Chapter 962: Her Boyfriend Is an Expensive Model (6)

Hazel: You look fine.

Dominique pressed a hand against his chest, his face showing exaggerated disbelief.

Fine?

Just fine?

He had spent several minutes finding the perfect angle, adjusting his expression, and making sure the sunlight highlighted his best features. And all she could say was fine?

Dominique: Fine??? Hazel, I sent you a masterpiece.

Hazel: Then frame it.

Dominique couldn’t help laughing.

He shook his head, looking at the screen with an amused smile. Honestly, Hazel had a remarkable talent for ruining his dramatic attempts at receiving compliments.

He typed another message.

Dominique: You’re so difficult to love.

Hazel: I didn’t ask you to.

Dominique’s grin widened.

He leaned slightly against the nearby table, his attention entirely occupied by the conversation. Rather than feeling offended, he seemed to be enjoying every second of it. In fact, her blunt replies were precisely what made teasing her so entertaining.

Dominique: Too late. I’m already very attached to you.

He added a little heart at the end and sent it before slipping his phone into his pocket.

His mood had improved considerably.

"Sir, shall we go now?" Kyle asked again, trying not to sound impatient.

Dominique straightened, adjusted his hat once more, and stepped beneath the umbrella. He glanced towards the waiting crew, who were beginning to prepare the equipment for the next setup.

"Let’s go. I have a photoshoot to finish, and apparently, someone has absolutely no appreciation for handsome men."

Kyle nodded with a perfectly serious expression. "Of course, sir."

Dominique glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

"You appreciate my beauty, don’t you?"

"Very much, sir."

"How much?"

Kyle paused for a fraction of a second.

"Enough to make sure you don’t get sunburned, sir."

Dominique burst into laughter.

"greatttt!!

He adjusted his sunglasses, looking rather pleased with himself.

"At least someone here has excellent taste."

Kyle quietly raised the umbrella a little higher as they walked towards the set, hiding the small smile tugging at his lips. Working for Dominique certainly wasn’t boring, although there were days when he wondered whether he was an assistant, a personal photographer, or simply the designated audience for his employer’s endless admiration of himself.

Meanwhile, Hazel was in her office, going through a few documents while Rika stood nearby, discussing her upcoming schedule.

"You should take a few days off," Rika suggested. "You’ve barely had any time for yourself lately."

Hazel turned a page. "I have things to do."

"You always have things to do."

"That is generally how work functions."

Rika gave her a knowing look. She had learned not to argue with Hazel when it came to work, but there was something else she wanted to bring up.

"Dominique has invited you to his photoshoot several times, hasn’t he?"

Hazel’s hand paused briefly.

"Yes."

"And you’ve refused every time."

"I was busy."

"Of course." Rika folded her arms. "You know, he’s been asking you to visit him for weeks. You could at least make an effort."

Hazel didn’t answer immediately.

She knew Rika wasn’t entirely wrong. Since her wedding with Nicolas had fallen apart, Dominique had been there for her in ways she hadn’t expected. He had never pressured her to talk about what happened, nor had he treated her as someone who needed to be pitied. Instead, he had simply stayed around, filling her quiet days with his endless conversations and ridiculous jokes.

Even when she barely replied, he continued talking.

He had been her emotional support through a difficult period, and she had grown rather fond of having him around. She hadn’t realised how much until he returned home and her apartment became so quiet.

Dominique had invited her to his shoots countless times, always sending pictures and telling her how much better the experience would be if she were there to admire him.

She had refused every invitation.

Perhaps it was time to stop making excuses.

Hazel placed the document on her desk and picked up her phone.

"Rika."

"Yes?"

"Book me a flight."

Rika raised an eyebrow. "Where to?"

"Where Dominique is."

For a moment, Rika simply looked at her. Then a small smile appeared on her face.

"Are you planning to surprise him?"

Hazel returned to her documents as though the decision were nothing particularly special.

"Don’t tell him."

"Of course."

Rika reached for her phone, already looking pleased with the assignment.

Hazel, meanwhile, glanced at the message Dominique had sent the previous day. His ridiculous selfie was still sitting in their chat, accompanied by his long complaint about not receiving enough compliments.

She looked at it for a few seconds before putting her phone down.

Perhaps she could give him one compliment in person.

Just one.

*****

The following day, Dominique was back on set.

The photoshoot was proving more exhausting than he had expected. He was accustomed to working alone, but today’s campaign required him to pose alongside Brittany, who seemed to have a completely different understanding of the photographer’s instructions.

Dominique stood beside her, one arm around hers as they posed together.

"Show some loving emotions!" the photographer called from behind the camera. "You’re supposed to look like a couple, not two people who accidentally ended up in the same photograph!"

Dominique tried to smile.

Brittany, however, was making little effort to hide her irritation. Her expression was so stiff that the photographer lowered his camera and stared at her.

"Brittany, what’s wrong with your face?"

Her eyes widened.

"Excuse me?"

"I need you to relax. You’re looking at him as if he owes you money."

A few crew members quietly turned away, trying not to laugh.

Dominique pressed his lips together, struggling to maintain his professional expression.

The photographer rubbed his forehead. "All right. Let’s try again. Dominique, a little closer. Brittany, smile at him. You’re supposed to be attracted to each other."

Dominique gently adjusted his position and gave the camera a charming smile.

Brittany immediately turned toward him, hoping to make the most of the moment.

But Dominique was already looking toward the photographer.

"Can we finish this before lunch?" he asked. "I’m getting hungry."

The photographer closed his eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose as though he were desperately trying to hold on to the last bit of his patience.

