My Ex Tested My Loyalty

Every single one of my boyfriend Logan's friends had tried to seduce me.

It was always Logan's idea.

Every time I rejected one of them, he would throw a party to celebrate.

His friends all said I was fiercely loyal to him.

We tried every trick in the book to tempt her, but Vivian never took the bait. Logan, man, you can finally sleep easy now, right?

Logan would look at me with a guilty smile and say, "I just love you too much, babe. I couldn't help but test you. This is the last time, I swear!"

He had said that phrase over and over again, always looking so sincere.

Until he introduced me to his newest friend, Dominic.

When Dominic stood in front of me, he was the definition of mature, sexy, and aloof.

My heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Logan had finally, successfully found my exact type.

"Nice to meet you, Vivian."

Dominic's deep, velvety voice washed over me.

It was an incredibly sexy voice.

He politely extended his hand.

His fingers were long and clean, with prominent veins running under his sun-kissed skin.

Even his hands were sexy.

A few scandalous thoughts flashed through my mind, and my breathing hitched.

"Nice to meet you too," I replied, keeping my voice low and cool to hide my racing thoughts.

But the moment our fingers brushed, a spark of electricity shot up my arm, leaving a delicious, lingering itch in my chest.

Logan had me sit next to him, with Dominic on my other side.

Before we arrived, Logan had given me the rundown on Dominic.

Even in New York's elite circle, there was a hierarchy. The Dominic family was at the absolute top of the food chain.

And Dominic was the oldest son, the sole heir they had spent a lifetime grooming.

Logan used to complain about him all the time. While the rest of the rich kids partied together, Dominic remained cold and distant, never deigning to hang out with them.

Later, Dominic went to Europe for college, cutting off contact entirely.

Who would have thought that shortly after his return, he'd suddenly become so approachable?

When Logan sent out the invite, Dominic had joined without a second thought.

Logan's theory was: "He probably didn't have any friends in Europe, so now that he's back, he's finally trying to fit in."

Of course, in front of Dominic, Logan sang a completely different tune.

"Vivian, Dominic has some amazing connections in Europe. Didn't your fashion design studio want to go international? You should totally ask him for advice. Why don't you guys add each other on Instagram?"

I glanced at Logan.

His expression was dead serious.

He looked exactly like a supportive boyfriend trying to help my career by networking.

But I knew, with absolute certainty, that this was another one of his loyalty tests.

Everyone at the table had that look on their faceslike they were waiting for a show to start.

I scanned the room. They were all the same old actors.

The first time Logan tested me was on our third day of dating.

He was terrified I was only after his money. So, he had one of his rich buddies approach me, offering me millions to dump Logan and go with him instead.

I was completely caught off guard back then.

But more than anything, I was furious. I couldn't believe Logan had such a backstabbing snake of a friend.

So, I told Logan everything, warning him to watch his back around that guy.

Instead, Logan just smirked at me.

Later, that friend came to apologize, claiming he was just helping Logan test me and meant no harm.

"Vivian is amazing!" he had said, giving a thumbs-up. "I literally offered her ten million dollars, and she didn't even blink! Logan, you're one lucky bastard!"

Sitting at the head of the table, Logan had grinned with smug satisfaction.

After that, he brought out guys who were hotter than him, richer than him, sweeter, funnier... a whole parade of men trying to get into my pants.

And every time one of them failed, Logan would throw a party to "clear up the misunderstanding."

Gradually, everyone in his circle came to know that Vivian was hopelessly in love with Logan. They believed no man on earth could ever steal his girl.

To outsiders, I didn't care about money, power, or looks. I was just purely, unconditionally in love with Logan himself.

As if.

If I didn't care about any of those things, why wouldn't I just adopt a dog?

I liked his money, and I liked his face.

Among everyone I knew, he used to have the best package that fit my taste.

But not anymore.

Dominic took out his phone. "Scan me. Let me know if you ever need anything."

Clearly, Logan had set this up beforehand.

I ran a high-end, custom fashion design studio.

With Logan's connections and my unique designs, my studio had quickly made a name for itself.

After styling a few celebrities for red carpet events and creating some viral looks, my business had boomed.

By now, I was the go-to independent designer for the city's elite.

But my ambition didn't stop there. I wanted to build my own commercial brand and take it global.

"Vivian? Don't just stand there. Not everyone gets a chance to get Dominic's personal contact," Logan's voice pulled me back to reality.

I blinked and saw Dominic holding out his phone with a QR code on the screen. His long fingers held the edge of the device in a relaxed, effortless grip.

I pulled out my phone and scanned it.

With a soft ding, we were connected.

His profile picture was a solid, matte black background. Nothing else.

His Instagram grid was completely empty. No posts, no clues.

I put my phone away and looked up, catching his gaze.

He wasn't looking at his phone. Instead, his eyes were locked onto my face... specifically, my lips.

It was only for a split second before he looked away.

But I still caught the faint smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

Interesting.

I looked away and took a sip from my glass.

It was ice water.

Suddenly, Dominic spoke up. "You should drink something else."

"What?"

"Ice water isn't good for you right now."

Quietly, he pushed his own glass of warm water toward me.

I took a sip of the warm water, lowering my head to hide the small smirk on my lips.

When I had reached into my bag for my phone earlier, I had purposely let him catch a glimpse of the tampons in my purse.

So far, this man was passing with flying colors.

After the party, I didn't reach out to Dominic.

Since he had agreed to help Logan test me, he would definitely make the first move.

I was right.

He showed up directly at my studio.

He claimed he was in the neighborhood for a meeting, remembered my studio was nearby, and wanted to see if I could custom-make a suit for him.

A client is a client. I had no reason to turn him down.

"Of course. But I'll need to take your measurements first. Are you in a rush, Dominic?"

"Not at all."

I stepped forward with my measuring tape.

Dominic cooperatively took off his suit jacket, leaving him in a crisp, high-quality white dress shirt.

I measured his shoulders and arms. Everything went smoothly until I wrapped the tape around his waist.

Because of the angle, I practically had to step right into his chest.

The clean, woody scent of a mature man instantly wrapped around me.

He looked down, his warm breath brushing against my ear.

Then, without warning, his lips lightly grazed my earlobe.

I gasped, stepping back as if I'd been electrocuted.

He lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself."

I let out a mocking laugh. "Logan sent you to test me, didn't he?"

"Yes," he admitted, completely unfazed by being caught. Instead, he looked at me with burning intensity. "But what if I've fallen for you for real? What do I do now?"

"Is that so?" I met his deep gaze, a slow smile spreading across my face. "Then you'll have to try harder."

We stared at each other.

Some things didn't need to be said out loud. When two people are on the same wavelength, they just know.

Just as he was about to speak, his phone vibrated.

He glanced at the screen and answered it right in front of me.

"Don't worry, she hasn't texted me at all."

"Don't believe me? I'll send you a screenshot."

Logan was still talking on the other end.

Dominic glanced at me and "accidentally" hit the speaker button.

Though he kept the phone near his ear, Logan's voice was crystal clear in the quiet studio.

"Bro, you gotta help me out a bit more. Be more aggressive. See how she reacts. If even you can't charm her, then I can finally be at peace."

Dominic chuckled. "How many times have you tested this girl?"

"This time is different. You know how it is in our worldwe have to marry for business. She's brought up marriage a few times, and I've been dodging it. But my parents are pushing me to go on blind dates with heiresses lately, and I don't want to break up with Vivian yet."

"So you need to help me. Once I'm 100% sure she'll never leave me, I can go ahead with the family dates with peace of mind."

Dominic looked at me. "If you're going to marry someone else anyway, why not just let her go? Keeping her in the dark is messed up."

"Dominic, you don't get it. I really love her. If she loves me enough, she won't care about a stupid piece of paper."

"Aren't you afraid..." Dominic's eyes darkened, "that I might actually steal her from you?"

Logan let out a loud laugh.

"Come on, Dominic. You've seen the most beautiful women in the world. Why would you ever fall for her?"

"Anyway, if she passes this final test, I'll reward her with a private commitment ceremony. Just a small event for our inner circle. That'll keep her happy for life."

"But if she fails... well, then you help me throw it in her face. I'll make sure she regrets it for the rest of her life."

Dominic hung up. We stood there in silence.

Honestly, I wasn't even that sad.

I had thought about marrying Logan once.

But after his constant dodging, I had checked out a long time ago.

Staying with him was purely for his connections.

To me, Logan was like a bland, tasteless dish.

Dominic, on the other hand, looked delicious.

I wanted him. But not quite yet.

I threw myself entirely into my work, knowing Dominic would eventually be my prey.

Dominic knew how much my career meant to me, so he kept feeding me resources.

And I accepted every single one of them.

He used his connections to help restructure my company, headhunted top talents for me, connected me with the best factories, and got me premium fabrics at dirt-cheap prices.

He even secured a showcase spot for me at next year's Milan Fashion Week.

He kept giving without asking for anything in return, and I didn't mind giving him a little taste of what he wanted.

Just a little taste. Never the full meal.

I acted like a total heartbreaker, soaking up all his favors while keeping him at arm's length.

But he didn't seem to mind. To him, these favors were effortless.

Except sometimes, when the tension got too thick and he was left hanging, he would let out a bitter laugh.

"I feel like a dog you've got perfectly trained. How can you be so cruel, Vivian?"

But that wasn't true. He was incredibly attractive to me.

Under the guise of fitting his suits, I would let my hands wander.

Through the thin fabric of his shirt, I would trace the hard lines of his chest and abdomen.

But I always stopped right before he lost his mind.

That was my favorite game.

Our flirting was practically out in the open, yet Logan was completely oblivious.

He actually believed that all the resources Dominic was giving me were just "bait" to test my loyalty.

Even his friends thought the same.

During their parties, they would gossip about me behind my back:

"Logan's got his girl completely whipped. Even a guy like Dominic can't tempt her. I bet she'd jump off a cliff for you if you asked!"

"Vivian acts all cold and elegant, but in front of Logan, she's probably begging for his attention."

"Imagine her face when she finds out Logan is marrying someone else. She's going to cry her eyes out."

"Let her cry. It's not like she can ever leave him."

"Hahaha..."

Dominic had secretly recorded all of this and sent it to me.

"Vivian, I didn't want to play this for you because I didn't want to hurt you. But I thought you should know what he's really like behind your back."

"I don't have any ulterior motives. I just... I hate seeing you treated like this."

"If I had the honor of being your man, I would never hang out with people who disrespect you like this."

"Are you refusing to be with me because you still love Logan?"

Me: ...

I was just used to getting my bag first.

Since Dominic was already on my plate, I was in no rush to eat.

The day Dominic's prototype suit was ready, I decided to deliver it to his office myself.

Dominic's office took up an entire floor of his family's skyscraper.

His assistant buzzed me right through security.

Dominic had given strict orders: I never needed an appointment.

Which was how I unfortunately ended up overhearing Logan's voice.

"Dominic, you're going way too hard just to help me out. Did you really have to give her all those premium connections?"

"Women don't need to work anyway. I can provide for her. Giving her all those resources is just a waste."

I had always known Logan never took my career seriously.

When he initially supported my studio, it was just a patronizing gesture to keep me entertained. He figured his rich friends could buy a few dresses to fund my little hobby.

Even when I started succeeding, his boasting felt more like a proud owner showing off a prettier vase than his neighbors'.

Dominic didn't argue. He just said coldly, "I don't do charity."

"Of course, of course. I know you're only doing this as a favor to me."

"But seriously, has she really not shown any interest in you?"

Dominic raised an eyebrow. "Do you want her to?"

"That's not what I mean," Logan waved his hand dismissively. "I already met Victoria, the heiress my parents set me up with. We're both happy with the arrangement. The news is going to break soon, so I need a definitive answer before that."

He leaned in closer, lowering his voice:

"Dominic, we need to up the stakes. Before my engagement party with Victoria, you have to make Vivian fall in love with you."

I sat in Dominic's private lounge and ate three slices of cake, and Logan still hadn't left.

Losing my patience, I sent Dominic a text.

A few seconds later, I heard footsteps in the hallway.

Logan was saying, "Alright, I'm heading out. Don't forget what we agreed on!"

The footsteps faded away.

Thirty seconds later, the lounge door opened.

I raised the garment bag in my hand. "Brought your suit for a fitting."

Dominic's dark eyes flared with hunger.

I unzipped the garment bag and gestured for him to come over.

He stared at me for a few seconds before finally stepping in front of me.

I reached up, naturally unbuttoning his suit jacket and sliding it off his shoulders.

He raised his arms cooperatively, letting the old jacket fall to reveal his crisp white shirt.

Since a new suit required adjusting the shoulders and waist, I stepped behind him, draping the new fabric over his shoulders. My fingers slowly traced down his shoulder blades.

I could feel the heat radiating from his skin through the shirt.

"Raise your arms."

Instead of raising his arms, he suddenly spun around and grabbed my wrists.

His grip wasn't painful, but before I could react, he pinned me against the door.

He leaned in, his hot breath mingling with mine.

I didn't push him away. Instead, I grabbed his tie, pulling him even closer.

He paused for a fraction of a second, then slammed his lips onto mine, hard and desperate.

I tilted my head up, matching his frantic rhythm.

His hand slid down from the door to cup the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair, pulling me flush against his hard chest.

When the kiss finally ended, his voice was thick and raspy. "When are you going to let Logan know?"

I tilted my head and smiled. "I never said I was keeping it a secret."

Logan's birthday bash was scheduled to be at Dominic's luxury cabin resort in Aspen.

That would be the perfect place to reveal the truth.