Elena sat on the edge of her bed,
staring at the empty glass in front of her. The room was dim, lit only by the
soft glow of the lamp beside her. Her mind was a whirlwind, spinning with the
conversation from earlier. Dominic had opened up to her, in a way. She had seen
a side of him that she didn't know existed. He wasn't just the ruthless CEO;
there was something more to him—something she had never considered before.
It had been a long day. A strange day.
The dinner had felt different, almost as if something had shifted. She couldn't
explain it, but she could feel it in her chest. There was a crack in the wall
he had built around himself. But was it enough to make her change how she saw
him?
She stood and walked to the window,
her fingers brushing the glass as she looked out into the city. The lights
twinkled in the distance, the city alive with its own rhythm, but Elena felt
out of sync. She had hoped for peace—for a break from the constant pressure of
her family's failing business. But every time she thought she was getting
closer to finding it, something pulled her back in.
She let out a breath, her reflection
staring back at her. Her own face seemed foreign in that moment. It wasn't the
face of a woman who had been forced into a contract marriage. It wasn't the
face of someone who had to take on the weight of her family's future. But it
was hers, and it was all she had.
As if on cue, her phone buzzed. She
picked it up and saw a message from Sophie.
"How are you holding up?"
Elena smiled softly. Sophie always
knew when to check in, even if it was just to ask a simple question. She typed
a quick reply.
"I'm okay. Just… thinking."
She hit send and then stared at the
screen, waiting for a response. It was strange, having someone who truly
understood the pressure she was under. Sophie had always been her rock, but
lately, Elena felt as though even Sophie didn't know how to help her. She
didn't want to burden her with the complexities of her marriage, the emotions
she was starting to feel for Dominic, or the way her heart beat faster every
time he looked at her.
She placed the phone down and turned
away from the window. Her thoughts were still racing. There was so much she
hadn't told Dominic, so many things she was still keeping hidden. But then
again, had he been honest with her? Or was he still holding something back?
She pulled her robe tighter around her
shoulders and sank back onto the bed. She wasn't sure how to move forward
anymore. The lines between what was real and what was part of the contract were
becoming increasingly blurred. What had started as a business arrangement was
starting to feel… different.
And that scared her more than
anything.
The Next Morning
Elena didn't sleep well. Her dreams had
been fragmented, filled with faces of people from her past, from her family's
business—faces she could never forget. But it wasn't the dreams that had kept
her awake; it was the thoughts of Dominic. What had he meant when he said he
didn't expect them to fall in love? Did that mean there was no hope? Or was it
just a defense mechanism?
She walked into the kitchen, hoping
for a bit of peace, but found Kingston already there. Her brother was at the
counter, flipping through a business magazine. His eyes met hers, and he raised
an eyebrow.
"Did you sleep at all?" he asked, his
voice casual but concerned.
She sighed and poured herself a cup of
coffee. "I did, but… not really."
Kingston didn't push. He knew how
things had been for her lately. The stress of the business, their mother's
health, and everything in between. He turned back to the magazine, but his gaze
lingered on her.
"You know, you don't have to do this
alone," he said quietly. "You don't have to save everything by yourself."
Elena looked at him, her brother who
had once been the golden child, the successful businessman. Now, he was the one
struggling, drowning in the fallout from their father's mistakes. She wanted to
reach out to him, to share her burden, but something held her back.
"I know," she said finally. "But… it
feels like I have to. I can't just let it all fall apart."
Kingston nodded, though she could see
the frustration in his eyes. He was tired. Tired of trying to fix everything.
But so was she.
"Just remember," he added, "you don't
have to fix it all at once."
Elena didn't have a chance to respond
before her phone buzzed again. This time, it was from Dominic.
"Meet me in the office at 10. We need
to talk."
Elena's heart skipped a beat. Talk?
Was this about the dinner last night? Was he going to say it was a mistake? She
couldn't read him, couldn't figure out where they stood anymore. It was all so…
confusing.
"I have to go," she said quickly,
grabbing her purse and walking toward the door. She didn't want to explain
anything to Kingston—not yet.
Dominic's Office
Elena arrived at Dominic's office just
before 10 AM. As usual, the sleek glass walls and minimalistic decor gave
off an air of cold professionalism. But there was something different
today—something in the air, something in the way Dominic sat at his desk, his
posture rigid but his expression… unreadable.
"Ms. Hart," he said as she walked in.
"Please, sit."
Elena sat across from him, her stomach
twisting. The silence stretched on for a few moments before Dominic spoke
again.
"I've been thinking about our
arrangement," he said, his voice low and calm, though his eyes held
something—something she couldn't place.
She straightened. "What about it?"
He hesitated. "Maybe it's time we
redefine it. I know it's not ideal, and I know I haven't made this easy on
you."
Elena blinked. This wasn't what she
had expected.
"I don't want to continue like this,"
he continued. "But… I don't know how to fix it."
She frowned, unsure of where this was
headed. "What are you saying?"
He leaned forward, his gaze steady. "I
think it's time for us to find common ground. A middle ground. We're both in
this for different reasons, but we're both stuck. Maybe we can find a way to
make this work—not just for the business, but for us. For our own peace of
mind."
Her heart raced. Was he asking her to
trust him? Was he offering her something real?
"I don't know if that's possible," she
said quietly. "We've been pretending for so long… I don't know how to stop."
Dominic's eyes softened. "I know. But
I'm willing to try."
For the first time since they had met,
Elena believed him. She wasn't sure what had changed—what had clicked—but in
that moment, she understood. He wasn't just the cold businessman anymore. He
was a man willing to break down his walls. He was someone who had never been
given a chance to be anything other than a ruthless CEO, but now, he was asking
her for something more.
And maybe, just maybe, she was ready
to give it to him.
Later That Day
Elena stood outside the office
building, the city stretching out before her. She had no idea where this would
lead, no idea if Dominic's words meant anything or if it was just another
business move. But she felt a shift—something inside her that told her she
couldn't walk away from this, not yet.
The air was cool, and the noise of the
city felt distant as she took a deep breath. She had been holding onto so much
for so long. Now, it felt like it was time to let go.
She wasn't sure where this would take
her—whether it would lead to love, to betrayal, or to something else entirely.
But she was ready for whatever came next.
Her phone buzzed again. It was a
message from Sophie.
"You okay?"
Elena smiled, her thumb hovering over
the screen. She wasn't sure yet, but she was willing to find out.
"I will be."
As she walked toward her car, the
weight of the past few days felt a little lighter. Maybe she was finally ready
to take the next step. Maybe Dominic wasn't her enemy after all.
She didn't have all the answers, but
she was starting to see that sometimes, the only way forward was through the
unknown.
And for the first time, she wasn't
afraid.