Chapter 188
Chapter 188
Dominic’s POV
The private surveillance room was dark and cold, it was different to to the hot fury boiling beneath my skin. Every muscle was taut, every nerve firing at the sight of Aria seated across from Nico, pretending to betray me.
The camera feed was crystal clear, showing every subtle shift of her expression, every sly smirk Nico wore, every delicate move she made to play along
It was torture.
I’d planned this down to every last detail, but nothing had prepared me for the raw torment of seeing her with him.
It was like acid burning through my veins, slowly corroding my control with every passing second.
Luca stood silently beside me, his eyes glued to the monitor, just as tense but wisely keeping his mouth shut. Even he understood that one wrong word might snap the thin thread of restraint holding me back.
Aria’s voice filtered through the speakers, soft yet convincing. “Dominic betrayed me first. He’s lied to me about everything–my family, my past, my inheritance. I owe him nothing.”
The bitterness in her tone sounded so authentic that my chest tightened painfully. For a fleeting second, I wondered if part of that resentment was real.
If the lies I’d woven to keep her safe had truly hurt her that deeply.
Nico leaned in, his predatory gaze fixed shamelessly on her face, greed shining openly in his eyes.
He bought every word she said, his arrogance blinding him to the trap we’d laid. But I knew better than anyone how dangerous arrogance could be–it had nearly cost me everything, more than once.
I clenched my fists, watching Nico inch closer, his expression shifting from arrogance to something darker, more primal. My jaw tightened, teeth grinding together hard enough that my skull ached. Every instinct screamed at me to storm out there and tear him apart, but I forced myself to stay put, to endure this fucking charade.
He leaned even closer, his fingers sliding across the table, touching hers lightly. I went rigid, breath stopping in my lungs.
“That bastard,” I growled, barely audible.
Luca stiffened beside me. “Don’t lose your head, Dominic. Not yet.”
My glare silenced him instantly, but I knew he was right. Yet every rational thought shattered the instant Nico’s thumb stroked over Aria’s knuckles possessively, like she was already his.
“I can protect you,” Nico murmured on the screen, his voice sickeningly gentle. “Dominic never knew your worth, Aria. But I see it clearly. You belong somewhere you’ll be appreciated.”
The seductive edge in his voice made my stomach churn violently, jealousy roaring through my blood. Aria’s eyes flickered, a subtle flash of discomfort that only I could recognize. She was holding herself together, but barely.
Nico lifted her hand slightly, bringing it dangerously close to his mouth, his lips brushing her skin.
The sight detonated something primal within me.
“Enough,” I snarled, ripping the gun from its holster, my finger already on the trigger, ready to explode from the room. “I’ll kill him right now.”
Luca lunged forward, grabbing my arm with strength born of pure panic. “Dom, don’t! Stick to the plan. She’s counting on you. You blow this, you’ll ruin everything.”
1/4
(09:55. Sun?
Chapter 188
I stared down at his hand gripping my wrist, my breath coming out in ragged, furious pants. It took every ounce of salt control ijod Eh per te off and storm into that room, gun blazing.
“She’s mine, Luca,” I spat the words like poison. “I don’t care what fucking plan we have, I won’t let him put his hands on har
“He won’t get away with it,” Luca said quickly, desperate to calm me. “But you rush out there now, everything you worked for goes to hell, tigo and Victoria get exactly what they want.”
I forced myself to look back at the screen. Aria’s composure was remarkable, her posture stiff but controlled. She subtly drew her hand away, reclaiming distance without giving herself away. Pride flared through me, strong enough to briefly overpower the fage.
“See?” Luca pressed gently. “She’s handling it. Trust her, Dominic.”
Trust her.
The words sliced through my fury, anchoring me back to reality. Aria wasn’t weak, wasn’t helpless. She was handling herself exactly as we’d planned
Still, watching her suffer through Nico’s touch felt like agony. My muscles trembled with barely contained violence, my hand still clenched painfully around the gun’s grip.
“This better fucking end soon,” I hissed.
“It will,” Luca assured softly. “He’s digging his own grave.”
I forced another harsh breath into my lungs, slowly lowering the
just enough to keep from storming out there.
egun, though I didn’t put it away. Not yet. It felt necessary, the cold metal grounding me
Nico finally leaned back, still smiling smugly, unaware he’d come inches from death.
My voice was raw, dangerous. “He’ll pay for this. Slowly. Painfully.”
Aria’s POV
My heart raced so hard I could barely breathe, the steady drumbeat roaring in my ears. The way
Nico’s dark eyes suddenly narrowed, suspicion flickering behind his carefully constructed mask, made my skin crawl.
“Something wrong?” I asked casually, raising an eyebrow and forcing a nonchalant smirk despite my nerves.
He didn’t answer right away, just continued watching me closely, scrutinizing every detail of my expression. His silence felt suffocating, oppressive, like an invisible noose slowly tightening around my throat.
