Dominic’s POV
I never expected to hear that voice again. Not after she disappeared when my father died. Not after she ran off to Bali with her twenty-something personal trainer, never looking back.
But here she is. My mother.
Standing in my office as if she wasn’t missing for years.
My entire body tenses, my mind racing as I take her in. She hasn’t aged a day—still polished, still stunning, still wearing wealth like it’s second nature. Dressed in a designer dress, her diamonds catching the light, her lips painted the exact same shade of rich arrogance I remember from childhood.
I narrow my eyes. “What are you doing here?”
She sighs dramatically, tilting her head. “Is that how you greet your mother after all these years? No hug?”
My jaw clenches. “I thought you were living in paradise. What changed?”
She waves a hand dismissively. “Bali was so last season. I’m married now.”
I blink. Married?
She smirks at my shock. “To an oil sheikh in Abu Dhabi,” she adds, flashing an enormous diamond ring in my face. “I’m loaded, baby boy.”
Of course she is.
“So, you don’t need money,” I say dryly.
She chuckles, shaking her head. “No, darling. I don’t need a cent from you. I just… heard some news.”
I cross my arms, already skeptical. “What news?”
Her lips curl into a smile, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “That I’m a grandmother.”
My entire body stills. My muscles lock, my breath catching in my throat.
“How did you know?” My voice is sharp, controlled.
She shrugs, too casual. “News just travels fast, sweetheart.”
Bullshit.
My mother doesn’t just show up. She doesn’t just hear things. And now she suddenly wants to see her grandchildren?
I should tell her to leave. I should kick her out, slam the door, and walk away like she did to me years ago.
But something stops me. A nagging feeling. So, against my better judgment, I grab my keys. “Come on.”
She raises a brow. “Where are we going?”
I sigh, already regretting this decision. “To meet your grandkids.”
***
Selene’s POV
I’m in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner when I hear footsteps—Dominic’s heavy, purposeful stride, and then…a second pair of heels clicking against the marble floor.
I turn, wipe my hands on a towel, and freeze.
A woman stands beside Dominic, effortlessly elegant, dripping in wealth and power. Her perfectly styled hair, the expensive perfume wafting in the air, the way she holds herself—poised, untouchable.
She looks like a queen.
And judging by the tension in Dominic’s jaw, he isn’t thrilled about her presence.
“This is my mother,” Dominic says, his voice tight.
I blink. His mother? I straighten, studying her. Her lips curl into a slow, calculated smile. “And you must be Selene.”
I nod cautiously. “I am.”
She steps closer, eyeing me up and down like she’s evaluating a rare piece of art.
“You’re… not what I expected,” she murmurs.
I don’t know whether to be offended or relieved.
I glance at Dominic, but he’s staring at his mother, watching her every move like a hawk.
Before I can respond, small feet patter across the floor. Rosalie appears first, rubbing her sleepy eyes, her curls wild from her nap. Then Rafael walks in, his expression guarded, his dark eyes immediately locking onto the stranger in our home.
Dominic’s mother inhales sharply, her gaze flicking between them.
For the first time, her perfect mask cracks. She whispers, almost breathless, “They look just like you.”
A tense silence fills the room. I step protectively closer to my children, my instincts screaming at me to be careful. Rosalie tugs on my dress. “Mommy, who is she?”
I open my mouth, but Dominic answers first. “Your grandmother.”
Rosalie’s eyes widened. Rafael frowns. His mother smiles, bending down slightly. “Hello, little ones.”
Rafael doesn’t say anything. Rosalie, however, tilts her head, studying the glamorous woman in front of her. Then, she turns to Dominic and asks, “Daddy, where has she been?”
Dominic stiffens. His mother chuckles. “Oh, I’ve been very far away, darling. But I’m here now.”