as promised. Magdalene told me everything," Evangeline said, clenching her fingers in irritation at the sight of him in that seat.

Dominic smiled slightly and pushed a paper toward her with two fingers. Evangeline, standing in front of the table, snatched it and glanced at the contents. Her expression shifted to shock as she waved the paper angrily in front of him. "What the hell is this, Dominic?" she demanded, slamming the paper on the table.

"What?" Dominic asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

"Is this a joke? Why should I sign this?" Evangeline demanded, staring him down.

"The family seal is with him. Needing my signature is just to change the customs of the Sarogath hotel tradition. I wasn't planning on coming, but I wanted to see what you're up to again," she muttered to herself, biting her lower lip in anger. "So, you're going to discontinue the privileges we're providing to other noble families of the honorary committee at the end of this year?" she continued, her grip tightening on the paper.

"What drink did he consume? He must be drunk!" she thought, but Dominic didn't respond to her outburst. Instead, with a neutral expression, he said, "Ma'am, kindly use the pen in front of you. I'm running out of time." He folded his arms, waiting for her to sign.

"Are you serious? The eight members of the committee are the ones who helped my mother and grandmother found this hotel, including the king!" Evangeline was provoked by Dominic's intentions. He remained silent, listening to her rant while a faint smile played on his lips because he enjoyed her ranting sometimes

Seeing his reaction, Evangeline gritted her teeth, struggling to contain her anger.

"I regret coming here," she muttered in her mind under her breath. "My grandmother and mother valued this matter with great care, importance, and honor. And now he thinks he can change it as he pleases? I think my grandmother and the king were blind to choose this man as my husband." She continued to clutch the paper tightly.

"The hotel grew because of the investments made and the guidance given, along with the status of the governess. That's why my family has shown gratitude every year, sending gifts. Even after my parents died, the royal relatives approved these privileges for those families because of their contributions," she said, squinting at Dominic in annoyance.

"Yes, I'm aware of that, Evangeline. I've studied everything. Your grandmother told me as well. While ruling as governor, I'm also in charge of the hotel," Dominic replied, yawning a little and covering his mouth in a polite manner as he looked back at her.

"So why are you suggesting I sign this nonsense?" she demanded, waving the paper again and placing her hands on her hips.

Dominic chuckled. "Let me ask you something, Evangeline. Do you think their descendants are still interested in the growth of the hotel? You have no interest in how they're using their privileges either. There's no contract or evidence detailing how much they're entitled to from their initial investment, apart from the king, your relative."

As Dominic ran a hand through his hair, he couldn't help but admire Evangeline's figure. He gulped slightly, his heart racing as memories of her in nightwear at the library flashed through his mind. He took a deep breath to steady himself.

"Just because they've extended your kindness, you've been using that tradition as an excuse for the management of the hotel and investing in your art career ignoring relevant matters and spending time with your bodyguard" he added, rubbing the jewelry box containing the jewelry she rejected with his fingers.

"Expressing gratitude is part of my duty. Even as an artist, I will never forget that. Because of that, we've maintained good relationships with those families. That's how it's always been," Evangeline replied, her fists clenched, biting her lips again in anger. Dominic noticed her lips, his heart beating faster as he folded his arms admiring them from afar.

"Oh? I wonder..." he said, turning the office chair with small tyres sideways, looking at her emotionlessly. "If they feel the same way," he continued, staring directly into her eyes, which only further irritated her. He had his reasons for wanting to remove the tradition, reasons she couldn't begin to understand—reasons like the threats against her life and the hotel, some of which came from those very families she trusted.

Dominic remembered the time he dressed as a commoner and sat at a bar with the officer assigned to his home because of the peach incident on his wife , listening to two men plotting against the hotel and Evangeline's life. No one had recognized him then, and afterward, he had returned home to find Evangeline kissing Richard in the garden while she was having a picnic.

"That look again... I can't stand this bastard," she thought, biting her lip harder as the paper slipped from her hand, landing with a thud on the floor.

"Of course, the likes of you wouldn't understand because you weren't born into my family. Wait a second," Evangeline said, holding her head and chuckling like someone on the edge of sanity. "What am I saying? That's incest. I wouldn't marry someone of the same blood—that's an abomination..."

Dominic suppressed a laugh at her words but couldn't help a small chuckle. Seeing Evangeline's deadly glare at his reaction, he cleared his throat. "Ahem, as you were saying?" he prompted with a slight smile, quickly returning to a neutral expression.

Evangeline slammed her fist on the table angrily, but Dominic didn't flinch. "The longstanding bonds you're trying to break with this single piece of paper," she fumed, her hand clenched on the table. "Did you really expect me to sign this?" she demanded, staring at him fiercely. He folded his arms and stared back. The two locked eyes, tension crackling between them.

Outside, Caleb and Magdalene waited in awkward silence.

"He said he needed a signature. What's taking them so long?" Caleb sighed.

"Well, as you can see, they're in for another drama. You just have to accept it since they got married" Magdalene replied. "But I don't know what happened inside."

"It seems like they're fighting again. It's even more concerning that we're not allowed inside. I thought they disliked each other," Caleb said, facepalming in frustration.

"They're husband and wife. They finished their meals in peace; what else could happen? They'll be out soon. It's marriage, Caleb. It's normal for married couples to clash; it'll be resolved," Magdalene reassured, folding her arms.

"Pfft... Not in Dominic and Evangeline's case. This is the most complicated marriage I've ever witnessed. I thought marriage was supposed to be peaceful," Caleb muttered, shaking his head.

"This isn't a fairy tale... it's life," Magdalene said, shaking her head at Caleb's naive words, chuckling.

Back in the office, Dominic stared at Evangeline. "Pick it up, sign it, and leave. When I need you, I'll call you," he said emotionlessly.

"You have no right to tell me to leave. I can leave if I want to. This is my family's house, not yours. And that seat you're sitting in right now—you should be the one to get out of my house," she retorted, disdain in her voice.

Dominic didn't react to her words. He was used to her attempts to undermine him and was tired of her spoiled behavior. He stood up from the chair and walked over to Evangeline,brushing his fingers, including the one with the wedding ring, against the table.

"That depends on your capability to kick me out, if you can. You seem to forget that I Dominic Frederick Brusward, your lawfully wedded husband don't have time for your objections all the time. All I asked for was your signature so I could do my job. That's all I need," he said, leaning close to her across the table. Their lips were almost touching, his heart pounding. He gulped, staring at her face. Evangeline's heart was racing too looking at him, her chest heaving with each breath making her breasts to rise. Dominic noticed and gulped again holding his desire. "So, just sign it, kitten... it's as simple as pulling a trigger from a gun" he said with no emotion, fighting the urge to kiss her. He knew he was running out of time.

Evangeline sneered and pushed his hand away, turning away from him. She squatted to pick up the paper and smirked. "Oh no!" she exclaimed, tearing the paper into pieces as Dominic watched with a neutral expression. The torn pieces fluttered to the floor.

"It looks like you won't be needing my signature anymore. Don't you agree?" she said, stepping over the paper pieces as she headed for the door.

Outside, Caleb couldn't bear the silence any longer. A guard approached and handed him a newspaper. As Caleb read, excitement spread across his face. He knocked on the door and opened it, interrupting the tension between Evangeline and Dominic. They both turned to face him.

"Dominic! The newspaper arrived. Your financial crisis solution was approved," Caleb announced with a hint of excitement.