LOGINThe drive back to the estate felt longer than the journey away, Ava lingered in the city, drifting through quiet squares and watching the sky deepen into a bruised purple. She needed the distraction.The evening had fully settled by the time she steered the car through the wrought iron gates. Dominic stood in the center of the gravel courtyard, flanked by a phalanx of his men. They were a unified wall of black dark suits. The sight of them, so still and formidable, made the steering wheel feel slick under her palms.She parked the car with slow precision. Through the windshield, she felt the pull of Dominic’s gaze. He wasn't looking at the car, he was looking through it, his eyes locked firmly on her with an intensity that suggested he had been counting the seconds of her absence.Ava stepped out, she forced her chin up and walked toward him, the gravel crunching under her heels like breaking bone."Leave," Dominic said. It wasn't a shout, but the single syllable carried enough autho
She went rigid, her spine turning to stone against the heat of Dominic’s palms. Every nerve in her body ignited where his skin met hers, a traitorous reaction she couldn't suppress. "I didn’t—I didn’t..." she began, her voice a mere splinter of sound."Didn’t say what, Ava? Come now, speak up. The truth is usually much louder than a whisper." Dominic’s hands tightened around her waist, his fingers digging into the fabric of the shirt with a force. He pulled her closer until the buttons of his own waistcoat pressed against her, erasing the last shred of distance. There was nowhere for her to retreat, no place to vanish into.She could only stare at him blankly, her eyes wide and dark with a mixture of terror and a strange, burgeoning heat she didn't want to acknowledge. Dominic didn't look away, instead, his gaze began a slow roam, lingering on the curve of her mouth before returning to her eyes."If you are as innocent as you claim," he growled, the vibration of his voice buzzing ag
The informant sounded uncharacteristically hesitant, his words uncertain."I couldn’t gather much, Boss," the man admitted, his voice crackling with static. "It’s as if her history has been scrubbed clean. There are no school records that stick, no digital footprint beyond the last few years. But from what I’ve observed... I don't think she’s a bad lady. She doesn't fit the profile of a professional plant."Dominic’s jaw tightened, his eyes fixing on his own reflection in the darkened window. "You wouldn’t know that," he argued, his voice a low. "In my world, the ones who look the most innocent are usually the ones holding the knife. Lack of a record isn't a sign of goodness, it’s a sign of a very talented handler.""I’ll keep digging, Boss," the man promised. "There has to be a thread somewhere.""You better do that," Dominic snapped. He ended the call with a sharp flick of his thumb and tossed the phone onto the bed. He needed a shower to wash off the grime of the warehouse and the
The red Ferrari was a blur of crimson against the grey asphalt of the city. She spent the afternoon drifting through high end boutiques and doing some food stuff shopping. Her final stop was the Dior boutique, where the air was filled with the cloying sweetness of expensive blossoms and the hushed tones of the elite.She selected a few bottles of perfume and a sleek gold-cased makeup kit, her movements fluid and detached. As she reached the counter, the young woman ringing up the items paused, her eyes lingering on the diamond band on Ava’s finger and the expensive lines of her silhouette."You have such exquisite taste," the clerk murmured, a trace of envy coloring her professional smile. "It’s truly inspiring to see young ladies like yourself finding such success so early in life."Ava leaned in over the glass counter, the scent of the perfumes she’d just sampled clinging to her skin. A small, sharp smile played on her lips. "I’m not successful," she whispered, her voice dropping in
The following morning, the estate was bathed in a deceptive, quiet gold. Ava descended the grand staircase, the hem of her silk nightgown brushing against the cold marble. She found Dominic in the foyer, the sharp lines of his charcoal suit a stark contrast to the soft morning light. He was the picture of lethal composure, adjusting his cuffs with a precision that made her skin prickle."Good morning," Ava said, her voice sounding thin in the echoing space.Dominic didn’t look up immediately. He finished with his cufflink before his gaze drifted toward her. He raked his eyes over her—not with the heat of the previous night, but with a cold, analytical detachment that felt far more dangerous. It was the look of a man checking a perimeter for weaknesses. Without a word of greeting, he turned to the men flanking the door, barking a series of low, sharp orders that sent them into immediate, silent motion.As he reached for the brass handle of the front door, Ava took a step forward. "Will
The drive back home from the warehouse was a blur of rain-slicked pavement and the low hum of the Mercedes. Dominic gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white against the leather. The exhaustion was more than physical. The crisis at the docks had been handled with his usual ruthless way but the silence of the night allowed the image of Ava’s defiant face to seep back into his mind.He pulled into the garage of the estate, the engine cutting out with a final sigh. As he stepped out, the cool night air hit him hard. His security detail emerged from the perimeter, their movements synchronized and silent."Guard the gates," Dominic commanded, his voice raspy from a night of barking orders. He paused, his gaze flickering toward the darkened windows of the upper floor. "Keep a sharp eye on any movement. That includes my wife. If she so much as breathes like a threat, I want to know."The men exchanged a fleeting, puzzled look—a silent communication between partners. It was an unusual di







