Chapter 10: No Longer a Private Matter

Naturally, videos of the confrontation were uploaded before Alex had even left the private lounge.

Those who’d been hoping for a screaming match or, better yet, an actual fistfight probably went home disappointed.

But those familiar with Alexander Vance version 1.0 had gotten something far more interesting.

For once, Alex hadn’t tried to accommodate Dominic, smooth things over, or quietly swallow his anger for the sake of their families and companies. He’d stood his ground and made it perfectly clear that while Dominic might have unilaterally decided their marriage could simply be postponed until it suited him, Alex could just as easily decide there would be no marriage at all.

And he’d done it without shouting or throwing so much as a glass.

Apparently, Alexander Vance didn’t need to make a scene to make his point.

A few carefully chosen words, delivered with the same composure he normally reserved for the boardroom, had proven more than enough.

Especially when his final decision had been painfully simple.

Dominic hadn’t fulfilled his end of their agreement.

Therefore, as far as Alex was concerned, the agreement was over.

Then he left.

Unfortunately for Dominic, the consequences didn’t leave with him.

In fact, judging by the way his phone started vibrating before Alex had even made it out of the building, they were only beginning.

The first call came from his executive assistant.

"Sir, I’m sorry, but I really need instructions. PR has been calling me nonstop, Legal wants to know whether Mr. Vance formally terminated the engagement, and your mother has called the office four times."

Dominic rubbed his temple.

"Then tell them I’ll deal with it tomorrow."

"I already did."

"Then what’s the problem?"

"They said tomorrow is too late."

Dominic’s expression darkened.

Of course it was.

Apparently, everyone had suddenly forgotten he was the CEO, not some machine they could switch on whenever they panicked.

"Tell them there will be no statement until I approve one."

He ended the call.

The phone immediately rang again.

PR.

Dominic almost declined it, then decided they would probably just keep calling.

"What?"

"Mr. Sebastian, we need to know what position we’re taking. Videos from the lounge are already circulating, and several outlets are reporting that Mr. Vance publicly ended the engagement."

"He was angry."

There was a short silence.

"Yes, sir. Unfortunately, he was also very clear."

Dominic’s jaw tightened.

"Then say this is a private misunderstanding between two people who have known each other for years. Nothing has been finalized."

"But Mr. Vance said—"

"I heard what Alex said."

Dominic disconnected the call.

Really.

Had everyone suddenly decided Alex’s temper tantrum was legally binding?

His phone rang for the third time.

This one came from a member of the Sebastian Group Board.

Dominic straightened before answering.

"Uncle."

"What the hell happened tonight?"

Dominic glanced around the lounge.

Andrew had wisely remained nearby without interrupting.

"Alex overreacted."

"Alexander Vance just announced in front of half the city’s business community that your engagement is finished."

"He didn’t announce anything. We had an argument."

"An argument that is currently being watched online."

Dominic’s expression hardened.

"That doesn’t change our business agreements."

"No, but Vance Holdings can."

That shut him up for a moment.

His uncle continued before Dominic could answer.

"We’re calling an emergency Board meeting."

"Over my engagement?"

"Over the financial exposure created by whatever the hell you’ve done to it."

Dominic’s jaw clenched.

There it was again.

Not one question about what had actually happened between him and Alex.

Just business.

"We’ll discuss it tomorrow."

"We certainly will."

The call ended.

Dominic stared at his phone.

Another call arrived almost immediately.

Then another.

A cousin wanted to know whether the Vances were pulling out of their joint projects.

An aunt who owned a substantial number of shares demanded to know whether she should be worried about the stock price when markets opened.

One executive was considerably more careful.

"Sir, I apologize for calling this late, but my division has nearly a third of its current pipeline tied to projects involving Vance Holdings."

"And?"

"If they suspend those projects pending review..."

Dominic understood perfectly well what the man was asking.

He simply didn’t appreciate being asked.

"They won’t."

"Are you certain?"

Dominic’s eyes narrowed.

"Do you have some reason to believe I don’t know how to handle my own fiancé?"

There was a noticeable pause.

"Former fiancé, sir?"

Dominic hung up.

Unbelievable.

Another phone started vibrating.

Dominic’s expression darkened almost immediately.

Seriously?

What now?

He was already halfway to reaching for his own phone when he realized the sound wasn’t coming from the one he’d dropped onto the table.

It was Andrew’s.

"Oh..."

Andrew quickly pulled out his phone, looking as though he intended to answer without much thought.

Then he saw the name flashing across the screen.

His fingers stopped.

The wedding coordinator.

For the briefest moment, something changed in Andrew’s expression.

Not enough for Dominic to notice anything particularly suspicious, especially with everything else currently competing for his attention, but enough that Andrew immediately turned the screen toward himself.

"I need to take this," he murmured.

Dominic barely acknowledged him.

Andrew quietly slipped away from the lounge, moving down the hall until the noise from the room became muffled behind the closed doors.

Only then did he answer.

"What?"

The sweetness had disappeared completely from his voice.

"Mr. Andrew, we need to talk about my payment."

Andrew’s eyes narrowed.

"Now?"

"We’ve already waited long enough. We did exactly what you asked. We stayed outside the Marriage Bureau, photographed Mr. Vance throughout the day, and made sure there was enough material to use."

Andrew glanced toward the door behind him before lowering his voice even further.

"And?"

"And we haven’t been paid."

A muscle near Andrew’s jaw twitched.

Seriously?

Did this idiot have absolutely no sense of timing?

"I already told you you’d be paid."

"You also told me it would be handled today."

"Well, clearly, today didn’t exactly go according to plan."

"That isn’t my problem."

Andrew’s expression immediately hardened.

The coordinator continued before he could respond.

"We still have the original photographs and the bill for our services."

Andrew went very still.

"If payment becomes a problem," the man added carefully, "I suppose I can simply send both directly to Mr. Sebastian and let him settle it himself."

For a moment, Andrew said absolutely nothing.

Then his grip tightened around the phone.

"You wouldn’t dare."

"I’m simply asking to be compensated for work I already completed."

"And I said you’ll be paid."

Andrew practically hissed the words, though he kept his voice low enough that no one inside the lounge could hear him.

"Of course you’ll be paid. But if you think running straight to Dominic is somehow going to make this easier for you, then you’re even stupider than I thought."

A pause followed.

Andrew’s eyes sharpened.

"You were the wedding coordinator, remember? You were the one hired to arrange everything surrounding the filing. And somehow, on the exact same day Mr. Vance was left waiting there, photographs conveniently started appearing online from someone in the perfect position to document him?"

The other end went quiet.

"Do you seriously think Dominic’s lawyers won’t start asking questions?"

"I was following your instructions."

"Yes."

Andrew smiled faintly despite the anger tightening his face.

"And proving that would require admitting you followed them."

Another silence.

"Meaning you and that little coordinating company of yours get dragged into this right along with me."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No."

Andrew’s voice became almost pleasant.

"I’m reminding you not to make stupid decisions because you’re impatient."

The coordinator audibly exhaled.

"I just want my money."

"And you’ll get it."

From somewhere inside the lounge came another burst of voices, prompting Andrew to glance toward the doors again.

Just not out of his own pocket.

There was absolutely no reason Andrew should be expected to spend his own money fixing a situation that had originally been meant to benefit Dominic anyway.

He simply needed enough time to figure out how to make someone else handle the same bill twice.

Preferably without ever learning exactly what they were paying for.

"So stop calling me," Andrew said quietly. "I’ll reach out when everything’s ready."

"Mr. Andrew—"

"I said don’t call me again."

He ended the call.

For several seconds, Andrew remained standing in the hallway with the phone still pressed tightly between his fingers.

That damned idiot.

As though he didn’t already have enough problems.

Andrew took a slow breath and quickly rearranged his expression before heading back into the lounge.

By the time he returned, most of the irritation had disappeared from his face.

Most.

Dominic still noticed.

"What happened?"

Andrew blinked at him.

"Hm?"

"The call." Dominic frowned when he noticed the unusually grave look lingering on Andrew’s face. "Was something wrong?"

"Oh."

Andrew looked down at his phone as though only then remembering it.

"No, nothing serious."

Dominic continued staring at him.

"It was just one of the vendors we were considering for the wedding," Andrew explained. "They wanted to know what they were supposed to do now that Alex had said everything was off."

That did it.

Dominic’s expression immediately twisted.

Again.

Why did everyone keep saying that?

The wedding was off.

The engagement was over.

Cancel this.

Stop that.

As though Alexander had made one dramatic announcement and suddenly the entire world had decided it was law.

"He was angry," Dominic snapped.

Andrew quietly watched him.

"That doesn’t mean the wedding is canceled."

Really, what was so difficult to understand about that?

Alex had gotten upset.

He’d thrown a tantrum.

Fine.

Dominic could understand why he was annoyed after waiting all day. Perhaps Dominic should’ve called earlier, and yes, things could’ve been handled better.

But none of that erased years of arrangements between their families, much less the engagement itself.

And it certainly didn’t give Alex the sole authority to decide that their relationship was simply finished because he’d gotten angry for one night.

Yet somehow everyone kept acting as though it did.

What about what Dominic was saying?

He was still part of this relationship, wasn’t he?

Why was everyone behaving as though Alex was the only person whose decision mattered?

Dominic clenched his jaw.

"Tell them not to cancel anything."

Andrew hesitated just enough to seem cautious.

"But Dom... Alex did say—"

"I heard what he said."

Dominic’s voice sharpened.

"And I’m telling you the wedding isn’t canceled."

There.

Was that really so complicated?

Alex could be furious tonight. He could refuse to answer his calls or even parade around announcing that their engagement had somehow been unilaterally dissolved if that made him feel better.

But eventually, he would calm down.

And when he did, Dominic would make him understand how impulsive he had been.