Chapter 233: Finding ways to torture someone

Alex continued to lie on the ground, completely ignoring how much time had passed.

He had always considered himself to be in good shape. He worked out, stayed fit, and liked to believe he was stronger than most men.

Yet somehow, a single push from Dominic had left him questioning every life choice he had ever made.

"Did I break my back?" Alex muttered, attempting to move.

A sharp pain shot through his back, and he immediately froze.

"Why can’t I move?"

Dominic had only used one hand to shove him to the ground, yet Alex felt as if he had just been hit by a truck.

Nearby, two girls who had just stepped out of the restaurant noticed him still lying there.

"Is he okay?" one of them asked, staring at him strangely. "Why is he still lying there?"

"Well, you saw what happened earlier," her friend replied with a chuckle. "That man tried to touch someone’s wife, and the husband shoved him to the ground. I guess the fall must have been pretty bad."

She was the only one who had witnessed the entire incident because her friend had been inside paying the bill. Having seen Alex trying to grab the woman, she had absolutely no sympathy for him.

Alex glared at them but said nothing.

Then, as if his humiliation wasn’t already complete, a passerby walked past, looked at him lying on the ground, and casually tossed a coin beside him.

Alex stared at the coin.

"..."

Slowly, he picked it up.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Hey! Who do you think I am?" he shouted.

The man didn’t even bother turning around.

Alex clenched the coin in his fist.

He had never felt this humiliated in his entire life.

First, he had been thrown to the ground in front of Clara.

Then Dominic had walked away as if nothing had happened.

And now, strangers were treating him like a homeless man.

What kind of day is this?

Alex knew he couldn’t stay there forever while people continued staring and making comments.

With great difficulty, he pushed himself up.

The moment he stood, pain radiated through his back. His face twitched, but with everyone watching, he forced himself to maintain a calm expression.

"I’m fine," he muttered under his breath, pretending nothing was wrong.

He straightened his clothes and walked away with as much dignity as he could manage. However, the moment he reached a secluded area where no one could see him, his entire facade collapsed.

Alex stumbled toward a tree and grabbed the trunk for support.

"Just how strong was that push?" he groaned, grimacing as another wave of pain shot through his back. "I feel like he broke my spine!"

He took a deep breath and cursed under his breath.

One thing was certain. He might have been humiliated today, but there was no way he was going to fight Dominic. He valued his life far too much for that.

Alex remained there for a while, but despite everything that had happened, he still refused to let go of Clara.

She had exposed his lies right to his face, yet he remained convinced that he could still win her back.

In his mind, it was only a matter of time before Clara calmed down and realized that they belonged together.

"I just need to give her some time," he muttered, trying to convince himself.

With a determined look in his eyes, Alex finally turned to leave.

But before he could take more than a few steps, a black cloth was suddenly thrown over his head.

"What the—?"

A strong hand grabbed him from behind, and before Alex could even react, he was dragged away.

"Let go of me! Who are you?"

His struggle was useless.

Within seconds, he was being taken somewhere he had absolutely no idea about.

***

Silence filled the car as Dominic remained quiet, lost in his thoughts while scrolling through something on his phone.

Clara sat beside him, occasionally glancing his way but choosing not to disturb him.

A few minutes later, Dominic finished whatever he had been reading and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

By then, they had already arrived home.

Toto suddenly lifted his head and barked excitedly.

"Yes, we’re home," Dominic said with a faint smile as he opened the car door.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Toto eagerly jumped down and ran toward the house.

Clara stepped out after him, and the couple followed their puppy inside.

Toto immediately disappeared into the living room, his little paws tapping against the floor as he explored.

Dominic shook his head at the sight before following Clara upstairs.

It wasn’t until they reached their bedroom that Clara suddenly stopped.

Dominic had barely turned toward her when she stepped closer and wrapped both arms around his neck.

"What were you looking at so intently on your phone?"

Clara might have been able to hear Dominic’s thoughts, but the moment he became absorbed in his phone, even his thoughts seemed to go silent.

That surprised her.

She had always assumed that whenever someone read or processed something, their thoughts would naturally reveal it. Yet somehow, her husband seemed to be an exception.

Dominic’s expression remained stoic, but his hand instinctively wrapped around her waist, gently pulling her closer.

"Finding ways to torture someone."

The moment he said those words, Clara went still.

"Dom, don’t tell me you’re planning to kidnap Alex and teach him a lesson."

"..."

Dominic blinked, clearly caught off guard by how quickly she had figured it out.

Then a thought crossed his mind.

[How did she find that out?]

Clara’s narrowed eyes widened in disbelief. She had simply said those words in a fluke, but Dominic confirming it with his thoughts only left her utterly bewildered.

Dominic, on the other hand, had already decided that if he wanted to keep Alex away from her, he would have to deal with the man himself.

After Alex had spent the entire day stalking Clara, Dominic had finally decided to confront him.

And instead of backing off, that man had approached Clara and confessed his feelings while lying straight through his teeth.

The thought alone was enough to make Dominic’s jaw tighten.

"You don’t want that? Are you still trying to protect him?" Dominic asked.

Clara blinked.

Dominic hated even the thought that Clara might still harbor feelings for Alex. So when she looked genuinely surprised by his question, his jealousy immediately spiked.

[Does she still like him? Did that idiot’s confession actually melt her heart?]

Clara stared at him for a moment. But when she noticed the slight furrow between his brows and the unmistakable jealousy in his eyes, her heart softened.

"No, I’m not protecting him," she said calmly. "In fact, if you need any help, I can help you."

Dominic’s expression remained serious.

Clara continued, "It’s time Alex realized there’s nothing left for him here. I’ve already moved on, and I like my husband far too much to start looking for another man."

"..."

Dominic went completely silent.

[Did she just say she likes me?]

His eyes widened slightly. [Wait... did I hear that right?]

Clara couldn’t help but smile at his stunned expression.

"Dom, I like you. And you should know that I’m not someone who changes her feelings so easily."

She deliberately repeated herself, and this time, Dominic’s hand immediately flew to his chest.

[Holy shit. Why is my heart beating so fast?]

His eyes remained fixed on her.

[Is this a confession? Did she just openly declare that she likes me?]

Clara bit back a laugh.

For someone who had been ready to torture Alex a few minutes ago, Dominic suddenly looked like a man who had completely forgotten how to function.

[Calm down, Dominic. You can’t possibly faint right now!]

Dominic’s ears had turned bright red after hearing Clara’s confession. The more he replayed her words in his mind, the faster his heart raced.

"So, Dom, stop worrying about Alex. He’s about as relevant to me as an old pair of shoes I threw away ages ago," Clara reassured him.

Dominic finally relaxed.

Although Clara had repeatedly made it clear that she had no feelings for Alex, a small part of him still felt insecure knowing she had loved that man before meeting him.

"Hmm," he murmured, nodding.

However, just as he was beginning to enjoy having her in his arms, Clara suddenly released him and stepped back.

At first, Dominic didn’t understand what was happening. But the moment Clara began removing her clothes, his expression darkened.

"Care to join me for a quick shower, husband?" she teased, tossing her top toward him.

Dominic caught it effortlessly.

Clara knew it had been a while since they had shared a truly intimate moment, and judging by the way Dominic was looking at her, she wasn’t the only one who had noticed.

She smiled, unable to hide her anticipation.

[Quick shower? I’m going to take my sweet time, wife.]

The corner of Dominic’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.

Without wasting another second, he strode toward her and swept her into his arms.

"Dom!" Clara laughed in surprise.

"Too late to change your mind," he murmured.

Still laughing, Clara wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her toward the bathroom, both of them disappearing behind the door.