Did you ask him about tonight?
Sienna leaned in, her eyes glinting with curiosity. "So? What happened next?"
Dora hesitated, shifting in her seat. "So what?" she stalled, hoping to dodge the question. Sienna huffed and pointed at her sore backside, making Dora's face flush.
"With that reaction, I refuse to believe he did not touch you there," Sienna teased.
Before Dora could respond, a familiar voice broke in. "Who touched Dora?"
Both women turned sharply, startled to see Douglas watching them.
"No one!" Sienna answered a little too fast.
Douglas's brow lifted. "Baby, you just said he did. Are you talking about Austin? Did he lose his temper?"
Dora shot Sienna a warning look.
"What she meant is…" Dora struggled for a reasonable explanation.
"That Austin hit her, with an idea," Sienna quickly covered, flashing a confident smile.
Douglas’s expression relaxed. "Oh, so he was not mad at you?"
"No," Dora said, choosing her words carefully. "He raised his voice in front of everyone to make it seem like he was not favouring me."
"Smart move," Douglas nodded in approval. Sienna smirked.
"That is what I was saying. It is good that he hit her, I mean, hit her with an idea."
Dora pinched Sienna’s arm in response.
"Austin asked me to take you home," Douglas said. "Baby, we will…" He stopped mid-sentence, noticing the shift in Dora’s expression. "You do not want to come with us?"
He knew there was no point in asking what was wrong directly. Dora never gave a straight answer on the first try. Instead, he tried a different approach.
"It is not that," she muttered, sorting through her thoughts.
"I want to trust him," she admitted at last.
Douglas tilted his head. "You want to? So you do not?"
Dora hesitated, her fingers twisting together as she debated whether to speak up. It felt hypocritical. She had defended Austin, yet she could not shake her doubts about his plans for the night.
Finally, she gave in. "I got a message from an unknown number."
She turned away, unwilling to meet their eyes.
"And?" Sienna asked, unbothered.
"It gave me an address and said to go there if I wanted to know what my husband was really doing tonight," Dora admitted, exhaling sharply.
"That sounds like a prank," Douglas said quickly. "Or maybe it was sent to you by mistake."
Sienna, however, looked skeptical. "Or maybe it was meant for Dora."
"What?" Dora and Douglas said at the same time.
"Baby, you still do not trust Austin. I get it, but I am sure he would never betray you," Douglas assured her, seeing how seriously she was considering Sienna's words.
"Did you ask him about tonight?" Sienna pressed.
"Yes," Dora sighed.
"And?"
"He avoided the question. All he said was that it was important."
Frustration crept into Dora’s voice as she rubbed her temples. "He just asked me to trust him."
"Then you should," Douglas said, his annoyance clear. "Why are you doubting him?"
Dora hesitated before speaking. "I want to trust him, I really do. But I heard him talking to someone, saying tonight would be fun. I am not stopping him from doing anything, so why does he feel the need to hide it from me?" Her doubts spilled out before she could stop them.
"Dora, I—" Douglas started, but Sienna cut him off. "I think you should go."
"What?" Douglas’s voice rose in disbelief. "You believe some random message over Austin?"
"Yes," Sienna replied without hesitation.
"I will come with you," she added, making Douglas sigh in frustration.
"I cannot believe this. You were mad at me for not taking you out, and now, when we finally have plans, you are cancelling our date because of an anonymous text?" He let out a dry laugh, shaking his head.
Sienna crossed her arms. "Do you not want to know what your friend is up to? Or is it that you are not as sure about his loyalty to Dora as you claim?"
Douglas exhaled sharply, holding back his irritation. "I know Austin has changed. But if this will give you peace of mind, fine. Let’s do this."
Dora stood in silence, absorbing their argument. Her mind spun with conflicting thoughts. Did she trust the message or believe Austin? The doubt gnawed at her.
Seeing her hesitation, Sienna placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Babe, this is not about distrust. After everything you have been through, you deserve to know what he is hiding."
The moment Sienna said it, something shifted in Dora’s expression. Relief, clarity, or maybe just the push she needed.
Douglas ran a hand through his hair, clearly exasperated. "You two are going to regret this. When you find out Austin is not cheating, I just hope you do not throw this in his face."
"If I am wrong, I will personally apologize," Sienna promised, unwavering.
"But… I deleted the message," Dora admitted, her voice small.
Sienna barely flinched. "If it was really meant for you, they will send it again."
Douglas pinched the bridge of his nose, realizing there was no winning this argument. As Dora and Sienna walked off without looking back, he muttered, "Women," and shook his head.
Meanwhile, Austin paced his office, phone pressed to his ear. He was double-checking every detail, making sure everything was set. More than George, he was eager for this meeting. After all, it was the final step. Tomorrow, he would tell Dora everything and finally put the past behind him. One more day, and he would step into a new chapter, one where he could be truly happy with his wife.
His thoughts were interrupted by a call from Ronan.
After exchanging a few words, Ronan’s voice turned serious. "Are you sure about this? Think it through. It is risky. You could get hurt."
Austin’s grip on the phone tightened. "How far would you go to protect the people you love?"
Ronan chuckled softly. "As you wish." With that, the call ended.
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