ROSE 63

Posted by AdminHHAdmin, ? Views, Released on May 1, 2025

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I hated the way his words slithered into my head, planting seeds of doubt where there shouldn’t be any.

Because wasn’t that true?

Hadn’t Dominic made it clear from the start that I was his? That I didn’t have a choice? That my life was only valuable because he deemed it so?

I exhaled shakily. “You’re wrong.”

Nico just smiled. “Am I?”

I turned away, suddenly feeling too exposed, too unsure of myself.

But then–someone coughed.

I froze.

My pulse stopped.

Slowly, I turned toward the door-

And there, standing in the doorway, was Dominic.

His expression was unreadable. But his eyes?

His eyes were furious.

The bag he was holding slipped from his grip, hitting the floor with a dull thud. His jaw was tight, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

Nico, on the other hand, was perfectly relaxed, leaning back like he hadn’t just been whispering dangerous things into my ear. Like he hadn’t been trying to plant doubts in my mind.

“Dominic,” Nico greeted smoothly, his smirk sharp. “You’re back early,”

Dominic didn’t blink. Didn’t move.

For a moment, the room suffocated.

Tension rippled through the air, thick and heavy. It was a standoff–one that I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in the middle of.

Dominic’s gaze flicked to me, then back to Nico. “Why are you so close to what’s mine?”

My stomach dropped.

Nico smirked wider. “Oh, relax. We were just talking.”

Dominic took a slow, controlled step forward. “I told you to stay away from her.”

Nico’s eyes gleamed with something mischievous. He was enjoying this.

“Possessive, aren’t we?” Nico mused. “One would think you don’t trust me, old friend.”

Dominic’s lips curled into something almost like a snarl. “I don’t.”

The tension crackled like a live wire.

Neither of them broke eye contact. Neither of them backed down.

It was territorial.

A pissing contest between two dangerous men who had too much history and too many unspoken grudges.

I could feel the heat of Dominic’s fury radiating off him.

I should have spoken up. I should have said something.

But I was too stunned.

Dominic’s fingers twitched at his sides.

Then-

His hand shot out, grabbing mine.

Not gently.

Possessively.

I gasped slightly, startled by the force of it.

Successfully unlocked!

“Room. Now.” His voice was low, controlled, but I could feel the barely restrained rage behind it.

I yanked my hand back on instinct. “Dominic-”

His eyes darkened.

1/4

Chapter 63

He wasn’t asking.

He was commanding.

And that only made me not want to listen.

I straightened, refusing to budge. “No.”

His jaw clenched. “Aria.”

I folded my arms, standing my ground. “I’m talking to someone. You don’t get to barge in here and order me around like a-”

Before I could finish, his fingers dug into my wrist, his grip tightening. “I said now.”

Something in me snapped.

I ripped my arm away, my voice sharp. “You don’t own me!”

The silence that followed was deadly.

Dominic’s expression didn’t change. But something flickered behind his eyes–something dangerous.

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding.

But I refused to back down.

Finally, he exhaled through his nose. “Fine.” His voice was lethal. “Do whatever you want.”

Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed out.

The door slammed behind him.

I let out a shaky breath, my hands still trembling from the intensity of that moment.

Nico chuckled.

I turned to him, my eyes narrowing. “Do you enjoy provoking him?”

His smirk was wicked. “A little.”

I scowled. “That’s stupid.”

“Maybe,” he mused. “But it’s fun.”

I ran a hand down my face, trying to shake off the lingering energy from Dominic’s anger.

Then, without thinking, I asked, “Do you hate Dominic?”

Nico’s expression shifted.

For the first time since I met him, he wasn’t smirking.

Instead, his jaw tightened, his fingers tapping slowly against the armrest. He looked away, staring at some invisible point on the floor, like he was debating whether or not to answer me honestly.

Then, in a quiet voice, he said, “I used to love him.”

I blinked, caught off guard by the weight of his words.

“He was my best friend,” Nico continued, his voice almost distant. “We grew up together. Fought together. I trusted him more than anyone.”

I stayed silent, letting him talk.

“But Dominic only ever cared about himself,” Nico muttered, shaking his head. “It was always about his power, his empire, his needs.”

His fingers curled into a fist, his knuckles turning white.

“And when Victoria came along…” He exhaled sharply, like the memory hurt. “I loved her, too, you know.”

I froze.

I wasn’t expecting that.

He looked up at me then, something raw in his eyes. “But it didn’t matter. Because Dominic wanted her. And when Dominic wants something, he takes it.”

I swallowed hard, my stomach twisting.

I knew Dominic was possessive, but hearing it like this? Hearing the way he had taken someone Nico loved? It made something ache inside me.

“He didn’t even love her,” Nico muttered, his voice bitter. “Not the way I did. Not the way she wanted to be loved. She was just another piece in his game. Another thing to own.”

I clenched my hands in my lap, feeling… uneasy.

Because wasn’t that exactly what Nico had been trying to tell me this whole time? That Dominic only saw people as pawns?

2/4

Chapter 63

I bit my lip. “What happened to her?”

Nico laughed, but it wasn’t amused. It was hollow. “She chose power over love. And now, she’s trapped with Mikael.” My stomach dropped.

Victoria had chosen power. And now, she was suffering for it.

What did that mean for me?

I inhaled shakily, my mind racing.

Nico studied me carefully. “You think you’re different, don’t you?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

He sighed, leaning back. “You’re not.”

I hated how much those words stung.

I hated that they made sense.

Before I could process it-

A crash echoed through the hallway.

Then-

“Aria!!!”

Dominic’s voice.

Sharp. Furious.

My heart jumped.

I turned just as the door slammed open, revealing Dominic in the doorway, his chest heaving, his eyes blazing with rage. His gaze zeroed in on me, his fists clenched.

I shot up from my seat. “I am not your slave, bastard!!”

His jaw tightened, his nostrils flaring. He didn’t say anything–he just moved.

Fast.

Before I could even take a step back, his hands grabbed me, his grip ironclad.

I barely had time to gasp before he threw me over his shoulder like I was nothing more than a ragdoll.

“Dominic!!” I shouted, pounding my fists against his back. “Put me down!!”

He didn’t flinch. Didn’t react.

He just started walking.

I kicked my legs, thrashing in his hold, but it was useless. He was too strong, his grip unbreakable.

“Nico!” I snapped, twisting to look at him. “Are you just gonna stand there?!”

Nico leaned back in his chair, his expression amused but unreadable. “This is wildly entertaining.”

I let out a frustrated scream. “You both are insane!!”

Dominic’s only response was to tighten his grip around my waist, his arm pressing hard against my stomach as he carried me out of the room, down the hall, and straight toward his bedroom.