The room finally exhaled, but Dominic and I didn’t move immediately. Not out of fear. Not out of caution. Out of recognition. We had passed a threshold. Not the first, not the last, but the one that demanded acknowledgment: we were aligned, inseparable in calculation and instinct, in danger and in trust. Observers stood rigid, cataloging every micro-expression, every subtle movement. I caught Observer One’s eye, he tilted his head slightly, approving, recognizing the bond forming in front of them as a variable too significant to ignore. Dominic’s fingers brushed my jaw; light, deliberate, grounding. “You’re still trembling,” he said softly. “Adrenaline,” I murmured. “Slightly overdue.” “Come here,” he said. His arms drew me close again. Not in the romantic sense, yet. Not in the intimate sense. In the protective, grounding, I won’t let anyone touch you sense that felt hotter than a thousand words ever could. I leaned into him, just enough for balance, just enough for comfort, ju
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