“I can’t quite figure you out, Aria,” Nico finally murmured, leaning back into his chair, eyes still locked on mine. “Just when I think I’ve got a handle on your intentions, something shifts.”
I laughed softly, feigning ease even as dread coiled tighter inside my chest. “Maybe you’re just paranoid.”
“Or maybe Dominic has trained you better than I thought,” he countered sharply, eyes flashing with dark irritation.
Fuck.
I needed to regain control before he unraveled my careful deception. Leaning forward, I let my expression soften, deliberately allowing a hint of vulnerability to seep through.
“Nico, if you don’t trust me, why am I here? My voice trembled ever so slightly, just enough to sound believable. “I risked everything to come to you. Dominic isn’t exactly forgiving, and he’s sure as hell not merciful”
Chapter 188
He studied me again, searching my face for lies, before finally sighing and giving me a reluctant smile.
“Maybe you’re right,” he conceded. But even as he spoke, something guarded lingered behind his eyes. “Maybe Dominic’s paranoia rubbed on on ma
Trelaxed visibly, hoping it looked convincing. “Understandable. He does have a way of getting under your skin.”
A cold smile tugged at his lips. “That he does. And soon he’ll pay the price.”
“That’s why I’m here,” I reminded him firmly, leaning back, projecting confidence despite the fear still pulsing through my veins.
He nodded thoughtfully, tapping his fingers on the table. The air between us still felt charged, dangerous, as if at any moment the careful balance might topple into chaos.
Nico stood abruptly, signaling the meeting was over. “I’ll be in touch,” he said, his tone dismissive, guarded again. “Make sure Dominic doesn’t suspect anything. Keep up your little act until I tell you otherwise.”
“Of course,” I agreed smoothly, rising to my feet and maintaining the confident facade despite feeling like a puppet on strings.
His eyes lingered on me just a bit too long, Unble and calculating. “Good girl.”
I walked away steadily, feeling his gaze burn into my back until I exited the dimly lit bar. The cool night air hit me sharply, momentarily clearing the haze of fear that had clouded my mind.
My phone buzzed in my purse, and I quickly answered, my voice barely a whisper. “Hello?”
Dominic’s voice, rough and urgent, filled my ear. “Are you alright?”
I hesitated, glancing around nervously. The streets seemed empty, but Nico’s paranoia had infected me too. “For now. But he’s suspicious.”
“Get home now,” Dominic ordered sharply, voice tense and strained. “Luca’s already nearby, ready to follow you back.”
I nodded, forcing my legs to move, to remain calm as I walked down the quiet sidewalk toward the waiting car. Luca was parked discreetly a few blocks down, his eyes alert as I climbed into the back seat.
“You good?” he asked, checking me quickly through the rearview mirror.
“Just drive,” I said, glancing anxiously over my shoulder.
He nodded grimly, accelerating swiftly through the empty streets. But even as we sped away, a creeping sensation prickled at the base of my spine, a feeling of eyes watching me from the shadows.
“Luca, can you check behind us?” I asked urgently.
He glanced sharply into the rearview mirror, eyes narrowing. “Shit,” he muttered. “We’re being followed.”
My heart sank, adrenaline spiking again. Nico’s suspicions hadn’t just been idle paranoia–he’d already set a trap to confirm his fear’s.
We arrived at the estate minutes later, Luca quickly ushering me inside while discreetly signaling the security team. Dominic stood rigidly in the foyer, his dark eyes immediately finding mine.
“Are you okay?” he demanded, stepping forward and grasping my shoulders gently, scanning me for any hint of harm.
“He suspects,” I said breathlessly, pressing my hands to his chest, heart hammering so loudly I was sure he could hear it. “Nico thinks I’m setting him up.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened dangerously, eyes flashing cold fire. “What happened?”
“He questioned me–carefully, but enough to know he’s wary. And now…” I swallowed hard, looking into his furious eyes. “He had one of his men follow me. They’re probably outside right now, watching.”
3/4
Chapter 188
Dominic cursed softly under his breath, turning to bark rapid orders at his security, Luca nodded quickly and hurried out, stresdy workin to the threat.
Dominic turned back to me, his expression darkening with a barely restrained fury, one he carefully kept from bleeding into his voice. Aria, it is too dangerous now. We need to rethink=”
“No. 1 stopped him sharply, stepping closer. “We can’t pull back now. This is our only chance to catch them off–guard.”
His fists clenched in frustration, eyes blazing with stubborn protectiveness. “I won’t let him put you in harm’s way again.”
I gently cupped his face, forcing him to look directly at me, softening my voice deliberately. “Dominic, please. I’m in harm’s way regardless. At least this way, it’s on our terms.”
He searched my eyes, torn between fury and desperation, before finally relenting with a strained sigh. “You’re going to be the death of me, Aria.”
“Or the one who saves you,” I whispered, offering a weak smile. “We need to move fast. He’s onto us.”
AD
