**Chapter 7** The crack of Paisley's palm against Dominick's cheek was a thunderclap in the hushed corridor, shattering the quiet and drawing the curious gazes of onlookers. Faces turned, footsteps paused, and a collective gasp floated through the air, punctuating the drama unfolding before them. Dominick's head whipped to the side, shock etching itself on his features, a bright imprint of her fingers blossoming across his skin. For a heartbeat, he stood frozen, disbelief morphing into a simmering storm behind his dark eyes as he slowly turned to face her again. Before the tension could devour the space between them, the rhythmic click of high heels echoed down the polished floor, heralding Marissa’s arrival. She burst forth from the private dining room, her wide eyes taking in the chaotic tableau. A sharp gasp slipped past her lips, "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, her urgency driving her toward Dominick. "Ms. Sutton, why would you hit him?" Her voice climbed an octave, laced with horror as she pointedly glanced from his reddened cheek to Paisley. "Dom, are you okay? Does it hurt?" Her hand hovered in an awkward flutter, wanting to soothe yet hesitating as if the very act would ignite the tension further. Paisley brushed aside the melodrama that unfurled before her, refusing to indulge in Marissa’s panic. She didn't need to look at Dominick; his brooding fury radiated like the oppressive heat of a furnace, thickening the air with unspoken words. Just as the atmosphere turned heavier, a familiar voice sliced through the absurdity. "What's going on here?" Lucy queried, her usual light-hearted tone carrying curiosity as she approached, eyes darting between them like a darting bird. Relief washed over Paisley like a cool breeze. Lucy’s arrival was her anchor to sanity. "Where have you been? You've been in the restroom forever," she demanded, irritation underpinning her voice. Lucy shrugged off the reprimand, waving her phone in the air. "Oh, I got caught up scrolling on my phone in there," she said nonchalantly, her brow furrowing as she recalled, "I stumbled upon this crime show about dismemberment, and I just got hooked…" Her voice lost momentum as she focused on the unfolding drama, lingering on the tension between Dominick and Marissa. Marissa’s discomfort bubbled over, her expression tightening as she processed Lucy’s words. "Ms. Sutton, I didn’t realize you weren’t alone with… that guy," she remarked in a carefully neutral tone, though her words dripped with implications that simmered just beneath the surface. Ignoring Marissa’s thinly veiled barb, Paisley simply nodded, her reply brisk, "Work dinner." She cast a subtly defiant glance at Dominick, noting his jaw tighten as if a retort brewed within him. But she refused to yield him even the satisfaction of her attention. "Who are these people?" Lucy whispered, tugging gently at Paisley’s sleeve, her confusion palpable. Gary had mentioned that only she and Paisley were invited for dinner that evening. "You don’t need to worry about them," Paisley replied curtly, shaking her head dismissively. "Oh, okay," Lucy said, obedient as always, turning back toward their private room. "Guess I’ll leave you to it, then." "There is nothing to discuss. I’m coming with you," Paisley declared coldly, throwing a pointed glance at Dominick that conveyed her resolve. "Mind your own business, Dominick." Outside, the air was thick as Dominick and Marissa fell into an uneasy silence, their awkwardness mirrored in the humidity that enveloped them. Marissa's gaze danced nervously over his impassive features, searching for any hint of what was stirring beneath the surface of his brooding exterior. "Dom, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to jump to conclusions about Ms. Sutton," Marissa finally ventured, her voice tentative. "If my words caused any misunderstanding between you two..." "There’s no need to apologize," Dominick interjected, his tone distant, bordering on apathetic. He lifted a large hand to his collar, deftly unbuttoning two buttons of his shirt as if the very fabric was confining him. "She and I have nothing to do with each other." Yet his act of loosening his collar betrayed him—an unshakable restlessness rolled off him in waves. Whatever semblance of calm he attempted to project was broken by the lingering disquiet Paisley had instilled in him with that slap, her words resonating through his thoughts. Marissa’s delicate features softened as she revealed a neatly packed dessert box. "I packed this for Sonny; he has a sweet tooth," she said softly, her smile failing to reach her eyes. A sleek car glided to a stop in front of them, and Dominick accepted the box with a brief, distracted nod, his polite demeanor still feeling incredibly distant. "Thank you on his behalf. Bye, Marissa." He slipped into the car without waiting for a farewell, the door slamming behind him like a punctuation mark on their strange encounter. Marissa remained rooted, her gaze tracking the car until it vanished into the distance. The warmth that had once graced her expression faded, and a chilling, calculated gleam took its place. As her eyes flicked back toward the restaurant, a smirk tugged at the corners of her lips, conspiratorial thoughts brewing in her mind as she fished her phone from her bag. Dialing a familiar number, the call rang twice before Kayla, Dominick's younger sister, answered, her teasing voice dancing through the line. "Marissa! How was your little date with my brother? Did you survive without me to third-wheel?" Marissa’s voice dipped, dripping with feigned sadness. "Kayla, you won’t believe it…" Concern laced Kayla's tone immediately, her words stepping into the fray. "Marissa? What’s wrong? Did Dominick do something to you? He’s always so good to you, isn’t he?" "No, it’s not Dom. It’s..." Marissa paused for effect, the tension hanging heavy in the air before she continued, each word measured, intended to create drama. "It’s Paisley. She’s back. We ran into her at the restaurant tonight, and she and Dom…" "What? That scheming little witch is back! Trying to seduce Dominick again?" Kayla's voice rose, simmering with indignation. "Marissa, hold on. I’m calling Dominick right now. She’s not going to get away with this." And with that, the storm brewing in the relationship between them all intensified, the game of power and emotion just beginning to unfurl in unexpected ways.