Chapter 5
When Dominic rushed out, the hallway was empty except for an orange tabby cat crouched in the corner, watching him warily.
“Looks like it was just the cat,” Stella said, coming up behind him. “You should get back to Emma. I’ll catch a cab home.”
Dominic frowned: “In this downpour? No way. You’re staying with me.”
Stella bit her lip, whispering: “But Emma…”
“Who’s the man here?” Dominic suddenly gripped her chin, his voice deepening.
Stella’s cheeks instantly flushed as she answered softly: “…You.”
“Then do as I say.” He took her hand and led her straight back to the concert hall.
When they pushed through the doors, Emma still sat in her original seat, quietly listening to the performance.
Dominic sighed with relief, pulling Stella to sit beside her, casually explaining: “Baby, it’s pouring outside. She likes orchestra music too, so I invited her to stay.”
Emma just murmured “mm–hmm,” not exposing his lie.
Throughout the remainder of the concert, Dominic continued showering Emma with attentiveness.
He asked if she was cold, massaged her abdomen, and even whispered whether she wanted to leave early.
But Emma knew his left hand remained tightly interlaced with Stella’s fingers.
She suddenly remembered their first hand–holding.
At sixteen, on a snowy winter night, he’d snuck over her garden wall, extending his frost–reddened hands with a
smile: “Emma, my hands are freezing. Warm them for me?”
She’d blushed as she took his hands, and he immediately tightened his grip, never letting go.
Back then, his eyes held only her.
Yet now he was holding her hand with one while clasping another woman’s with the other,
At this thought, a tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it.
Dominic immediately noticed, his thumb gently wiping her face: “What’s wrong?”
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Just a Stand–In?! My Billionaire Hubby’s OTHER Wife…
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Chapter 5
Emma forced a smile, whispering: “The music is just so moving.”
Dominic chuckled softly, his voice indulgent: “Such a sensitive soul, getting emotional so easily, hmm?”
She remained silent, allowing him to wipe away her tears.
When the concert ended and the crowd dispersed, Dominic didn’t let Emma leave. Instead, he had a collection of instruments wheeled out–piano, cello, violin… each one priceless.
“You once mentioned loving these instruments, so I bought them all at premium prices,” he smiled, asking: “Do you
like them?”
A staff member quickly added: “Ms. Hayes, Mr. Chase went to extraordinary lengths for these instruments. Some were high–bid auction items from private collectors, others borrowed from museums…”
Stella stood nearby, a shadow crossing her eyes.
Emma’s lips twitched slightly, about to speak.
“What’s this?” Stella suddenly reached out, curiously tugging a decorative rope nearby.
“Don’t pull that!” The staff member’s face changed drastically, but it was too late.
An ominous mechanical grinding sound came from above, and the next second, heavy lighting fixtures and sound equipment came crashing down!
In that split second, Dominic yanked Stella into his arms, rolling them both to safety.
Meanwhile, Emma stood frozen, watching as the dark mass plummeted toward her.
CRASH!
Excruciating pain engulfed her as she collapsed in a pool of blood, Dominic’s panicked cry echoing in her fading
consciousness: “EMMA!”
But she knew all too well that in his arms, he cradled someone else.
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