Chapter 50: Chapter 50
Dominic came down from his car, and immediately rushed into the house. He needed to see her.
His mind was a singular rush of adrenaline and need. The events of the day had stripped him raw, and peeled him back until only one thing remained: Celeste.
He took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the concerned nod from his bodyguard stationed near the elevators. Dominic didn’t have time for small talk, for security briefings, or for breathing, even. Not until he saw her. Not until he could wrap her in his arms and make sure she was still whole.
His room door creaked slightly as he shoved it open, but the moment he stepped inside, he froze.
Celeste was already there. Standing barefoot by the floor-to-ceiling windows, arms wrapped tightly around her body, her reflection cast in the dark glass like a ghost. She turned the second she heard him, and her breath hitched.
"Dominic?"
He didn’t answer. He crossed the room in long strides and before she could say anything else, she ran to him. Her body crashed into his with enough force to draw a shaky breath from both of them. His arms locked around her instantly, holding her like a man who had known too much loss, and too much emptiness.
"I thought something happened to you," she whispered into his chest. "You left so early and then... the apartment. I was so scared."
He held her tighter. "I’m sorry. I should’ve stayed. I just... I needed to meet a few people. I needed answers."
She pulled back slightly to look up at him, her eyes red but dry now. There was something different in her gaze. They were questioning him.
"And? Did you get them?"
Dominic exhaled and nodded slowly. "Grigor didn’t know who broke into the apartment. Viktoria wasn’t behind it either. He saw the footage. It rattled him too."
"Then who, Dominic? Because it wasn’t just some robbery. They weren’t after valuables. They were searching."
His jaw clenched. He had thought the same.
"Grigor suspects it might be other cartels. Someone from the past. It’s been almost a decade since I walked away from the underworld. But maybe... maybe ghosts don’t forget." He said softly, searching her eyes.
He didn’t even know what pushed him to tell her the whole truth.
Celeste went silent, stepping back fully this time. Her warmth left his chest like a departing sun. Her arms fell to her sides.
"That’s what I’m scared of, Dominic," she said, her voice quieter. "The past. Yours. Ours. All of it. What if it never lets you go?"
He stared at her, his heart pounding harder. "Are you saying you want out?"
"No," she answered quickly, too quickly. "Not from you. But I don’t know how to live like this. To look over my shoulder all the time. To wonder what name will rise from your past and try to hurt us."
Dominic rubbed a hand down his face, suddenly feeling the weight of it all. He walked to the walk-in closet, and leaned on it, silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse.
"You make me want to be better, Celeste. You make me want peace. But I can’t pretend I was ever a clean man. The life I lived... it’s still stitched into the bones of who I am."
"I know that," she said. "I knew that when I let myself get entangled with you. But knowing it doesn’t make it any less terrifying."
He looked over at her then, truly looked. The woman in front of him wasn’t fragile. She wasn’t made of porcelain or silk. She was fire in disguise, but even fire needed protection.
"I’ll increase security," he said. "You won’t ever be alone. Not for a second."
"That’s not what I want," she replied, frustrated now. "I don’t want to live in a cage made of guards and cameras. I want to feel safe, Dominic. Not just protected. There’s a difference."
The words hit him like a punch to the sternum.
He nodded slowly, acknowledging her truth. "I can’t erase my past. But I can fight like hell to make sure it doesn’t touch you again."
Celeste watched him. Her gaze softened slightly, and she stepped toward him again.
"You’re not alone in this, you know," she said. "But I need to be part of the fight, Dominic. Not just your reason to fight. If I’m in this, let me be in it. Don’t shut me out."
He reached for her hand. Took it, and held it like it was sacred.
"You have my word."
Their fingers stayed tangled. Their eyes didn’t drift. And despite the strain, despite the fear and everything unsaid between them, there was still one undeniable truth anchoring them together.
Dominic bent down and kissed her forehead. The kiss was soft and filled with purpose.
"I’ll find whoever did this," he murmured. "And I’ll end it before they get close again."
Celeste closed her eyes at his words, pressing her forehead to his chest again, listening to the rhythmic thunder of his heart. She wanted to believe him.
She pulled back slightly, just enough to meet his gaze. "Don’t disappear again," she said. "Not without telling me. I can handle the truth, Dominic. I can’t handle silence."
"I won’t," he promised. "Never again."
Celeste tiptoed, and ran a hand through his hair. Her touch was soft as she tried to arrange his hair that looked like he ran his hand through them a thousand times. "You said Viktoria wasn’t behind it. Then who else could it be? You’ve made a lot of enemies."
He nodded grimly. "Too many." He shut his eyes, welcoming the warmth from her.
Celeste paused. She held his face down, and stared deep into his bottomless eyes. When she parted her lips to speak, her voice was calm but edged with resolve. "Then we find them first."
Dominic frowned. "We?"
"Yes. We. You said it yourself, Dominic. I’m not just here to be protected. Let me help you."
There was a beat of silence. Then, a reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I should’ve known better than to try and sideline you."
"You should’ve," she teased faintly, and locked their lips together.