Chapter 6: The Devil’s Move

I awoke to the chilling touch of cold metal on my wrists. My head throbbed, and my vision was hazy as I tried to comprehend my surroundings. The dim, flickering light overhead cast unsettling shadows on the concrete walls. 

Where was I? 

I pulled at my hands, realizing I was handcuffed to a chair. A wave of sickening déjà vu washed over me. This wasn’t my first encounter with Dominic Caldwell, but this time felt different. I wasn’t sure I would escape with my life. 

Footsteps broke the silence, slow and deliberate. 

Then he emerged into the light. 

Dominic. 

Clad in a black suit, his expression was inscrutable, embodying the ruthless billionaire who ruled the city. But his eyes? They glowed with a dark, menacing intensity. 

“You should have known better, Sinclair,” he said, his voice low and almost indifferent. “Did you really think I wouldn’t discover your little alliance with Liam?” 

My heart raced. He was aware. 

I swallowed hard, striving to keep my voice steady. “You kidnapped me.” 

Dominic smirked. “Let’s not be dramatic. I simply relocated you.” 

I shot him a glare. “This is madness.” 

His jaw tightened. “What’s truly mad is your belief that you could outsmart me.” 

I tugged at the cuffs. “So what’s next? You plan to keep me imprisoned?” 

He stepped closer, looming over me. “I warned you, Elena. I don’t tolerate betrayal.” 

“Betrayal?” I retorted. “You destroyed my father. You forced me into this marriage. And you expect my loyalty?” 

For a fleeting moment, something shifted in his gaze. I thought I detected a hint of hesitation. 

But just as quickly, it vanished. 

“I expect you to understand your place,” he replied. 

I met his gaze defiantly. “And if I refuse?” 

Dominic sighed, running a hand through his hair. Then, before I could react, he crouched down in front of me, his face dangerously close to mine. 

“Then I’ll have to remind you,” he whispered.

****

An hour later, Dominic released me from my cuffs. It wasn’t out of trust; he simply knew he didn’t need to keep me restrained. As I stood there, massaging my aching wrists, he leaned casually against the desk, arms crossed. “You have two options, Sinclair.”

I tensed up. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear them.”

His smirk was maddening. “Option one: you leave this place and publicly declare that our marriage is genuine. That you love me, and that all the rumors about our conflict were just media fabrication.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Not a chance.”

His smile faded. “Option two: I take down Liam.”

My heart sank.

Dominic tilted his head slightly. “Did you really think I wouldn’t discover what he’s been up to? Liam isn’t exactly discreet, and now he’s exposed.”

He moved closer, lowering his voice. “If you don’t make the right choice, Sinclair, I’ll ensure his company falls apart. I’ll ruin him.”

Rage bubbled within me. “You’re a monster.”

“And yet,” he said softly, tracing a finger along my jawline, “you can’t seem to look away.”

I pushed him away. “Forget you.”

His gaze darkened. “That can be arranged.”

Heat surged through me—not from attraction, or so I convinced myself—but from sheer, overwhelming frustration.

“Fine,” I snapped. “I’ll play your game. But don’t think for a second that I’ll ever forgive you for this.”

Dominic’s smirk returned. “Forgiveness was never part of the agreement, sweetheart.”

****

The following night, I found myself in a place I dreaded—on Dominic Caldwell’s arm, entering a gala filled with New York’s elite.

Flashes from cameras lit up the room. Reporters swarmed around us.

And I had to maintain a smile, all while plotting Dominic’s downfall at the first opportunity.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Dominic announced smoothly, pulling me closer. “My wife and I have something to share.”

I clenched my fists tightly.

Then, summoning every bit of strength I had, I lifted my chin and deceived the world. 

“I love my husband,” I declared, my voice dripping with false sweetness. “And nothing will change that.” 

Dominic leaned in to kiss me, his lips curling at my ear. “Good girl.”

I smiled.

But inside?

I was already planning my revenge.

****

As the night continued, I slipped away.

There was only one person I could trust now.

Liam.

I found him in the shadows of the balcony, his expression tight. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said.

I shook my head. “Dominic gave me no choice. He’s going to destroy you, Liam.”

He exhaled. “Not if we destroy him first.”

I swallowed. “Do you have the files?”

Liam nodded, slipping me a flash drive. “This has everything. Proof that Dominic orchestrated the scandal. The missing piece of the puzzle.”

My hands trembled as I took it.

“Once you go down this road,” Liam warned, “there’s no going back.”

I met his gaze.

“I was never going back.”

But as I turned to leave, a cold voice cut through the night.

“Now that,” Dominic murmured from the shadows, “is exactly what I wanted to hear.”

I froze.

He had set me up.

And I had walked right into his trap.