Chapter 117 Free
❦ Rosalind ❦
I hadn’t even made it up the steps before the front door opened.
Dominic stood there, shirtless, wearing soft cotton pants that hung low on his hips. His thin gold chain caught the porch light as he moved. A lazy and warm smile gracing his features.
“Rosa,” he said, spreading his arms open. “Finally. Welcome to my place. It’s hard to believe that after all the time we’ve known each other, this is your first visit.”
I let him pull me into a one-sided hug, careful not to get too close.
“You know why that wouldn’t have been appropriate.” I murmured.
He met my eyes with an unreadable expression. “Maybe. But you’re here now.”
The air inside was cool and smelled faintly of cedar.
“So, the Grand Marlow,” he said as he led me down the hall. “Congratulations on the successful sale. I didn’t think anyone would hit the cap so quickly. Still, impressive.”
I smiled thinly. “Thanks.”
He glanced over his shoulder, giving me a lazy grin. “You’ve got a nice stack of millions now. Guess you can finally do whatever you’ve been planning.”
“Something like that.”
I subtly admired the sleek black and gray aesthetic with touches of gold. Expensive but cold.
I was just trying to figure out how to ask what I’d come for when laughter echoed from the stairs.
Two women appeared, their arms linked and caught up in an apparently funny conversation.
Dominic stiffened beside me.
One of them was Sabella.
Her laughter stopped the instant she saw me, her face twisting into a sharp, cruel sneer.
“Sabella,” Dominic said in warning.
She ignored him, her eyes narrowing. “What is she doing here?”
He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “She’s my guest. Behave.”
Sabella looked me over from head to toe. “Don’t worry, I’m not interested. Looks like karma already did the job.”
I didn’t have the energy to respond.
Instead, I looked at the other woman that I didn’t recognize. She was beautiful and composed.
Dominic noticed my glance. “This is Tamara,” he said.
“Hi,” she greeted, stepping forward. And subtly, instinctively, she positioned herself between Dominic and me.
It told me everything I needed to know.
His tone of voice, the awkwardness, the faint guilt in his eyes all made sense now. Tamara wasn’t just company. They were involved with one another.
And me, showing up here out of nowhere, probably looked like trouble.
I forced a small smile and folded my arms to hide the unease creeping up my spine.
Maybe I should’ve called first.
But I didn’t come for pleasantries.
And I wasn’t leaving until I got what I came for.
Tamara’s long, blond hair was gorgeous. It was shiny and looked soft even from a distance.
“You have really gorgeous hair, Tamara.” I said, to smooth the air.
She smiled and ran her fingers through it, preening a little.
Behind her, Sabella scoffed loudly.
I ignored her and turned to Dominic. “I just came to go over the final details of the transfer, like you asked,” I said carefully. “And… I’m too tired to drive back tonight. Mind if I stay? Just one night. If it’s not a bother.”
That was when he really looked at me.
His smile faded, eyes narrowing on my face and clothes. I saw the moment he noticed the swelling of my eyes, and his brows pulled together.
He stepped closer to me, his hand raising to brush my cheek. “What happened to you?”
Behind him, Tamara’s expression soured at his gesture toward me. Damn, she really was territorial.
So I laughed lightly, stepped away, and shook my head. “I’m fine. Really. Just tired. Let’s go over the paperwork so I can get some sleep.”
Dominic hesitated but nodded, turning to Tamara. “Give me a minute. Business.”
Tamara softened her face and rose to her toes. She kissed him softly, but it was intentional. A show. A claim.
I looked away, sighing inwardly. If only she knew how uninterested I was in her precious man.
Dominic walked ahead of me as he led me to his office, still shirtless, his muscles rippling with each step. But all I could think about was Viktor. The tattoos on his back, the way they felt under my sharp nails when he was on top of me.
My face burned with the memory.
When Dominic shut the office door behind us, he turned suddenly, making me jump.
His voice dropped. “What the hell did he do to you?”
It took me a second to catch up. “What?”
He gestured vaguely toward me. “You look like hell, Rosa.”
I blinked. “It’s not him,” I said. “This is totally unrelated. Honestly.”
He didn’t buy it. His jaw clenched, and his gaze held me in place.
Then he sighed and rubbed his chin. “Tamara… is just a friend.”
I almost laughed. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Dominic. There’s nothing between us. And I’m married. Remember?”
He stepped closer, too close. “Since the first day I saw you, Rosa… I wanted you. But you always had something else pulling you away.”
I shifted back, uncomfortable. I probably smelled, my hair was a mess, and all of this was so absurdly timed.
“Some things aren’t meant to be,” I said quietly.
He held my gaze a second too long, then finally stepped back. The air loosened, and I breathed again.
“I already signed the transfer,” I said after a moment. “But that’s not why I’m here.”
He turned, his brows rising. “Then why are you here?”
I hesitated, my fingers tightening around my bag. “I need to know who bought the hotel.”
The room went still.
For a second, I thought I imagined the look on Dominic’s face. That flicker of disbelief like I’d just said something stupid.
But then he frowned.
“You really don’t know?”
A cold, heavy weight dropped into my stomach. My first instinct was denial, then dread, my brain already running through all the worst possibilities. My palms went clammy.
Dominic sighed, then he leaned over his desk. He tapped on one of the monitors, the glow spilling across the strong lines of his face.
“Come here,” he said.
I walked around the desk on shaky legs. The screen showed a list of bidder IDs on one side, then real names beside them.
“It’s illegal to translate this kind of information. Anonymous auctions are supposed to stay that way. But…” His mouth curved into a sharp smirk. “I’m the boss. I do what I want.”
I didn’t respond. Couldn’t. My tongue felt heavy and useless. My throat burned.
Then I saw it.
“Raoul Cole?” I asked, my voice thin. “He bought the hotel?” The name didn’t ring a bell.
Dominic’s smirk faded. “No. That account participated. But the real buyer was Viktor.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My vision tilted, the floor seeming to drop under me. Dominic reached out, catching my arm before I even realized I was swaying.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I know you didn’t want him to get it. I blocked every traceable IP connected to him. But he found a way.”
I barely heard him. His voice was muffled and sounded far away, drowned by the ringing in my ears.
He’d been downstairs, bidding for the same thing I was, while I was upstairs, believing his half-truths.
He pretended to comfort me. Acting like he wasn’t ten steps ahead.
He lied. Again.
I wondered how long he’d had his memories back. How long he’d been planning this. All while I was running around trying to fix things that were already broken beyond repair.
My chest felt tight. My eyes burned, but no tears came.
Just this dry, scraping ache behind them.
Dominic was still watching me. Concerned, and hesitant.
I forced a smile I didn’t feel. It probably looked like a grimace.
“Oh well,” I said softly. “That happened.”
He looked like he wanted to say something, but I cut in before he could. “I’m really tired, Dominic. Can you show me a room, please?”
He hesitated, then he stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. I didn’t move or hug back. I let him hold me while I stood stiffly like a mannequin.
When he finally let go, he led me out of the office. I followed. My feet felt heavy, disconnected.
Viktor got what he wanted in the end.
Without my help.
He remembered who he was. Without me.
He didn’t need to hold on anymore.
And I supposed, in some cruel, twisted way, that meant I was free.
Free.
And utterly, devastatingly alone.
I just hadn’t realized how much it would hurt to be free.