He Sent Me Home With His Buddy. Bad Idea, Ex! Chapter 05
After reading the final message, Dorian nearly crushed the phone in his hand.
But when had he ever cut off funding for Laurel Hollis’s targeted therapy?
He immediately called his executive assistant at Ashford Group.
“What happened with Seren’s mother?”
“Mr. Ashford, Ms. Wynn suggested that your father withdraw
the foundation’s support. She told him you and Ms. Hollis
were no longer together, so the Ashfords had no reason to
keep paying for her mother’s treatment.”
Dorian’s expression darkened instantly.
“Celeste!”
He glared at her.
Celeste glanced at the phone in his hand and realized what
he had discovered. Still unaware of how angry he was, she
spoke as though she expected praise.
She betrayed you for another man. I was only helping you
teach her a lesson.”
As Celeste reached the shallows. Dorian seized her by the hair
and dragged her onto the sand.
“You’ve got some nerve. Who the hell gave you permission to do that?”
Celeste stared up at the man who had always treated her
with patience and affection. His sudden rage made her voice tremble.
‘Dorian, what’s wrong…
“My father stepped away from Ashford Group years ago. How
dare you go through him to cut off the funding for Laurel’s treatment?”
I was only trying to help you.‘
Dorian gave a humorless laugh.
You’ve gotten awfully bold. Have you forgotten that you were
nothing more than another Ashford Foundation scholarship student?”
With one sentence, he forced Celeste back into the identity she despised.
She had come from the same kind of struggling family as
Seren. If Dorian and Seren hadn’t fought all those years ago,
Celeste never would’ve had any of this.
Dorian released her, leaving her on her knees in the sand.
Only then did Celeste remember how volatile he could be.
The first time he loaned Seren out, Dorian had agreed with a
smile, then smoked in silence for the rest of the night.
More recently, Evander had offered him a lucrative business
partnership in exchange for having Seren pose as his
girlfriend at a family dinner.
Dorian accepted with another smile, only to smash the chair
Evander had sat in after they left.
Celeste had always considered herself clever. Yet Dorian’s
attention had convinced her that she was the exception, the
one Cinderella he had chosen.
Seeing his rage now, she finally understood.
She wasn’t special.
Seren was.
Every change in Dorian could be traced back to Seren.
When he spoke again, his voice was cold.
“Don’t contact me again.”
Celeste scrambled toward him on her knees and clutched at
his clothes.
‘Please don’t do this, Dorian. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have
made that decision without asking you. I’m sorry!”
Dorian didn’t even look at her as he got into the car.
Take me to the airport.”
Once they were on the road, he called his assistant again.
What’s happening at the hospital? Have they restored funding for Laurel’s treatment?”
‘Mr. Ashford, the Thornes transferred Laurel Hollis to
Wrenfield Specialty Medical Center three hours ago.”
Dorian’s stomach dropped.
He began sending Seren message after message.
[I’m coming back. Wait for me at home.]
[Why is Evander helping you? What’s going on between you two?]
She didn’t answer, just as he hadn’t answered her.
Dorian couldn’t secure an immediate departure slot for his private jet, so he booked the earliest commercial flight. Even then, the trip back to Bellgrave took an entire day.
The moment he landed, he went straight to the Thorne estate.
At first, Evander refused to see him. Dorian remained parked
outside the gates until Evander finally relented and let him in.
Dorian rounded on Evander the moment he saw him.
“Where’s Seren?”
‘She’s recovering.”
Recovering from what?”
Evander looked at him as though the question itself were absurd.
“How can you not know? You stood there and watched her get attacked.”