Chapter 24: A Shot in the Dark

The sound of the gunshot rang in my ears, my entire body stiffening in response. Time seemed to slow as I tried to process the chaos unfolding in front of me. Dominic’s hand tightened around my arm as he pulled me against him, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. His eyes, usually cold and calculating, were wide with alarm, darting around the empty lobby as if searching for the shooter.

I didn’t know who fired the shot, but the danger in the air was undeniable. I had to act fast. The cold metallic taste of fear lingered in my mouth as I struggled against Dominic’s grip, my heart pounding with adrenaline.

“Dominic!” I gasped, trying to wriggle free from his hold, but he was stronger than I remembered. His face was inches from mine, his breath warm against my cheek. He didn’t loosen his hold; instead, he pulled me closer, using his body as a shield.

“Stay behind me,” he ordered, his voice low, strained, and urgent.

I didn’t have the luxury of questioning him now. His words made sense, but something in my gut told me that the danger wasn’t over. I didn’t know who was after us or why, but the stakes had just been raised.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway, growing louder. My pulse quickened, every nerve on high alert. Dominic’s eyes flicked toward the source of the noise, and before I could process what was happening, he yanked me toward the nearest elevator.

“Now, Elena!” he barked.

I barely had time to react as he pulled me with him, our footsteps echoing through the vast, empty space. We reached the elevator, and Dominic pressed the button with a force that made the metal buttons rattle. The doors slid open almost immediately, and he shoved me inside, following closely behind.

The doors slammed shut just as a second shot rang out, a sharp, deafening sound that made my ears ring.

I gasped, instinctively shrinking into the corner of the elevator. But Dominic didn’t flinch. He was calm, unnervingly so, his jaw tight as he stabbed the button for the top floor.

“What the hell is going on?” I demanded, my voice trembling despite myself.

Dominic didn’t answer right away. He stood there, his back against the mirrored wall, his eyes never leaving the doors, watching the numbers above the elevator doors with a kind of intensity that made my stomach churn.

“Someone’s after us,” he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper, but the urgency in it was unmistakable.

“Who?” I asked, my heart racing.

Dominic shook his head. “I don’t know yet, but it’s not just a random act of violence. Whoever it is, they know exactly what they’re doing.”

The elevator jerked to a stop as it reached the top floor. Before the doors could even open, Dominic grabbed my arm again, pulling me toward the hallway. “Stay close.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. My pulse was still racing, my mind spinning with questions I couldn’t answer. Why had someone taken a shot at us? Who would go so far as to target Dominic Caldwell, the man who seemed untouchable, the very man I had sworn to take down?

But now, as we moved quickly through the empty hallways of the penthouse floor, a new thought began to creep into my mind: Was this about me? Had my investigation into the Caldwells finally caught up to us, to me?

Dominic led me into a lavish office, the floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking view of the city below. But there was no time to appreciate the view. Dominic closed the door behind us with a loud thud and immediately locked it.

He turned to me, his eyes hard, but there was something else behind them—something dark, something I had never seen before. “You’re in danger, Elena,” he said, his voice laced with urgency.

“I’m in danger?” I repeated incredulously, still reeling from everything that had just happened. “How? Why? What the hell is going on, Dominic?”

Dominic’s jaw tightened, and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Because this isn’t just about you. It’s not about your father, or my father, or our families anymore. This goes much deeper than that.”

I took a step toward him, anger mixing with confusion. “You’ve been hiding things from me, Dominic. You’ve been playing me like a damn pawn in your game, and now—”

“I’m trying to protect you!” he interrupted, his voice rising for the first time. “You don’t get it, do you? There are people who will do whatever it takes to destroy us both. This isn’t a game, Elena. It never was.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stood frozen, my mind reeling from the revelation. Destroy us both?

“Who are these people?” I managed to choke out, my voice unsteady.

He paced across the room, clearly agitated. “I don’t know yet. But I have a theory. Someone has been orchestrating everything from the shadows. Someone who has been manipulating both our families for years. And it’s all coming to a head now. You need to trust me, Elena. You have to.”

“Trust you?” I repeated, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “How can I trust you after everything? After everything you’ve done?”

Dominic stopped in his tracks, his back to me as he stared out the window. “I know I’ve made mistakes, Elena. I know I’ve hurt you. But this? This is bigger than us. We need each other if we’re going to survive this.”

I didn’t know what to say. Part of me wanted to throw it all back in his face, to storm out of the room and never look back. But another part of me—an insidious, stubborn part—wanted to believe him. Maybe he wasn’t the enemy after all. Maybe we were fighting the same battle.

Before I could respond, a loud crash came from the hallway outside the office. I spun around, my heart jumping into my throat.

Dominic’s eyes flashed with a warning. “Stay behind me.”

I didn’t have to be told twice. He was already moving toward the door, his body tense, his face hard with determination. The faint sound of footsteps grew louder, closer. Whoever it was, they were coming. Fast.

Suddenly, the office door swung open, and I gasped, my heart skipping a beat.

A figure stood in the doorway. Tall. Broad-shouldered. And dressed in all black.

I didn’t recognize the man, but Dominic did. His face went white, his eyes narrowing with a mix of fear and recognition.

“You,” Dominic growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The man smiled, the expression cold, menacing. “It’s been a long time, Dominic. You’ve been keeping secrets.”

Dominic stepped forward, his fists clenched at his sides. “What do you want?”

The man’s smile widened. “I’m here for you both. And I’m not leaving until you’re both finished.”

The air in the room thickened with tension. My body stiffened as I realized just how close we were to the edge.

Who was this man?

And more importantly, what did he want with Dominic and me?