Chapter 28 Chapter 28
Serena's POV
The moment the front door clicked shut behind Dominic, a thick, suffocating silence fell over the house like a burial shroud. I sat on the edge of our bed, the mattress barely giving beneath my weight, my fingers twisted tight around the hem of my sweater. The cotton was damp from my palms, sticky with the sweat of a fear I couldn’t name aloud.
I quietly counted one to three and then came the ignition. A low, throaty growl sounded from the driveway, humming through the floor. The engine roared to life, then subsided as the car backed out, taillights dwindling into darkness.
I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding, my chest rattling with the force of it. My fingers finally unclenched, releasing the bunched fabric as I leaned over and reached beneath the nightstand. My hand brushed against cold metal—smooth, matte. I needed the burner phone.
Its screen lit up weakly. I placed my thumb over the call button. Then I pressed it.
It rang once. And on the second ring, she picked it up.
"Serena?" Liana's voice, low, clipped, and intimate in the worst way imaginable called out.
“He knows. My throat was parched and hurting, “Not all of it but sufficient enough to make him dig".
A moment of silence followed. The line seemed tight, a wire stretched between us.
"What did he say?" She finally asked.
“Nothing concrete,” I said, rising to pace across the hardwood floor. It was cold under my bare feet, grounding me. “But his eyes, Liana. The way he looked at me, it was like he didn’t recognize me. Like I was something toxic festering in his house.”
Did he get the envelope?
"Yes. You should have seen the look on his face.” I laughed. “His hands were trembling. He was trying to conceal it, but I noticed." I glanced up at the ceiling vent. My voice was barely a whisper. "He's shaken."
"Good," Liana exhaled, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "That means it worked."
"Yes, and no" My voice cracked. "Because this means he's onto me now. He reviewed the server logs. Discovered the video footage I cut out and he inquired about why I was in the guest room."
"And?"
“I lied. I said I have some personal belongings there and he was very surprised but I was convincing enough.”." I collapsed back onto the bed, holding the phone between my shoulder and ear.
"You need to be cautious," Liana interrupted sharply. "This is not a high school prank. He has people, Serena. Real ones. The sort to seek forgiveness, not permission. If he verifies it's you, he will not think twice."
"I know," I whispered. "But I've done everything you wanted. Everything. And I'm still here, nobody caught me.
A pause.
"I know but I also need you to understand that it's not over until it's over, we can't relax yet." she added, more softly. "This isn't revenge anymore. This is justice. What he did to me and buried can't stay buried."
“I understand that Ma'am."
"Good. Then you understand why this is important."
My image in the vanity mirror attracted my attention. I did not appear to be myself. Sunken eyes, pale complexion, lips compressed into a line so firmly they had lost all color.
“Did you hear me?” Liana asked.
"Yes," I said. “I sent you some documents to your email. When we see next, I will give you the receipts, documents, everything."
"Very well then," she said. "Just a few more steps and he's doomed.
"I don't think I can keep pretending for long." I whispered. “Dominic makes it hard.”
"You can. You've made it this far. He doesn't want to believe it's you. That's your advantage. Use it. Guilt is a wonderful tool."
"You want me to manipulate him?"
"I want you to live. And I want him to suffer. Do I have to always remind you of what he did to me?"
I closed my eyes. A subtle tremble beneath my skin. "No. I don't remember clearly"
"Then that's enough motivation, remain alert. We're nearly there."
Without a goodbye, the line went dead.
I sat for a moment, phone suspended in my hand. Then I hid it again in its hidden spot beneath the loose floorboard.
My eyes burned. Tired and weary, I wept.
Not in sobs. Not in fits. Just silent tears running down my face, spilling over from my chin. Hands sitting in my lap, fingers curled into claws, nails biting into flesh.
I hated this. The dishonesty. The constant tension. The way that a part of me still longed for Dominic who used to make promises in the dark. I hated the way his eyes remained on mine as if they were married to something in it.
What if he had grounds to suspect me? What if I'd overdone it? But it was already too late. Regret was something that I could not afford. But focus, I could afford lots of that and I am already doing that.
I wiped my face and rose to my feet. My back hardened like armor being donned.
If I was compelled to go on in this job, I'd play it out to the bitter end.
Dominic's POV
The train station was empty.
Desolate. Depopulated. Abandoned for years.
I passed by one block and walked into the chill, the night wrapping around me like a lead anvil on my back. The wind sliced through wool, and it burned; it howled as it slid along empty alleys and echoed off rusting signs.
With every step I drew near the station, it sounded too loud. With each step there was a warning, echoing through my chest like the sound of a danger bell tolling. I walked on.
Langley was beside a corroded support column, half-concealed in darkness. The wind tugged at the hem of his black coat, the tails fanning out like wings. His face was shadowed under the brim of his hat, but I could see the glint in his eyes even in the fractured moonlight.
"You came," he said.
"You knew I would."
He patted down his coat and pulled out a manila folder. I did not touch it. Not yet.
I glared at him, instead. "Give me the short version."
Langley shot a glance over his shoulder—old habits die hard—before responding, "Your girlfriend's been calling using a burner phone. No registered number, no metadata. But the calling patterns of those calls all correlate with three of your former coworkers."
He paused, clearly not wanting to speak it.
"Liana Davids. Your ex-wife is one of them."
Her name hit me harder than I expected. A punch in the gut like a sucker punch that rattled my ribs and made my breath sound harsh.
"You're sure?" I asked, though I knew he would not lie unless he was.