MasukThe city outside was muted, lights bleeding through the tall panes of Dominic’s office as if the skyline itself bent toward him. He sat in his leather chair, still in the suit he’d worn since morning, shoulders squared like stone. Across from him stood Marlowe, his longtime associate, wringing his hands as though the silence pressed harder than Dominic’s gaze.“I followed him, just like you said,” Marlowe began, voice uneven. “Noah slipped into a lounge on the east side. He wasn’t alone. Caleb was already there, waiting.”Dominic didn’t answer. His dark eyes fixed on the man, lashes lowering a fraction, and the room felt colder.“They spoke for nearly an hour,” Marlowe continued, throat dry. “When they left… Noah didn’t call for a car. He walked straight into Caleb’s. Drove off with him.”Dominic’s jaw flexed once. The crystal tumbler on his desk caught the faintest twitch of his hand, but he didn’t reach for it. He didn’t curse, didn’t shout. The absence of sound was more dangerous
The apartment was hushed, the kind of silence that pressed against Noah’s ears. He woke before the sun rose, slipping from beneath the heavy duvet, careful not to disturb the man sleeping beside him. Dominic’s chest rose and fell steadily, face softened in a way few ever saw. Noah’s throat tightened.He padded across the bedroom, pulling on yesterday’s shirt and jeans. His fingers brushed the edge of the closet, where the manila envelope from Caleb was wedged beneath folded clothes. He shoved it deeper, heart pounding as though the paper could shout its secrets aloud.The smell of roasted coffee drifted from the kitchen. Dominic appeared moments later, immaculate already—black shirt tucked into pressed trousers, hair styled, sleeves rolled. He leaned against the counter, sharp eyes on Noah.“You’re up early,” Dominic said smoothly.“Couldn’t sleep.” Noah busied himself with the kettle.Dominic studied him, tilting his head. “Strange. After last night, I’d have thought you’d be out
The penthouse was silent except for the faint hum of the city beyond the glass walls. Noah slipped from the bed, careful not to stir Eli in the adjoining room. His bare feet padded across the polished floor, every step magnified in the hush. Behind the office door, Dominic’s low voice rumbled into the phone—sharp, clipped, too focused to notice Noah moving like a ghost.He tugged on his shirt, fumbling with the buttons. His pulse wouldn’t steady. The echo of Dominic whispering Luca still pulsed through his skull like a curse. He had tried to forgive, to rationalize, but the name clung like a stain he couldn’t wash out.Noah reached the door, hand on the handle, when his phone buzzed. A message from Dominic lit up the screen.“Where are you?”Another followed before Noah could breathe.“Come here.”Noah’s thumb hovered. His chest clenched with guilt, but his anger won. He turned the device face down and shoved it in his pocket. The phone vibrated again and again, Dominic’s persisten
The sky outside the penthouse windows was still dark, streaks of gray just beginning to break the horizon. Noah stood at the edge of the bed, his shirt clutched in his fist. His chest ached, the single word he had heard in the night seared into his memory. Luca.Behind him, Dominic’s broad frame rose and fell, sheets tangled around his waist. Even in sleep, he carried an aura of power, jaw clenched as though commanding dreams. Noah pulled his jeans from the floor, wincing as the zipper scraped louder than it should have in the silence.“Going somewhere?” Dominic’s voice was low, groggy. He shifted onto his side, eyes half-lidded, still fogged with sleep.“Don’t start.” Noah shoved his arms into his shirt, refusing to turn.Dominic rubbed his temple. “It was nothing. You’re twisting—”“Nothing?” Noah’s laugh was sharp, hollow. He swung around, eyes burning. “You called me by another man’s name. Do you know what that does to me?”Dominic sat up, shoulders tense. “Noah, wait. Let me e
The elevator doors opened with a sluggish hiss. Dominic Voss stumbled out, shoulders hunched, the sleek cut of his charcoal suit ruined by a loosened tie and whiskey stains across the collar. His hair, usually combed to precision, fell over sharp eyes that now struggled to focus. He kicked the edge of the console table in his penthouse foyer and muttered something under his breath.“Noah,” he called, though it sounded more like a groan than a name.From the living room, Noah rose quickly. He had been pacing, waiting. His chest tightened at the sight of Dominic—the man who usually carried himself like a king reduced to this careless figure.“Where were you?” Noah demanded, his voice sharp, betraying more worry than anger. “You reek of whiskey. You couldn’t even call?”Dominic dropped onto the couch, one arm flung along the backrest. His gaze lingered on the skyline beyond the glass wall. “Meetings ran late,” he said, dismissing it with a flick of his hand.“Don’t lie to me.” Noah
The courthouse doors burst open, spilling people onto the wide marble steps. Reporters surged forward, microphones jabbing like spears, cameras flashing in blinding bursts. Noah blinked against the light, clutching Eli’s file to his chest. His palms were damp, fingers slipping against the folder.“Keep close,” Dominic murmured, arm wrapping around him. His grip was strong, almost choking, but it kept Noah steady in the chaos. The throng moved aside a little, scared at how tall and heavy Dominic was. His dark suit fit him wonderfully, and the sharp lines of it stood out against the afternoon sun. His face was unreadable yet deadly.“Mr. Voss, how do you respond to Harper’s testimony?” a reporter shouted.Noah swallowed hard, lowering his head. He could still hear Harper’s polished words echoing in his skull, each one crafted to make him look small.Then she appeared—Harper, hair gleaming like spun gold, smile practiced for the cameras. Every step was poised, heels clicking conf
“Hey Riley can we meet up today?” Noah asked over the phone.“Depends, who am I talking to?” Riley asked.“It's Noah,” he said.“Oh Noah! What's up? Why calling with a new line?” Riley asked again.“Long story. Can we meet up today? I wanna talk to you about something” Noah said.“Sure thing. Meet
The silence of the penthouse, once a peaceful reprieve, felt like a warning. Dominic sat on the couch, the weight of a heavy book in his hands, but his focus was not on the pages. His mind was a coiled spring, a weapon waiting for a signal. The memory of Noah's face, his sudden fear, his hurried
The office, a sanctuary of glass and polished steel, had never felt so alien. The message on Harper's phone, a stark command from an unknown number, vibrated with an authority she had only encountered in legal thrillers. "The boss wants to see you." Harper felt a prickle of unease, but it was qu
The gunshot was a brutal punch to the humid night air. Eli’s cry, a tiny, terrified sound, cut through the haze of Dominic’s amnesia and went straight to his core. His heart, a thing he hadn’t felt in years, hammered against his ribs as he shoved Noah and the child down. The rusted dumpster was t







