chapter 33

As Rosie stepped out of the elevator, she nearly collided with Hannah. "Where's Dominic?" She asked, her brow furrowed with concern. "Have you seen him today?" 

Hannah shook her head. "No, ma'am." 

Rosie's questions came rapid-fire. "What's his schedule for today? Did he have a meeting I don't know about?" 

Hannah shook her head again. "Not that I know of, ma'am." 

"And he didn't call to tell you about his plans? Maybe an emergency came up or someone needed his attention urgently?" Rosie pressed on, her worry growing.  

Hannah's response was prompt. "No, he didn't." 

Rosie's concern deepened. "Where could he have rushed off to?" She wondered aloud. She hadn't been awake when Dominic left the house in a hurry early that morning, and now she was starting to feel a sense of unease.

She had assumed Dominic had left for an emergency, expecting to meet him at the office, but it had been over three hours since she'd arrived, and he was still nowhere to be seen. 

She grabbed her phone and opened the contact app. Dominic's number was the only one on her favorites list, saved as "Guardian Angel." She dialed his number, and it rang, but he didn't pick up; just like it had been since. 

Undeterred, she redialed, but this time, he hung up before the phone could even ring out. 

She tried again, but his phone was no longer reachable. "What could have happened?" She muffled, her worry etched on her face as she stared at her phone screen. 

Noticing Rosie's distress, Hannah closed the distance between them. "Ma'am, don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine." Hannah said, offering reassurance.

"He's not picking up his call," Rosie said, her voice laced with concern. "He never goes anywhere without letting me know." 

Hannah tried to reassure her. "He'll be fine, ma'am. He must be busy and couldn't pick up." 

Rosie nodded, and as she turned to head back to Hannah's office to wait for Dominic, his car pulled up. 

"He's here, ma'am." Hannah said, relief evident in her voice. 

Rosie hurried to meet Dominic. "Are you okay?" She asked, her hand instinctively reaching out to touch his shoulder, as if searching for some unseen injury. 

Dominic's gaze met hers, but his eyes dropped, and his lips curved downward. "I'm fine." He replied in a low, subdued tone. 

Rosie's instincts told her something was off, and she knew Dominic was hiding something from her. He usually forced a smile to reassure her, but this time, he didn't even attempt it. 

Her grip on his hand tightened. "Are you sure you're okay?" She pressed, her voice gentle but insistent. She held his left hand, her eyes locked on his, urging him to open up. "Tell me what's wrong."

A soft, skeptical laugh escaped Dominic's lips. "If I tell you what's wrong, what can you do?" He asked, his tone laced with a mix of frustration and resignation. 

Rosie's brow furrowed in concern as she looked up at him, her eyes searching his face. "What do you mean?" She asked, her voice tinged with confusion. 

Dominic's eyes fluttered closed for a brief moment before snapping back open, and he let out a gentle sigh. He carefully pried Rosie's hand off his arm. "Never mind." he said, his voice dismissive. 

Rosie called out to him, her voice firm but gentle. "Dominic…" She paused, holding his gaze. 

His eyebrows arched upward, and he looked at her expectantly. "What is it?" He asked. 

"Where are you coming from?" Rosie's questions were immediate. "Who did you meet? Did something happen where you went?"

His gaze pierced deeper into her eyes, his lips curving into a smile that sent a shiver down her spine. "I'm coming from a place where I learned the truth, and reality hit me hard," he said, his words dripping with an unsettling intensity. "I met someone who changed my destiny, and only good things happened there." 

His smile faltered for a moment, and he ground his teeth, taking a step closer to her. Rosie retreated, her eyes wide with alarm. He advanced again, and she backed away again. 

He stopped abruptly, a low, mocking laugh escaping his lips. "You're running away from me already?" 

Rosie shook her head, taking a step forward. "No, that's not it," she tried to defend herself. 

Dominic's eyes glinted with challenge. "Then how is it? Explain? How is it?" He pressed, his question hanging in the air, leaving Rosie speechless and frozen, her gaze locked on his face.

He leaned in, his mouth inches from her ear, and whispered, "soon, my destiny will be rewritten, and I'll find out exactly where I belong." 

As he finished speaking, he straightened up, his gaze shifting away from Rosie to Hannah. "Arrange my office," he instructed, his voice crisp. "We'll be permanently separated from now on."

Hannah's eyes widened in surprise, but she swiftly composed herself, her head bowing lower than usual. "Okay, sir." She replied, her voice professional. 

As she stepped into the elevator, a single thought dominated her mind. "What's going on?" She wondered, pressing the button to ascend. 

After watching Hannah disappear into the elevator, Dominic turned back to Rosie, who still stood frozen, her expression dazed and bewildered.

He exhaled softly, a small smile playing on his lips as he draped his hand over his back. "Let's work separately from now on. I wish us the best." 

"Dominic–" Rosie tried to protest, calling out to him, but he didn't look back, walking away from her towards the elevator. She wanted to chase after him, but her shock and confusion rooted her to the spot. 

As Dominic stepped into the elevator, the doors closed, his eyes locked on hers until the last moment. 

Rosie's gaze lingered on the closed doors, her eyes blinking twice in stunned silence. "What's going on?" She whispered to herself, her mind reeling with questions. "Is this really Dominic, my brother?" She wondered, feeling a sense of disconnection and uncertainty.