She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 798

She had been his wife from the very beginning. The thought of it gnawed at Dominic, souring his mood and pulling his lips into a tight frown.

If this plan succeeded, he would permanently drive a wedge between Melanie and Gabriel. With a bit of luck, he might even earn Holden Lockridge's ultimate favor and climb higher within the empire. Once he had the full weight of the Lockridge family behind him, he would stand above every other man orbiting Melanie as the wealthiest and most successful.

Smoothing his features into an arrogant smirk, Dominic buzzed his assistant into the office.

"Set up a meeting for me," he ordered.

His assistant blinked, clearly lost. "With who, Boss?"

"Who do you think?" Dominic shot him a withering glare, silently cursing the man's incompetence. "The CEO of the Royce Group... Melanie Royce."

The venue was set at Lockridge Manor & Gardens, a crown jewel in the Lockridge estate portfolio. Dominic had chosen it for two reasons: he could dine like a king on the company dime, and it was the perfect stage to flaunt his newly acquired power.

He arrived early, claiming a private VIP dining room with the best view of the manicured grounds. He knew Melanie would show up. He had instructed his assistant to reach out on behalf of a 'Lockridge Health executive,' deliberately keeping his own name off the invitation while mentioning a lucrative discussion regarding bio-fertilizer.

Whether she wanted to or not, Melanie would come for the supply chain.

Dominic checked his Rolex, counting down the seconds. Right on schedule, the heavy oak doors unlatched. He straightened his posture, his pulse spiking as he fought to suppress a wave of nervous anticipation. It felt like a lifetime since he had sat across from her in a place this romantic. Business or not, this was a date in his eyes.

He had heard the rumors about Preston. Word in the elite circles was that Preston had only snagged his former high-level position at Stellaris through nepotism. Now that the Whitmore family was allegedly facing bankruptcy, his cushy corporate gig had vanished. Dominic just hadn't expected Preston's fall from grace to end with him carrying Melanie's bags.

Dominic looked Preston up and down, letting out a condescending scoff. The man was still dressed in his signature all-black attire, the stark white gloves glaringly obvious. The suit looked well-made, but lacking any visible designer labels, Dominic assumed it was an off-the-rack knockoff, miles away from custom tailoring.

Relief washed over him. There was no way Melanie would ever fall for a man like this. Aside from a pretty face, Preston was utterly beneath him now.

"Alright then... Assistant Whitmore." Dominic leaned heavily on the title, his tone dripping with mockery. "As the Vice President of Lockridge Health, I have highly sensitive business to discuss with Ms. Royce. I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside."