The rest of the file was harder to read. Scanned birth certificates. Medical notes. Something about a switch. Legal custody documents never filed.
I felt like the ground beneath me had cracked open.
The Montels weren’t my real parents.
I had always felt different. Like I didn’t quite belong. But this?
This was not what I expected at all. Was this. A prank?
I had to sit down.
My knees hit the rug before I even realized I was moving.
Dominic knew.
He knew and didn’t tell me.
Why? Why keep it from me? Why not say anything–unless he had something to gain?
Unless I was leverage.
My breath caught as I heard footsteps outside.
Shit.
I slammed the file shut, heart racing. Shoved it back into the drawer, locked it, and replaced the key in the exact spot I
found it. I grabbed a random book off the shelf–something thick and old–and forced myself to stay calm just as the door opened.
Dominic stepped in.
His eyes locked on me immediately.
“What are you doing in here?”
I held up the book. “Couldn’t sleep. Thought reading might help.”
He stepped closer, eyes narrowing slightly.
“Your room is full of books.”
I shrugged, forcing a smile. “Not these kinds.”
He said nothing for a moment, gaze moving to the desk, then back to me.
“Don’t come in here again, Aria.”
His voice was quiet.
Too quiet.
I nodded. “Of course,”
But something shifted behind his eyes. A flicker of suspicion. Or something worse.
He stepped forward and gently took the book from my hand, placing it on the desk.
His thumb brushed my chin, tilting my face up.
“You’re shaking.”
“It’s cold.”
“It’s not.” His voice was soft. Dangerous. “You’re hiding something.”
I met his gaze and forced myself to lie. “Aren’t we all?”
He stared at me for another second before leaning down and kissing my forehead. Not gentle. Not rough Just… possessive.
“I don’t like secrets, Aria.”
Neither do I.
My heart was beating so fast. Please don’t find out. Please don’t.
I kept my expression still. Measured. My fingers curled slightly into the fabric of my dress to stop them from shaking.
Dominic stepped back from me slowly, his eyes lingering on my face for a moment longer before he finally said, “We’re having dinner.”
I blinked. “What?”
1/3
Chapter 96
“With Nico,” he clarified, already turning toward the door. “Tonight. Eight. Don’t be late.”
He didn’t wait for a response. Just closed the door behind him with that soft, final click that always felt like a warning
I exhaled, long and trembling.
He didn’t suspect.
Not yet.
By seven, the staff had already laid out the dining room like it was a state event–long candles, gold–rimmed plates, crystal glasses that looked too fragile to breathe on.
I wasn’t hungry.
My stomach had curled into itself ever since I opened that drawer.
The name–Fletcher–haunted me.
The smile of the man in the photo. The hard look of the woman. My own face between them.
Why had he kept that a secret?
And why label it as leverage?
I walked into the dining room dressed in a simple black dress Emilia had left out for me. It fit a little too perfectly, like she’d guessed what Dominic would approve of before I even saw it.
Dominic was already there, seated at the head of the table, swirling a glass of wine slowly between his fingers.
He looked up. “You’re on time.”
“Would’ve been rude not to be.” I sat across from him, spine straight, voice calm.
He watched me for a beat. “You’ve been quiet.”
“I buried my parents two days ago. It’s still hard to believe..”
He accepted that answer with a nod. “Fair enough.”
The door opened and Nico walked in like he hadn’t almost been beaten bloody not long ago. His jaw was still slightly bruised, but his posture was sharp, confident, even smug.
“Evening,” he said with that crooked grin, sliding into the chair beside me. “You look stunning, Aria.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t say anything.
Yet.
I gave Nico a tight smile. “Thanks.”
Dinner was served in silence. The guards stood along the edges of the room, pretending not to watch, but I felt every glance. Every breath.
I focused on my plate. Cut small pieces of food and moved them around more than I ate.
“You know,” Nico said, sipping his wine, “this whole dinner thing reminds me of when we were kids. Back when your father would make us sit around that ridiculous table and pretend we were some noble family.”
Dominic’s mouth twitched. “We weren’t pretending.”
“Sure.” Nico leaned back. “That’s why the wine had to be imported from Tuscany and the steak flown in from Argentina.”
“You’re welcome for tonight’s menu, by the way,” Dominic said dryly.
“Much appreciated, boss.”
The tension between them pulsed like a third presence at the table.
I didn’t belong here. Not between men like them. Not when I had secrets tucked inside me like bombs waiting to go off. “You okay?” Nico asked under his breath, turning slightly toward me.
I nodded quickly. “I’m fine.”
“You look like you haven’t slept.”
“I look like someone whose world just collapsed,” I snapped. “That’s probably accurate.”
He fell silent.
Dominic didn’t say a word. But his eyes were on me again. Always watching.
I picked up my wine glass to distract myself. My fingers trembled slightly.
“Don’t drink too much,” Dominic said, voice soft but firm. “You’re still on medication.”
Chapter 96
I stared at him. “Thanks, Doctor.”
Nico snorted. Dominic didn’t.
“Let her drink if she wants, Nico said, tapping his own glass against mige. “She’s earned it.”
“She’s not your concern,” Dominic replied. Calm. Final
“Maybe she should be someone’s, Nico muttered.
Dominic’s hand stilled on his knife.
I swallowed hard. “I’m not anyone’s concern,” I said quickly. “I’m just tired.”
“Then we’ll keep it short,” Dominic said, eyes flicking between me and Nico. 1 wanted this dinner because I need unity
“Between who?” I asked.
He leaned back. “You and me. And Nico.”
I laughed softly. “There’s no unity when I’m the thing you both want to own.”
Dominic’s gaze turned dark. “You’re not a thing”
“No? Then stop tracking me. Stop locking doors. Stop pretending the chains you wrap me in are made of silk.”
Silence.
Nico watched me with something like approval.
Dominic… didn’t move.
Finally, he said, “You’ll have your answers. But not tonight.”
I pushed my plate away. “Then what is tonight, Dominic?”
B Subscribed
