Man in the Suit

The bookstore looked nothing like itself.

By noon, the quiet charm of Riverside Books had been overtaken by black posters, soft velvet ropes, and gold-trimmed flyers with the words:

“The Black Foundation Gala.”

Every surface shined. Lush white orchids spilled from crystal vases. A red carpet covered the entrance. And behind the counter, Lena stood perfectly still—heart pounding as she watched the preparations unfold.

He’s really coming.

Dominic Black is going to walk through those doors.

She had debated calling out sick. Taking Eliana and disappearing to the next town for a few days. But something inside her, something stubborn and protective, had held her back.

She wouldn’t run. Not again.

“Eliana,” she called softly. “Stay near me, okay?”

But there was no answer.

Her heart dropped. “Eliana?”

She looked behind the counter. Under the reading table. Checked the back room.

Nothing.

“Eliana!”

The crowd outside had started to grow—press, staff, socialites arriving early. Panic twisted in Lena’s chest as she rushed out from behind the counter, weaving through decorators and floral designers.

And then she saw her.

At the far end of the display, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the red carpet, Eliana was happily sketching with a pink crayon. A notebook sat on her lap, her tongue between her teeth in concentration.

And standing just a few feet away from her—his back turned—was him.

Dominic.

Lena stopped breathing.

Five years had done nothing to soften him. He still wore power like a second skin. His jet-black hair was slicked neatly back, his suit crisp, his posture effortless. A low voice rolled from his lips as he spoke to his assistant, but Lena barely heard it.

Her eyes were on Eliana.

And Eliana… was looking at him.

With quiet curiosity, she tilted her head and stood.

Lena’s body moved before her mind did.

She crossed the floor in seconds and scooped Eliana into her arms, just as the little girl opened her mouth to speak.

“Mommy!” Eliana giggled, wrapping her arms around Lena’s neck. “I was drawing Daddy!”

Lena tensed. Dominic turned slightly at the word, his gaze brushing across them for just a second—no recognition in his eyes.

Just disinterest.

To him, they were strangers.

Lena didn’t wait to see more.

She murmured a quick excuse to a nearby staffer and ducked behind a curtain into the staff hallway, heart thudding wildly.

Eliana rested her head on her shoulder, unfazed. “That man looked like my picture.”

Lena shut her eyes tightly.

He did.

Because it was him.

Lena sat Eliana down on the small sofa in the break room, her pulse still racing.

“You can’t run off like that,” she said, kneeling in front of her. “You scared me.”

Eliana pouted. “But I didn’t go far. I just wanted to see the man in the shiny shoes.”

Lena let out a shaky breath, brushing a loose curl off Eliana’s cheek. “That man isn’t someone we talk to, okay?”

“Why not?” Eliana asked, eyes wide with confusion. “He looked nice.”

Lena blinked.

Nice?

That man—Dominic Black—didn’t even notice the daughter standing five feet from him. Didn’t even blink when he looked her way. The same man who had walked out five years ago without ever asking if Lena was telling the truth.

“I just need you to listen to me,” Lena said gently, cupping her daughter’s face. “Promise?”

“Okay,” Eliana said softly, sensing her mother’s seriousness. “I promise.”

Lena hugged her tightly.

But outside, Dominic had stopped mid-sentence.

He frowned, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the voices he’d just heard. Something… odd had brushed over him. A child’s laugh. A woman’s voice. And for half a second, he’d thought…

He shook his head.

Impossible.

His assistant, Amanda, handed him a folder. “Here’s the press list for tonight. The mayor’s team wants to arrange a five-minute photo op.”

He barely nodded, eyes still scanning the room. “Who’s managing the space?”

“The bookstore owner. Ms. Rina Myles.”

“No,” he said, eyes narrowing slightly. “The woman who was holding the child. She looked… familiar.”

Amanda blinked. “I don’t think she’s on the guest list.”

He didn’t respond right away. But a strange chill stirred something deep inside him. He wasn’t a man ruled by instinct—he never had been. But something about that moment… about that child’s face…

He turned back to Amanda. “Find out who she is.”

⸻

Back in the break room, Lena was trying to hold it together.

Her thoughts spun wildly.

What if Dominic had seen them? What if he had recognized her?

No. He wouldn’t. Not after all this time.

She looked different now. Softer. Her hair was longer. She didn’t wear the sleek designer clothes he used to order for her like she was his pet. She wasn’t the scared girl who had married him out of desperation.

She was a mother now.

And she’d do anything to protect her child.

“Mommy,” Eliana whispered, yawning, “can I take a nap here?”

Lena nodded and helped her curl up on the couch. She tucked a blanket over her and kissed her forehead.

But inside, dread pressed heavy on her chest.

Because if Dominic stayed in Riverside for this gala…

If he kept coming back to this bookstore…

Sooner or later, the truth would come out.