"Yes, yes! Just cooperate with each other so we can finish this sooner. I have other shoots scheduled today!"

He lowered his camera and looked between the two models, clearly unimpressed with their lack of chemistry. They had already repeated the same poses several times and every attempt seemed to end with Dominique looking thoroughly uninterested and Brittany growing increasingly irritated.

Brittany let out an exasperated breath before turning towards him.

"Can you not make this so difficult for me?" she whispered, leaning closer so the others wouldn’t hear. "At least look at me as if I’m the love of your life."

Dominique glanced at her, his expression completely unamused.

"Noppp."

He even made a small movement as though he were about to push her away, though he stopped himself before it became too obvious.

Brittany’s eyebrows shot up.

"Your behaviour is so childish!"

For a brief moment, something unpleasant flashed across Dominique’s eyes. His smile disappeared and his jaw tightened slightly. He wasn’t particularly fond of being insulted, especially when he was already doing someone a favour. He had agreed to this campaign because a friend had asked him, not because he was particularly interested in spending his afternoon pretending to be romantically involved with someone.

Still, he didn’t respond.

He simply looked away, took a quiet breath and composed himself.

There was no point arguing in front of the entire crew. The sooner they finished, the sooner he could leave.

"Let’s do it again," he said calmly.

The photographer looked between them, then raised his camera again.

"All right! Positions, everyone! Let’s get this right this time."

Dominique stepped back into position.

A makeup artist quickly approached to check his appearance, lightly touching up his face and arranging a few strands of hair that had fallen out of place. Someone adjusted the reflector, while another crew member moved a light stand slightly to the left.

Brittany waited beside him, occasionally glancing at his expression.

She was beginning to wonder whether he was deliberately making things difficult for her.

After all, he was a professional model. He knew perfectly well how to pose, how to express emotions through his eyes and how to create the illusion of intimacy in front of a camera. Yet, whenever she tried to get close, he seemed determined to ruin the entire atmosphere.

The photographer finally raised his hand.

"Ready? Three, two, one..."

Dominique moved closer to Brittany.

This time, he didn’t complain or make any sarcastic remarks. He simply placed one hand around her waist, adjusted his posture and turned slightly towards her.

Then he looked directly into her eyes.

His expression changed so naturally that even Brittany raised her eyebrows.

Oh?

Where had this sudden change come from?

The man who had been practically arguing with her moments ago was now looking at her with an expression full of warmth and affection.

His eyes appeared softer, his smile was gentle and there was something remarkably intimate about the way he held her gaze.

He even tilted his head slightly, as though he were looking at someone particularly precious to him.

Brittany blinked.

For a moment, she almost forgot they were standing in front of an entire photography crew.

His hand rested securely around her waist and his other arm remained relaxed at his side. The distance between them was just enough to create the impression of a romantic couple, while his gaze made the pose look surprisingly convincing.

Brittany felt her cheeks grow warm.

Damn. His eyes are so magnetic.

She had seen Dominique in photographs before. Everyone in the industry knew he was handsome and she had always considered him attractive but seeing him this close was an entirely different experience.

His features were remarkably well-defined, his eyes expressive, and his smile had a way of making people feel as though he were paying attention only to them.

She instinctively softened her own expression, returning his gaze with a smile.

Perhaps he had finally decided to cooperate.

What Brittany didn’t know, however, was that Dominique wasn’t really looking at her.

Not in the way she imagined.

His mind had wandered somewhere else entirely.

To Hazel.

He was picturing her sitting comfortably at home, probably wearing one of her usual casual outfits, with her long hair falling naturally around her shoulders. She never made any particular effort to look beautiful, nor did she spend hours deciding what to wear, yet somehow, she always managed to catch his attention.

Even in the simplest clothes, she had a charm that made him forget what he had been saying.

He could picture her sitting on the sofa, perhaps reading something on her phone, occasionally glancing up whenever he started talking too much. Sometimes she would simply look at him with that cold expression of hers and he would find himself smiling for no particular reason.

Her scar had also begun to fade and she looked even more beautiful than before. Dominique had noticed every little change, although he usually pretended he wasn’t paying such close attention.

He remembered the first time he had noticed the difference. He had looked at her for a long time, silently pleased that she was recovering so well.

And lately, he had developed another rather troublesome habit.

Sometimes, he caught himself wondering whether some random man might approach her and try to win her over.

The thought alone annoyed him.

Absolutely not. I need to keep an eye on my future wife.

He almost smiled at his own thoughts.

What if some less then him handsome guy starts bothering her? What if she actually likes him? No, no. That’s unacceptable.

And with Hazel occupying his thoughts, looking at Brittany suddenly became very easy.

All he had to do was imagine those familiar eyes in front of him, that beautiful face he missed.

He could even imagine Hazel sitting across from him, looking mildly unimpressed whenever he praised his own appearance.

The thought made his smile grow even more charming.

"Perfect!" the photographer suddenly exclaimed.

Click! Click! Click!

The camera shutter sounded several times in quick succession.

"That’s what I’m talking about! Don’t move! Stay exactly like that!"

The photographer moved slightly to the side, capturing a few more angles.

"Beautiful! Brittany, tilt your face a little towards him. Dominique, keep looking at her. Yes, that’s it!"

Dominique followed the instructions effortlessly.

Brittany was practically glowing.

She had expected him to be difficult throughout the shoot, but perhaps he had finally warmed up to her. His expression was so convincing that she found herself wondering whether he was beginning to enjoy their chemistry after all.

She smiled a little more confidently, placing her hand against his chest as instructed.

The photographer captured several additional shots.