When the Family Ch 2
Chapter 2 The Tragedy Behind the Perfect Brother
Dominc’s face didn’t give anything away. He just looked at her, with eyes that seemed to shift and darken like deep water.
Then Dominic said absolutely nothing.
Cool as ever, he glanced away like the moment never happened and turned toward the stairs.
Jean stared at his retreating back, her thoughts going wild.
Seriously? That’s it? He’s just gonna walk off? I thought for sure he was gearing up to say something else…
Dominic stopped mid-step.
And then—
Jean blinked as he doubled back out of nowhere. Same calm, quiet voice. Same distant tone.
“Do you… want to eat dinner with me?”
……
In the big, stylish dining room, Jean found herself sitting face-to-face with Dominic.
He ate like he was in a commercial. Totally silent, perfectly poised, his lips barely moved, and not a single sound came from his utensils.
Jean glanced down at her plate.
Broccoli. Corn. Salad. And a rare steak that was still bleeding.
This must be what rich people think healthy looks like…
She screamed inside.
This dinner is straight-up punishment!
Dominic’s fingers holding the utensils slowed for just a beat.
Jean kept slicing into her steak while her mind wandered off.
Buffalo wings. Chili dogs. Loaded nachos. That’s real food. Who wants to gnaw on a half-raw steak when you could be tearing into something crispy and greasy… melt some cheese, add a little jalapeño and hot sauce… mm, now that’s flavor…
Across the table, Dominic suddenly set down his fork and knife. His face stayed unreadable.
“You’re not into this kind of meal?”
right
blinked, startled, then quickly shook
here. She wanted to seem sweet, polite, easy to
stretched her lips into
picky at all,
steak and shoved it in her mouth, chewing and nodding like she meant
“Really… it’s not bad…”
her brain was
my butt. I’m acting.
stayed quiet for a second, then said
you don’t want to eat
was trying to be considerate, but his stiff, no-nonsense delivery made
Jean’s eyes widened.
Inside, she was panicking.
He just snapped at
mouth tightened at
was fine. Her eyes went wide, and she looked Dominic dead
you were super mean just
“I wasn’t.”
his tone a little, kept his voice calm, and said it like
Jean wasn’t buying it.
totally were. You looked right at me
puffed out her cheeks and pulled a mock-serious
want to
Dominic looked down.
outburst
truth was, he
ever said
would call close. If anything, they were strangers
maybe because of that strange moment when he heard her thoughts—something shifted. Jean
She felt real.
about tomorrow
the dining room but trailed off the second he saw Dominic and Jean having
was clearly not something that happened often.
him and gave a slight nod, signaling him
against her palm,
Bryson, Dominic’s assistant? Why does he look kinda… slow on the
thinking. He gave the Ginger family’s young lady a courteous smile, then
tomorrow afternoon. His sister, Ms. Selena is back in town. Mr. Thomas mentioned a few times that he
Jean’s brows pinched together.
one who’s supposedly the most beautiful woman in Blairford? That’s not just any pretty face. That’s the one destined to
that, his attention shifted completely from
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