His Mistress is His Ex-Wife
Chapter 70: Temptation

Chapter 70: Temptation

"Or perhaps you’d prefer to spend the night here with me, Mr. Smith?"

Athena tried to tempt Dominique, carefully observing his reactions. She expected him to pull away, but to her surprise, he continued holding her, drawing closer until his body loomed over hers. His one hand gripped her waist.

She was trapped in between the wall and Dominique’s body. His face was just a few centimeters away from hers.

"Are you playing fire with me, Athena?" Dominique asked her with his penetrating gaze. His eyes subconsciously fell on her kissable lips. He couldn’t deny it but he was smitten by this seductress.

As much as he wanted to stay away, his body was not listening to him. No matter how hard he tried to ignore this growing attraction, he just found himself being drawn to her as if there was a magnet pulling him to Athena.

When Athena managed to free her right hand from Dominique’s grasp, she reached out, grabbing his collar. "Yes, I am," she whispered sensually, flashing her charming smile.

Dominique’s expression turned grim as he remembered the man who had dropped Athena off at her house. "Do you enjoy flirting with every man you meet?" His voice carried a chill, ridiculing Athena.

Athena emitted a soft giggle and teased him further. "Don’t tell me you are jealous, Mr. Smith? Are you interested in me?" Her fingers began drawing circles on his neck and collarbones, caressing his exposed flesh.

Dominique frowned, his piercing gaze lingered on her face. "Have you forgotten? I’m a married man."

Athena deliberately licked her lips sensuously before answering him. "I don’t care. Just like what you’ve assumed about me... I love flirting with men... handsome and rich men... including you." She blew him a kiss.

Dominique’s expression grew even darker at her words, his rage simmering as he imagined Athena flirting with other men. With a surge of anger, he tightened his grip on her waist, pressing her firmly against the wall, his frustration evident in his actions.

"What do you want from me, Athena?" he uttered through his gritted teeth.

"You!" Athena promptly responded. "I want you, Mr. Smith..." She moved her hand down, fingers caressing his sturdy chest. "Your body... I want it," she boldly said.

Dominique was dumbfounded, caught off guard by her taunting words. He knew she was seducing him but he couldn’t help falling into her beauty trap. Her sweet tempting voice kept reminding him of Sabrina.

Athena grabbed the chance when Dominique was still in a trance. "Mr. Smith, Do you want to kiss me? Because I want to kiss you right now. Don’t worry... I’ll never tell your wife about this. This will only stay hidden between us." She continued tempting him, testing Dominique’s faithfulness toward Sasha.

’Will he give in or not?’ She pondered to herself, smiling mischievously.

Before she could utter another word, Dominique smashed his lips against hers, kissing her with fervent need. He lost control of himself. He gave in to Athena’s temptation.

Athena’s initial shock was replaced with satisfaction. She began responding to Dominique’s hungry kiss, seizing this golden opportunity as she forced him to commit a sin against his wife, Sasha.

’That’s it, Dom... you have to taste this forbidden fruit... and get addicted to me.’ Athena anchored her arms around Dominique’s neck while he grabbed the back of her head, pulling her face closer as he deepened the kiss.

He devoured her lips, biting them hard as a sign of his punishment for her. He seemed to tell her through this kiss that she should be his woman alone. She must not flirt with other men. He nibbled on her lower and upper lips alternately.

As their intimacy became more intense, Athena’s hatred toward Dominique grew stronger and stronger.

’You are such a hypocrite, Dom. You’re showing your true color. You disgust me! A cheater will always be a cheater!’ Athena cursed him in her mind.

Before she realized it, her tears fell from the corners of her eyes, streaming down her face. Dominique pulled back when he tasted her tears.

’Wait... why is she crying?’ Dominique’s mind went blank when he saw her tears.

"I’m sorry..." Those words naturally came out of Dominique’s mouth, startling Athena.

Dominique’s hand instinctively reached out, the back of his palm gently wiping away her tears. His gaze softened as he watched her.

Athena didn’t know what to say. She didn’t mean to cry. But her pent-up emotions surged up and her hatred toward Dominique made her cry. She just looked down, hiding her face from him.

"Mr. Smith, you should leave now... before we end up committing another mistake." Athena pushed him away.

"As much as I want to spend the night with you... I know this is not the right thing to do," she added, making Dominique feel confused.

