MasukDOMINICI tapped my finger against the table. My hands still smelled like crab and hot sauce, despite the gloves.I glanced around, my eyes settling on a man sitting three tables away. At first glance, he looked focused on his meal, talking sweetly to his date and laughing every two seconds.But I noticed the way his left wrist never left the table.A tiny camera peeked from beneath his cuff, pointed towards me.Relentless fuckers.I glanced towards the hallway where she'd disappeared. My eyes flicked to my watch.Twenty-one minutes.I stood up, walking towards the hallway. It was quiet except for the clinking of cutlery against plates drifting from the dining area.I spotted her.Her honey-brown hair was tied into a bun. The black satin dress exposed the bare length of her back. I walked towards her.She stretched out her hand. My eyes dragged from her outstretched hand to the man leaning against the wall with a smirk plastered on his face …Drew.He took her hand and dipped his head,
ANASTASIA I glanced at the dress in the mirror, flattening my hand over it. The black satin material hugged my body perfectly, showing off curves I didn't even know I had. I brushed my hands over my flat boobs. I swear the shit stopped growing after middle school. I ran my fingers along the beads of the pearl necklace resting around my neck, my hands tightening into fists at my sides. I picked up my purse and walked downstairs. The only sound in the room was my heels clicking against each step. As I neared the last stair, my eyes landed on Dominic. He sat cross-legged on the couch, his fingers tapping against the armrest. He raised his head, our eyes meeting briefly. Our eyes held. His blue eyes stayed on mine before slowly dropping to my figure. I shifted on one foot, stepping off the last stair with his heated gaze still on me. "The fuck are you looking at?" I snapped. He stood without answering. "Let's go," he muttered, walking toward me and stretching his hand out. I s
DOMINICI stared at the picture illuminating the screen, the one the reporters had taken.In the picture, my hands were resting across her chest, but from the angle, they couldn't see my hand dipped into her bag, so it looked like I was hugging her against my chest.I remembered how her neck had turned completely red. I couldn't see her face, but I knew it'd been a blaring shade of red too. My jaw tightened.I placed the phone down when I felt a presence behind me.“Where is she?” I asked.Butler Su moved from where he'd been standing. “She has retired to the bedroom. The trip must have tired her out,” he supplied.“Has Father called?” I asked.“Yes, Mr. Blackwood. He still insists on meeting her.”I nodded once, tapping my finger against the armrest.“Deny his requests.”“I am not in the position to do that,” Butler Su said, bowing his head. He still owed loyalty to my father, no matter how much authority I had.I stood up, walking across the room.“This will be the last request I le
ANASTASIA I gaped at the building in front of me. White stone, fountains and a pool that stretched across half the villa. Palm trees lined the place. the sun reflected on the building, gave off a golden glow. Dominic swished past me, taking my bag and his with him. I pressed my finger against my forehead, following behind him. The air inside smelled faintly like polished wood and flowers. Marble floors gleamed under the afternoon light. A chandelier hung overhead. Cream walls, dark wooden tables and fancy paintings straight out of one of Rita’s billionaire magazines. There were no family portraits for a family vacation home. I heard shoes clicking on tile. My eyes snapped to the stairs. A man stood there, well over fifty, in a button-down suit. He looked korean, with pale skin and gray hair slicked back. "Butler Su," Dominic acknowledged. I nearly barfed. What is this, some royal court from the Victorian era? The man smiled briefly, posture straight, hands folded behin
ANASTASIAMy hair danced in the wind, slapping over my face. My lips felt chapped even with gloss smudged over them. I pulled my coat closer together, shielding myself from the wind from the jet's engines. I squinted, glancing at Dominic. His hair danced in the wind, falling over his forehead, longer than it looked slicked back, his leather jacket dancing in the wind. His hands slipped into his pockets, his shoulders straight. I tugged my hair behind my ear, the strands slipped past my fingers, slapped against my face.Fucking hell, the wind was doing this to me on purpose.I heard his footsteps slow down. Before I could turn, I felt his hand gather my hair, pulling it into place, making me stop. His cold fingers drifted across the back of my neck as he pulled my hair together. I froze, my fingers tightening around my coat."Hair clip?" he asked, stretching his hand into my view."What in fucking hell are you doing?"He leaned in close, his chest brushing against my back. His knuckle
ANASTASIA I ran my finger along the rack of dresses, pausing at each one to inspect it. I could feel the weight of everyone's gaze, the designer holding his breath, each inhale hitching as my finger slipped past another dress. It was almost laughable. The corners of my lips tugged up. Dominic had brought an entire designer brand into the living room this morning. I rolled my eyes. My fingertip brushed against a dress. The satin glided beneath my touch. I could feel the heat of a gaze scorching into me. I looked up. Dominic sat on the couch, coffee in hand, his blue eyes trained on me, one finger tapping against the cup. The tapping stopped the moment our eyes met. Our gazes locked, my finger still hooked around the dress. "Is that your pick?" he asked, the corner of his lips curling into a smirk. I released the dress, my eyes dropping to the price tag. $500, written in bold black ink for a single dress. My lips tugged up. I lifted my head, meeting his gaze. "A
ANASTASIAClack. Clack.The sound of knife cutting against a plate.I look across the table at Dominic. His back is straight, hair perfectly styled back, eyes focused on his dinner as his knife cuts cleanly into the steak like it isn’t just half-done meat. I push my hair off my face, struggling
ANASTASIAThe room is lit only by moonlight seeping through the curtains. The curtains flutter with the wind, rising like something big lurks behind them, then flattening again. Each flutter brings bone-chattering cold.I toss on the bed, eyes shut tight, minutes dragging. “Shit. I can’t fucking
ANASTASIA The car smells like leather, and the faint cologne of the man seating in front of me. My heart is thumping so hard I swear I hear my ribcage crack. The limo feels too tight, my knee pressed against Dominic's. I shift, in an attempt to gain space between us. Dominic's tapping his finge
ANASTASIA“He just has to show up late, dosen't he” I whisper, glancing toward the entrance—no sign of Dominic.The hall is huge, flooded with people. I feel painfully out of place, maybe because I’ve avoided them for so long. Everyone has something to say about me.Hushed whispers about me, yet lo







