Chapter 44: The Breaking Point

The next few days felt like I was living in a fog, moving through each hour with the sensation that something massive was just out of reach. The encounter in the garden had shaken me more than I cared to admit, leaving me with more questions than answers. What had Liam meant? What was Dominic hiding? Why did I feel like I was slipping further into a world I had no control over?

But it wasn’t just the questions that weighed on me—it was the silence. Dominic was quieter, his presence more oppressive. He barely spoke to me, but his eyes followed my every move, as if he was waiting for me to make the wrong choice. I was no fool. I knew what was happening, and it terrified me. The more I uncovered, the more I felt like I was drowning in a sea of lies and deceit.

And yet, there was something else. The pull between Dominic and me—it hadn’t lessened. If anything, it had grown stronger. The tension between us was palpable, an electric current running through the space whenever we were near each other. I hated it. I hated that I was beginning to question whether I truly hated him. Because somewhere deep down, I could feel the truth gnawing at me—there was more to this than just revenge.

It was late when Dominic finally approached me again. I was in the library, poring over some old documents I had found in my father’s study—notes about a business deal with Caldwell Enterprises. But it wasn’t just business. There was something else, something that made my stomach twist with unease.

The door creaked open, and I didn’t need to look up to know it was him. I could feel the weight of his presence before he even spoke.

“Busy?” he asked, his voice cutting through the silence.

I didn’t look at him. “Always.”

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. I could feel him standing there, his eyes on me, but I refused to acknowledge him. My head was too full of thoughts—too many things I still didn’t understand. But his silence was as suffocating as the air between us.

Finally, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “What do you want, Dominic?” My voice was sharper than I intended, but it was too late to take it back.

He didn’t flinch. Instead, he stepped closer, his shadow falling across the pages of the document in front of me. “I need to talk to you.”

I glanced up, meeting his gaze for the first time in days. His eyes were dark, intense, and I could see the storm brewing behind them. I wasn’t sure if it was anger, regret, or something else entirely. But I could tell this conversation wouldn’t be easy.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” I said quietly, my voice trembling slightly despite my best efforts to sound firm. “I’m not some pawn in your game, Dominic.”

He didn’t seem surprised by my response. If anything, his lips curled into a wry smile. “Is that what you think? That this is all some game?” His voice dropped lower, and I could feel the shift in the air around us. “You have no idea, Elena.”

I stiffened at the way he said my name. There was an intensity to it, a weight that made my pulse quicken despite myself.

“I know enough,” I replied, pushing my chair back as I stood to face him. “I know enough to understand that my life has been controlled by people like you for far too long. But I’m not your toy. Not anymore.”

For a moment, there was silence between us. Dominic’s eyes were calculating, searching mine as if weighing something. His jaw clenched, and I could see the storm inside him building.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” he muttered, his voice tight with frustration. “This isn’t just about you or me. This is about everything. About our families, about what’s been done to us. You think you can just walk away from this? That you can cut yourself loose from everything that’s been set in motion?”

I took a step back, my heart pounding. “I don’t know what you want from me, Dominic. But I’m not going to play along with whatever game you’re trying to manipulate me into.”

His expression darkened. “You don’t have a choice. You’ve already made your move. You think your father’s going to let you walk away from this without consequences?”

That stung. His words hit home, and I could feel the truth in them, even though I hated to admit it.

Before I could respond, the door behind us opened, and my mother stepped into the room. Olivia Sinclair, always poised, always in control. But today, there was something different in her eyes—something that made me uneasy.

“Is this what it’s come to?” she asked, her voice icy as she looked from Dominic to me. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she turned back to me, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Elena, you have no idea what’s at stake here.”

“Not this again,” I snapped, turning to face her. “I’m not just going to be some pawn in a marriage you and Dad have arranged for me. Not when I know the truth.”

Her eyes flickered with a strange mixture of guilt and resolve, but she didn’t speak. Instead, her gaze shifted to Dominic, and for a brief moment, I saw something like a shared understanding pass between them.

“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice low. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Dominic’s jaw tightened, and he stepped closer, but before he could answer, a voice interrupted us.

“Enough.”

We all turned to find Liam standing in the doorway, his posture rigid, his face set in a hard line. There was a warning in his eyes—a silent threat.

“I’ve been listening to all of this for far too long,” Liam continued, his voice cold. “And I’m done with it. You’re all playing this game like it’s some kind of chess match, but let me tell you, there’s no winning. Not for any of us.”

I didn’t know what to say. The tension in the room had reached a boiling point, and I could feel the weight of the choices ahead of me. No matter how much I wanted to fight it, I was trapped. In this web of lies and betrayal, there was no way out.

“You can pretend all you want,” Liam said, his eyes locking onto mine. “But you’re already in it, Elena. You’re already part of this—whether you like it or not.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving the three of us standing in an awkward silence. The air felt thick, heavy with unsaid things.

I looked at Dominic, his face unreadable as always, but I saw the flicker of something behind his eyes—something like regret. Or maybe it was guilt. Either way, it didn’t matter.

I had made my choice. But now, I had to figure out how to live with it.