Chapter 37 – The Rising Tides

Dominic’s POV

The sound of my pen scratching across paper was the only noise in the office. I didn’t even bother lifting my head when the knock came on my door.

“Come in,” I said simply.

I already knew who it was. The earthy, dry scent that followed the knock was one I’d never forget. A scent that reminded me of old scrolls buried under ash and stone.

“Greetings, Master,” Arin said as he walked in. His voice was low and firm, and he bowed slightly, just enough to show respect but not weakness.

I didn’t stop writing. “You decided to come back.”

“I had to. Things… have gotten worse.” He stood tall in front of my desk, not saying more until I looked up.

But before this, just minutes earlier, the building had grown quiet the moment he stepped inside.

I didn’t even need to glance at the clock to know something was off. It wasn’t the usual lazy quiet that filled the air when people were focused. No, this was the kind that followed the sudden entry of someone who didn’t belong—or belonged too much.

A man dressed in a sharp black tailcoat, like something out of an old Victorian novel, had walked in. His shoes clicked against the marble floors as if marking his territory. His hair was slicked back so perfectly that even a hurricane couldn’t move a strand. His cold eyes swept across the employees like a hawk searching for prey.

The moment he turned the corner and disappeared up the stairs, the whispers began.

“Tsk… what does he think he is? He’s just a head secretary.”

“He acts like the world owes him billions.”

“What’s with that weird old butler suit? Who still dresses like that?”

“Hehe… forgot we’re in the twenty-first century, huh?”

“Whoever let him out like that must really hate him.”

Idiots.

Arin ignored them all. His back remained straight, his steps proud, not once faltering. He made it to the presidential floor without so much as a word to them.

“Welcome, Mr. Arin,” my assistant head secretary greeted him stiffly.

The rest of the staff followed with shallow bows, afraid to meet his eyes.

And now, here he was in my office.

His presence filled the room like smoke—silent, but heavy.

“Why has the company become like this?” he asked without hesitation, his gaze held worry as he looked at me. His sharp eyes didn’t miss the exhaustion written on the paperwork and the tension buried in my brows.

I stopped writing.

I leaned back, tossing the pen on the desk. The click of it hitting the wood echoed in the large space.

So, even Arin had noticed. Just by stepping in, he could already smell the rot.

“Stupid rules. Bastards hiding behind the committee,” I said bitterly. “They’re doing everything they can to weaken our influence. The humans… and some traitors. It’s getting worse.”

Arin didn’t speak. He only waited for me to go on.

“How’s the matter with the Juliane family?”

He shook his head. “I can tell you about that later, Master. For now, something more urgent has come up.”

I raised a brow, a little annoyed. “What?”

“Your parents… they’re coming to City A.”

I froze.

My pen dropped from my fingers and hit the table with a soft clatter.

“They’re what?”

“They’re leaving City B. Madam is furious.”

“Why now?” I asked, my voice sharp. “Weren’t they supposed to guard the pack there? That place has been our foundation for centuries!”

Arin sighed. “Five years ago, during the turmoil, Madam sensed a mate bond forming… a lamp lit beside you.”

My breath caught.

She found out?

“And then, a year after, another lamp was lit—a child fate lamp,” Arin added carefully. “She believes you found your mate… and that a child was born. Since then, she’s been unable to confirm anything due to the erratic nature of the fate lamps. But she thinks you’ve been hiding your mate and child from her. She’s angry that you’ve been ignoring her calls.”

I rubbed my gabella. The skin between my brows ached from the pressure.

“She’s not wrong,” I muttered. “I did find someone. Five years ago… I was injured badly. My core was almost destroyed.”

Arin didn’t interrupt.

“I met a woman… her body held the Yin constitution. She saved my life. I marked her. I was supposed to return to her after the dust settled, but…” I trailed off, the familiar weight of guilt pressing down.

“The pressure, the rules, the damn restrictions,” I continued. “They’ve tightened the net around us. If I move carelessly now, they’ll know. I’ll expose her… and the child, if they exist. So I’ve been waiting.”

Arin’s face remained calm, but I could see the flicker of emotion behind his eyes.

“Then… the one in the East Hill mansion?” he asked.

“A fake,” I answered coldly. “I don’t know how Micha found her. She had the talismanic watch, yes. But it was already activated. We traced it to her after she said something like, ‘If you won’t take it, I will.’ Then Micha used the signal to pick her up. But that wasn’t the one.”

“And the real mate? Any leads?”

I paused, my gaze meeting his.

“She’s here,” I said finally. “In this building.”

Arin blinked.

“Her name is Mannie. But I’m not one hundred percent sure.”

Arin nodded once. He understood. He always did.

“Then Master, we have to act fast. Your grandfather wants to tie you to the Jadeite family. Their only daughter.”

I gritted my teeth.

Before I could say anything, my phone rang.

We both froze.

I stared at the screen.

Speak of the devil.

“Grandfather,” I answered, pressing the speaker.

“Dom! My boy!” his loud voice came through like thunder. “I’ve made arrangements for you to meet the Jadeite family’s eldest daughter tonight! Her name is Crystal. She’s stunning, elegant, and exactly what you need.”

I said nothing.

“She’ll be wearing a soft blue dress, like ocean waves, and waiting for you at the Golden Rose restaurant. That’s high class, its classy, quiet, and private. The perfect spot to fall in love. And mind you, don’t be late.”

I leaned back, bored already.

“And Dom, my boy,” he went on, his voice practically dancing with glee, “After dinner, you two can head to the hotel. Heh heh. You know, spend time. Do what adults do. I want to see my great-grandson before I pass away!”

“No,” I said flatly.

“No?”

I repeated it, slower. “No.”

There was silence, then rage.

“NO?” Grandfather’s voice grew sharp. “Do you know how many sacrifices I made for this family? That girl is from the Jadeite clan. They control five major shipping routes and their family has a millennial history and are the king pack in City A. You marry her, we lock that down.”

“I’m not interested.”

His voice turned cold. “You will go.”

“I won’t.”

“You ungrateful boy! I built this empire. Everything you have is because of me!”

“I never asked for it.”

“You think you have a choice? You either marry her or stay out of City B forever. Don’t come crying when the pack chooses someone else!”

“I still wouldn’t.”

“You ungrateful little—!” he hissed. “If you don’t give me a wife and a great-grandson by the end of this year, don’t even think of coming back to City B!”

“Then I guess I’m not coming back,” I replied calmly and hung up.

The silence that followed was heavy.

Arin stared at me with wide eyes, a mix of shock and worry on his face.

“You shouldn’t have angered him,” he said quietly.

“I don’t care,” I said, leaning forward again. “Let him fume. I won’t be forced into anything.”

Arin hesitated, then spoke carefully.

“Master… should we use her?”

I looked up.

“Mannie,” he clarified. “If she is the one… we could use the current chaos to confirm it. Maybe even fool your grandfather for a while.”

I leaned back in my chair, thinking.

Use her?

I hated the idea.

But I hated Zarah more. And Mannie, as annoying as she could be, at least wasn’t fake. She had fire in her. She wasn’t trying to impress me like others. She challenged me. She stood tall even when I gave her reasons to fall. I didn’t know if she was my mate, but something deep inside me always reacted to her.

“Fine,” I said, my tone unwilling.

Arin misunderstood.

He thought I was just too in love to use her like that.

He gave a small smile and nodded. “Understood.”

Then he began to report on other matters—like company spies, strange movements in the Juliane family, and a pattern of stolen funds from one of our offshore accounts.