Chapter 227: Missing Millions

Dorian held her gaze. "We stand together and tell the truth."

Naomi smiled faintly. "The truth? That I stayed married to you for money?"

"Is that the truth you believe?"

"Of course not..."

"Then don’t let them control the narrative."

"You think this will work?" she asked.

"I believe it will."

Naomi sighed heavily and sat down on one of the stools by the island. "I know that bastard did this, and I am going to make sure he pays for it."

"Who?"

"Jordan."

"True."

Naomi shook her head. "Why do people like to blame others for the consequences of their own actions? I didn’t ask him to cheat, did I? I didn’t drag him into another woman’s bed. I didn’t tell Tessa to leave him." Her irritation rose again just talking about it. "And somehow I’m the bad guy because Tessa finally decided she was tired of being humiliated."

Naomi knew she was spiralling back into it and waved one hand at herself. "I’m going on and on about this." She exhaled. "How did it go with fake Adrian?"

"My instincts were right. My uncle was involved."

At this point, Alistair’s name appeared so often whenever something went wrong around Dorian that she was beginning to think the man treated interfering in his nephew’s life like a hobby.

"What is it with your uncle and your wives?"

Dorian gave a small shrug. "Beats me." He checked the time. "I’ll have the firm’s publicist schedule something for us. In the meantime, you stay here."

Naomi’s face fell slightly. "I was quite excited about starting at Chef Bennett. There is so much to do. Cleaning the space, looking through everything properly, figuring out what goes where." Her disappointment was obvious. She had been waiting for this.

The lease was signed. The space was hers. For the first time, Chef Bennett was going to have a real home, and she had already begun mentally arranging kitchens, storage areas and workspaces.

"I can find you a bodyguard."

Naomi immediately made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "Naaah..." She sighed. "I’ll just wait."

Dorian pushed away from the counter. "I have to get back to court. I’ll let you know what the publicist says."

Naomi nodded as Dorian stepped closer. "Something else...You want to destroy Camille?"

"God, yes!"

"Use your social media platform. Discuss what happened yesterday. Say it all. And watch her crumble and fall."

"I’m not saying I don’t like the idea, but is it the right time?"

"It’s always the right time for an attack." Dorian glanced at the small feast currently taking over their kitchen. "So instead of stress cooking, go to war, babe."

Naomi considered that for all of two seconds before nodding.

Dorian leaned in and gave her a brief kiss, then headed back out.

Naomi stood in the kitchen after he left, looking around at everything she had already prepared. She reached for her phone.

Fine.

If people wanted something to talk about, she could certainly give them something more accurate.

She got back to work, this time multitasking. Between checking the stew and preparing the meatloaf, she started posting. She did not dump everything online at once.

Naomi paced herself.

A post here. Another one a little later. Enough details to keep people reading without making her look like she had completely lost her mind.

She talked about Camille repeatedly inserting herself into their marriage. Naomi included how deeply the entire situation had affected her. She talked openly about the strain of having another woman deliberately interfere in her marriage and how exhausting it had become to constantly defend a relationship that should never have required public approval in the first place.

She was pitiful enough for people to sympathise with her and classy enough that Camille looked worse without Naomi needing to descend completely into the gutter with her.

There were still a few well-placed digs.

Naomi was human afterall. Her social media following had grown significantly over the past few months.

The posts spread quickly. People began reposting screenshots and discussing Camille’s behaviour, especially once Naomi’s version of events started colliding with Camille’s recent suggestive posts around Dorian’s office and court appearances.

What Camille had carefully planted as romantic breadcrumbs suddenly started looking very different.

Like evidence of obsession.

Naomi stirred the stew while watching the numbers climb.

And just like that, without even fully realising it, she made Dorian’s next move much easier.

*****

Adrian headed to Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women as soon as he received Marianne’s call.

Something had been wrong with her voice.

She sounded panicked.

That had been enough for Adrian to drop what he was doing and make his way there. During the drive, he tried to work out what could have happened.

The obvious possibility was the news. By now, it was almost impossible to avoid.

Dorian and Naomi’s marriage contract had leaked, and the media had turned the story into exactly the kind of circus Dorian despised.

Marianne might have seen the broadcast.

Even that didn’t quite explain the panic Adrian had heard in her voice.

Marianne already knew Dorian cared deeply for Naomi.

Embarrassing headlines, however unpleasant, shouldn’t have made her panic.

When Adrian got there, Marianne went straight to the point.

"The news about Dorian and Naomi’s marriage... is it true?"

"I cannot give out that information, Mrs Bennett. That is supposed to be a private matter."

"So it is true, then. Why would my baby marry for money?"

"I honestly have no insight into that."

"You don’t understand." Marianne leaned forward. "I need to know. Because if this is true, then it explains everything surrounding Diana and her husband."

He exhaled slowly.

For once, he wished he could simply pick up his phone, call Dorian and ask how much of his personal business he was allowed to discuss.

"I drafted the contract, Mrs Bennett," he admitted carefully. "But I assure you, they are both well past that stage."

Marianne barely seemed to hear the reassurance. "There is no reason Naomi should need money so desperately that she would have to marry for it."