Just a while ago, this woman told him she wanted him. Now, she was pushing him away.

Dominique had no choice but to step back, acknowledging that his behavior towards her had been rude and harsh. He disrespected her by ridiculing her actions toward other men.

He accused her of flirting with every man she met. He got mad and jealous even though he didn’t have the right to feel those emotions, forgetting that Athena was not his woman.

With a heavy heart, Dominique left Athena’s penthouse, regretting his actions. ’I shouldn’t have said those words! I shouldn’t have come here in the first place.’

Dominique punched his steering wheel. For one last time, he cast a look at Athena through his car window. Sighing deeply, he started his engine and drove away.

Meanwhile, Athena made her way into the house, feeling drained from her encounter with Dominique. She collapsed onto the couch, her body sagging with emotional exhaustion as she gazed up at the ceiling.

"I should be rejoicing since my seduction is working on Dominique. However, the more he responded to me, the more I harbored hatred toward him." Athena placed her palm on her chest. Her heart was thumping so hard against her chest.

"He doesn’t know how to love a woman. He betrayed me... and he will end up breaking Sasha’s heart as well. I truly regret loving him wholeheartedly. He doesn’t know how to cherish a woman." Athena mumbled with disappointment.

"The only thing I should be grateful for him... is the fact that he gave me Aaron, my beloved son."

Athena closed her eyes, trying to calm her emotions. Her mind continued thinking about Dominique and her next steps.

*****

[ At Lanny’s Condo Unit... ]

Vladimir swung by to drop off the food they had ordered for her.

Ding! Dong!

He rang the doorbell. It did not take long before Lanny opened the door.

"Wow! You’re back so soon! What happened to your date with Athena?" Lanny asked eagerly.

Smack!

"Ouch!" Lanny winced as Vladimir flicked her forehead, opting not to respond to her question.

"You’re nothing but a liar, Lanny Ivankov. Athena made it clear she’s not involved with Enzo!" he scowled at her, his frustration evident.

Rubbing her forehead, Lanny burst out laughing. "Don’t blame me for being gullible, Bro!"

Vladimir shot her a sharp glare as he handed her the food he had purchased from the Divine Dining Restaurant. "Here, take this. Athena is concerned about your health. Next time, use a different alibi. Don’t make her worried about you."

Lanny just stuck her tongue out. "You are just jealous."

"Lanny, let’s talk," Vladimir sounded serious.

"Talk about what?" Lanny asked him in puzzlement.

"About us," Vladimir stated matter-of-factly.

Lanny arched her eyebrow in confusion. "Hey, what did you eat? Are you sick, bro? What do you want to talk about us?"

Vladimir fell silent, glancing at Lanny seriously. "Don’t you still trust me? Do you still see me as your rival?"

Lanny was taken aback for a moment. "Why are you asking me this?"

"I can sense that you don’t trust me completely... and because of that, Athena is also hesitant to trust me. Do you still doubt me, Lanny?" Vladimir confronted her.

Lanny was not able to respond right away. She had to admit that she had been keeping her guard up against her brother.

"Yes, it’s true. I don’t trust you completely. Five years ago, someone tried to assassinate me. And you were one of my suspects. Before you met Athena, you only saw me as a threat and your rival to our father’s succession," Lanny admitted, her tone tinged with accusation.

Vladimir’s expression darkened upon hearing Lanny’s words. "Seriously, Lanny? Is this how you see me? I’m not evil to kill my own sister." He denied her accusation, feeling disappointed.

"But the evidence seemed to point to you. I nearly lost my life in this city, which just so happens to be your territory," Lanny countered, her voice filled with suspicion. This was the first time she confronted him directly about what happened five years ago.

After careful consideration, Vladimir spoke up once again. "What if... the true mastermind orchestrated this to sow discord between us, preventing our collaboration, and framed me with your accident?" he proposed, recognizing the potential manipulation at play. "This is exactly what our enemies would want – to sow seeds of doubt and distrust between us, the Ivankov siblings."

Lanny: "..."

’Uh-oh. His words make sense!’

"Bro... if this is true... Do you have someone in mind? Who would try to do this?" Lanny asked him eagerly.

"Think about it, Lanny. Who will benefit the most if we kill each other?" Vladimir posed the question without naming anyone specifically, urging her to reflect on the broader implications.