Chapter 478

The security team surrounding them couldn’t hide their shock.

Dominic’s expression was sharp, almost predatory, yet his voice dripped with unexpected tenderness. The contradiction was jarring, leaving his men utterly confused.

This wasn’t the Dominic they knew.

Years behind bars had hardened him into an unfeeling force.

So why was he suddenly so intrigued by a woman he’d never met?

Instinct told them she was in danger.

No one who caught his eye ever walked away unscathed.

Dominic had a reputation—one built on cruelty and the thrill of breaking others.

At that moment, he reached for a glass filled with sapphire-colored liquor.

His teeth grazed the rim before he threw his head back, downing it in one swift motion. Some of the liquid escaped, trickling down his throat and staining his loosened collar, but he didn’t bother wiping it away.

A smirk curled at the corner of his lips, his gaze dark with amusement and something far more dangerous.

The bodyguard hesitated, confusion flickering across his face. "To Ms. Morgan?"

It was only natural to assume. After all, Isabella was engaged to Dominic. Sending her flowers would be expected.

Dominic’s icy gaze sliced through the air, his lips curling into a sneer as he uttered a single, cutting word. "Moron."

The bodyguard’s face drained of color.

A cold sweat broke out down his back as realization struck—he had overstepped. His voice shook with barely contained fear. "My apologies, Mr. Powell!"

Desperate to make amends, he reached for the flower.

But Dominic’s grip tightened abruptly, his dark eyes boring into the man like a predator sizing up prey.

The bodyguard bowed his head, his entire body trembling.

"Forgive me, Mr. Powell! Please!"

Dominic’s smile was slow, deliberate. "Forgive you? Of course."

Just as relief began to trickle in, Dominic lifted the flower to his lips, biting down on the stem with deliberate sensuality. His striking features took on a dangerous allure as he leaned back in his chair, lazily twirling the blossom between his fingers.

"Though," he mused, voice dripping with mock contemplation, "the color is dreadfully dull."

Dominic plucked the delicate bloom, crushing it beneath his polished shoe with deliberate nonchalance. "Well? What's your brilliant suggestion?"

The bodyguard hesitated, jaw clenched, before drawing a sleek blade from his sleeve. Without flinching, he pierced his own fingertip.

Crimson droplets splattered onto the pristine petals.

A collective inhale echoed from the dozen guards behind him.

The man’s face contorted in silent agony.

Dominic observed with icy detachment, his expression unreadable—a statue carved from indifference.

Minutes stretched before the bleeding ceased. Only then did Dominic chuckle, flicking the ruined flower aside. "Relax. It was a joke." He clapped the guard’s shoulder, lips curling. "You’re so dramatic."

The night air hummed with murmured conversations as guests mingled in glittering pairs. Evelyn sat apart, a shadow in the gilded auction hall, her gaze fixed on the display case where the emerald bracelet would soon appear.

Nathan had kept his distance all evening, a silent sentinel tracking her every move from across the room.

Midway through the bidding, the doors swung open. Alexander entered with Isabella on his arm, drawing whispers like moths to flame.

Secret Longing: A Love Reborn from Ashes (Evelyn) – 1/4