Chapter 13

Dominic’s POV

Samantha had always been a mystery to me, but lately, she was something else entirely. After six years since she vanished, she returned like a very different person— fiercer and more outspoken.

I could not stop thinking about her. Everything about tonight, about her, felt off. She was no longer the Samantha I remembered. The shy girl who used to blush every time I so much as glanced her way had vanished. This Samantha did not shrink back. She met my eyes, fired back sharp words during our encounters, and held her ground like she did not care what I thought of her anymore.

And it threw me off.

It was not just her attitude that had changed; it was her whole presence. She walked into a room like she belonged there, like she did not need anyone to grant her a place. The way she carried herself now— it made me see her differently, and I hated that it made me question things I had always thought I knew.

For years, I had convinced myself that Samantha had somehow planned our ar