Dominic’s POV
I lean back in my chair, rubbing my fingers against my temple, but no matter how much I try to focus, I can’t get last night out of my head. Selene kissed me.
I exhale sharply, staring at the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office. Yes, she was tipsy, but I know better than anyone that a drunken mind speaks a sober heart. That kiss—she wanted it.
And for a moment, so did I.
Her lips were soft, hesitant but desperate, as if she was fighting every instinct screaming at her to stop. And me? I let it happen.
I wanted to believe it was just the wine, just the emotions of the last few days catching up to her. But I don’t lie. Not even to myself.
She felt something.
But the second reality crashed back in, she pulled away. She muttered an apology so fast it barely left her lips before she was gone—rushing up the stairs, locking herself in her room.
And this morning?
When I left for work, she was still in bed, avoiding me.
I smirk bitterly, swirling the untouched whiskey in my glass. Avoidance won’t change the fact that she kissed me. And no matter how hard she tries to pretend it didn’t happen, we both know the truth.
***
Lucian steps into my office without knocking, his expression sharp, focused. “We found a new lead.”
I sat up immediately, my earlier thoughts shoved aside. Santi.
“What do we have?” I ask, my voice calm, but my pulse picks up.
Lucian places a file on my desk. “It’s not much, but it’s progress.”
I grab the folder, flipping it open. My eyes scan the documents quickly—paper trails, transactions, old hospital records, and a list of names. One stands out immediately.
Dr. Alison Margie. The doctor Zachary Knight paid off to declare Santi dead. I run my tongue along my teeth, my grip tightening around the paper.
“Where is she now?”
Lucian shifts. “Gone. She disappeared off the grid five years ago.”
I slam the file shut. Of course she did. Someone covered her tracks. Someone made sure she vanished without a trace. And I have a pretty damn good idea who.
My father’s shadow is still everywhere. Even from the grave, his sins are unraveling like a tangled mess, and I’m stuck in the middle, trying to put the pieces back together.
Lucian clears his throat. “There’s more.”
I lift a brow.
“The hospital where Selene gave birth,” he continues. “We checked its financial records. There was a large sum deposited the day after Santi was born. Anonymous source.”
My chest tightens.
“So someone paid them off,” I murmured, mostly to myself.
Lucian nods. “And they covered their tracks well. But we’re close. Whoever did this—whoever took Santi—they’re slipping.”
I nod slowly, closing the file. Good.
Because when I find them, they won’t be slipping anymore. They’ll be falling straight into hell.
I lean back in my chair, exhaling through my nose. “Keep digging. I want a name. I don’t care what it takes.”
Lucian nods and heads toward the door, but before he steps out, I hear it—
A velvety voice, smooth as silk, sharp as glass.
“Hello, my darling.”