LOGINDOMINIC By the time I step into my study, the irritation hadn’t faded, if anything it’s even worse now, layered with something else I don’t bother naming, something tied to Valerie, to the way she walked off earlier.Why did she suddenly want to leave? Could it be possible that she had misunderstood Madeline? he did refer to her as my childhood sweetheart for some reason.I move straight to the desk, pulling open the drawer without thinking too much about it, my fingers finding the card I’m looking for easily. Black.I hold it for a second, tapping it lightly against the desk as my mind runs through the next conversation I’m about to have, already anticipating the attitude, the pushback, the inevitable fight that comes with Valerie Locke when she decides she’s had enough. Then i hand it to her only for her mood to switchup in seconds like it usually does.“Troublesome woman,” I mutter under my breath before pushing the drawer shut and heading back out.The hallway feels quieter now,
DOMINIC “I told you I missed you, Dominic.”I exhale through my nose, glancing around briefly, already aware of the eyes, the distance, the fact that even on a private island nothing stays private for long. “There are reporters everywhere,” I say, lowering my voice slightly. “This is my honeymoon. People are already watching, already talking, and you showing up like this doesn’t help.”Her expression shifts immediately, hurt flashing across her features like I just said something unforgivable. “So I’m a problem now?”“That’s not what I said.”“But it is,” she insists, pulling her hand away slightly only to cross her arms, defensive now, her tone tightening. “You went and got married while I was away like I didn’t matter, like I wasn’t even a thought in your head.”“You were in another country,” I say plainly. “I travel all the time,” she shoots back. “That’s not new. But you getting married? That’s new. And you didn’t even think to—”“This isn’t the place for this conversation,” I cu
VALERIE I turned slowly, sand sticking slightly to my damp skin as my fingers curled around my phone, and for a second—just a second—I forgot how to breathe, because the woman standing there looked like something carved out of perfection itself.She was a beauty. Perfect beauty. She didn’t need to try, just existed and made everything around her look… less. Tall, poised, skin smooth like glass under the sun, hair falling in sleek waves that probably had their own personal stylist, and her outfit? God. Effortless but evidently expensive in that way that screamed old money.And then my brain caught up with her words. “So you’re the bitch trying to steal my man?”“Huh?” It slipped out before I could stop it, brows pulling together as I pushed myself up slightly on my hands, staring at her like maybe I’d heard wrong, like maybe the ocean had messed with my ears, because there was no way this stranger just walked up to me and dropped that like it was normal conversation.Her expression ti
VALERIE The Next Morning.The first thing I felt was warmth. Like mascuine warmth.Not the sun, not the soft sheets, not even the lazy ocean breeze slipping through the curtains, but something solid, something wrapped around me, heavy and firm in a way that made my body go still before my brain even caught up, my breath pausing halfway in my chest as I blinked slowly into the morning light and tried to make sense of why I couldn’t move properly.Then it clicked. There was an arm wrapped around my waist.Pulling me back into a chest that rose and fell slowly behind me. Dominic.I froze for a second longer than I should’ve, my eyes staring at nothing as I became painfully aware of everything at once, the heat of his body, the way his grip wasn’t tight but wasn’t loose either, the way I fit there like I’d been placed intentionally, like I belonged in that exact spot.And It felt… good. It felt comfortable an safe in a way I didn’t trust.My fingers twitched slightly against the sheets,
VALERIE My thighs pressed together instinctively before I forced them apart again, forcing myself to stand still, to not give him more than I already had, but it was getting harder, way harder than I expected.Then It finally pressed down on my clit. Right over the fabric and my entire body reacted.A sharp jolt shot through me, my hips bucking slightly before I could stop it, a small, involuntary sound slipping past my lips that I immediately tried to swallow back down, my fingers clenching tighter at my sides.“Fuck—” I whispered, barely audible."You’re so beautiful when you look like that,” he murmured, voice low, almost thoughtful, like he wasn’t even trying to provoke me, like he was just… stating it.I shook my head slightly, breath uneven, trying to get a grip on myself, trying to remember why I was even here, but it was getting harder to think, harder to focus when the sensation kept building, kept pressing, kept dragging in small movements that felt way too deliberate to be
VALERIE“If it makes his life easier, yes.” Hawthorne didn't even blink before replying.I stared at him for a second, trying to figure out if he was serious or just extremely dedicated to whatever job description Dominic had forced on him, but his expression didn’t change, not even a flicker. “…You’re weird,” I muttered under my breath before sighing lightly. “Thank you.”He inclined his head once. “Of course.”Then just like that, he turned and left, the door closing behind him with the same quiet precision everything in this place seemed to have, and I was left alone again.With the box.I eyed it for a second, my curiosity already creeping in despite myself, because knowing Dominic, this could either be something ridiculously expensive or something completely unnecessary, and honestly, I wasn’t sure which one was worse.“…What did you do now?” I muttered, reaching over and pulling it closer, my fingers brushing over the smooth packaging before I peeled it open.And then... I froze
DOMINICThe pesky girl was still coughing on the floor when security arrived. Two men in dark suits stepped out of the elevator within seconds, professional and silent. They didn’t ask questions. They didn’t look surprised either, why would they? These stuff happens all the time. It's hard to find
VALERIE Except this time the glass walls weren’t there. This time I was inside. And apparently… every single one of these cars was available to me. I folded my arms slowly, turning in a slow circle as my eyes moved across the collection.Black. Silver. Matte gray. Deep red.Sports cars. Luxury sed
VALERIE If it wasn’t for one of the maids spotting me wandering like a confused tourist I probably would’ve gotten lost for an hour. “Dining room is this way, my lady,” the maid said kindly, guiding me down another hallway.“Thank you,” I said honestly. “I would’ve ended up in the basement at this
VALERIEMy body woke up before my brain did.And the first thing my body did was complain.Every muscle hurt. Not the normal kind of sore either, not the kind you get after cleaning floors all day or carrying too many grocery bags. No. This was a deeper ache. A slow burn in places I refused to thin







