Chapter 127 Are You Jealous I was skeptical, but since the front desk had made a call, I decided to go and check it out. After informing Shannon, I then left the room.
While waiting for the elevator, I recalled Dominicâs incensed expression when he left. All at once, my heart clenched.
Perhaps I should go back to my parentsâ house and stay for a day or two until he calms downâ¦
Just while I was contemplating that, a ding heralded the arrival of the elevator.
But when the elevator doors slowly opened, my calf started cramping as Dominicâs smiling face came into view. I stood there dumbfounded, unable to move for a long time.
Crap! Why the h*ll am I so unlucky? I was just ruminating about avoiding him, yet Iâve bumped into him in the next second! Ugh! Why on earth is he not keeping Camille company at this hour but wandering around instead?
âHaha, what a coincidence! Where are you going?â As Dominic said that, he even helped to hold the elevator for me.
Snapping back to my sense, I blurted, âOh, Iâm not going anywhere. I just walked past, so please excuse me.â
âLiliana.â
Right after I turned around, I heard Dominic enunciating my name in an ominous voice.
Hearing that, I froze at once. My legs started disobeying me, and I couldnât even take a single step forward despite my brain urging me to flee quickly.
Frustrated, I inwardly cursed myself out for being so such a coward.
âAre you waiting for me to go over and escort you?â
When I heard that, I forced myself to turn back around. My footsteps were so heavy that it was a miracle I didnât dent the ground with every single step.
Seeing that I had entered the elevator, Dominic dropped his hand from the button and leaned back against the elevator wall languidly.
After the elevator doors closed, I leaned against the elevator wall where the keypad was situated.
Upon noticing that none of the buttons were lit, my heart immediately skipped a beat.
Donât tell me he deliberately came to look for me? My expression turned sullen. But isnât this too soon?
He should just put it on my tab and settle the score with me later.
I swiftly pressed the button for the first floor before remaining motionless against the elevator wall.
Although the elevator was rather spacious, I still wanted to keep a distance from him.
Nonetheless, my avoidance was of no use since Dominic had already leaned over himself.
Extending a hand, he propped it beside me to trap me between him and the elevator wall.
I lifted my hands and shoved at him as his warm exhale was now brushing against my face.
However, it was obviously ineffective, for he continued pinning me without moving an inch.
Then, he murmured with a fake smile, âYouâre going to the first floor? I thought you were going to seek out that boyfriend of yours who can back you up. Or is he currently waiting for you on the first floor? Do you two have plans for a romantic night out?â
Clocking the faint murderous undertone in his words, I didnât dare hesitate for even a moment. I instantly explained, âI lost something, so the front desk phoned me to go down and retrieve it. Also, Royce isnât my boyfriend. Donât listen to Shannonâs nonsense, for she was merely joking.â
âRoyce?â the man drawled. âWhat an intimate address. Are you very close with him?â
At his remark, I almost choked on my saliva. Argh! Heâs doing this deliberately, no? Thatâs his name, so how is it intimate?
Nonetheless, I promptly replied, âNo, not at all.â
Still, Dominic continued asking persistently, âSo, why are you calling him by his name if youâre not close with him?â
I threw him a strange look, for such a conversation felt truly familiar.
Before I started dating him, he always appeared cool and arrogant every time I saw him. In fact, he seemed particularly aloof.
After I started dating him, however, I realized that he was actually a stubborn man who was prone to being jealous over the smallest thing.
Once, a male coursemate asked someone to ask me out shortly after we had made our relationship official. He gave me flowers and confessed to me below my dormitory, but Dominic happened to come by just then.
I directly rejected the coursemate right before him and left with him.
Not wanting him to misunderstand, I voluntarily explained things to him. I told him it was a coursemate I wasnât all that close with, and it was someone else who asked me out today. I also asserted that I wouldnât have turned up had I known the purpose of the meeting.
He asked me the exact same question back then, demanding to know why I was referring to my coursemate by name if I wasnât close with him.
At first, I felt that he was a tad unreasonable. But when I later realized that he was jealous, I was actually quite thrilled.
After all, jealousy meant that he cared about me. Thus, I uttered a whole load of saccharine words to flatter him.
Later, he even proclaimed domineeringly that I wasnât to simply address another man by name, saying that a simple âheyâ was more than enough.
At that time, I felt that he was truly handsome. I was so mesmerized that I lost my heart to him.
Heâs actually asking me the same question now? What does that mean? Is he jealous?
I stared intently into his eyes and inquired hopefully, âAre you jealous, Dominic?â
Dominic seemed a touch surprised that I was asking such a question, his expression freezing for a moment. But in the next second, he murmured in amusement, âJealous? You think too highly of yourself.
I just want to remind you that youâre now my woman, so stop flirting around.â
I ducked my head as a bitter smile bloomed on my face.
Ah well, why did I just have to make things difficult for myself when I know full well that he no longer has any feelings for me? I really shouldnât let my imagination run wild. Iâm now his lover, and our relationship will only last until he gets married.
Despite that⦠I still couldnât help the waves of disappointment that washed over me.
âLiliana, youâd better mark my words earlier. You know that Iâve got a short temper.â
I glared at him morosely. The elevator arrived on the first floor right that moment, so I just pushed him away and stalked out without responding to him.
Da*n you, Dominic Hartnell! Are you the only one with a short temper? Iâll have you know that Iâm not all that patient either!
I stormed up to the front desk furiously and related the phone call I received. The receptionist then came out from behind the desk, saying that the person who picked up something of mine was waiting at the lounge, so she would lead me over right away.
As the receptionist led the way, Dominic and I followed behind her.
âWhy are you following me? I told you that Iâm coming down to retrieve something of mine, so you donât have to worry that Iâll go and look for R⦠another man. Iâm going back to my room right after,â I huffed.
âWhat do you care? This is a public space, so what can you do about that?â
Annoyed, I ignored him and started mulling over other things.
Now that I think about it, itâs really bizarre. How can the person who found something of mine be so certain that itâs mine? I checked my things before coming down, so I know for sure that both my purse and cell phone are still there.
âMs. Zanetti, thatâs the lady who found something of yours.â
As my eyes followed the direction in which the receptionist was pointing, my head instantly started pounding.