Chapter 6: Signed Secrets
628 Words
The more time Ari spent in the Romano estate, the more confused she became.
It was supposed to be simple.
Spy on the Romanos. Find out their weapon deals. Report back to her brother. Leave.
But it wasn’t simple anymore.
Not with Dominic in the picture.
Every time he smiled at her, or signed her name in that slow, careful way, the lines between enemy and ally blurred.
And that scared her more than anything.
---
Dominic waited for her in the garden, just like they had planned.
It was evening, and the sky was purple-blue. The flowers were closed, and the wind was soft. He wore a dark sweater, and his hands were in his pockets. When he saw Ari walk toward him, his face lit up just a little.
“Hey,” he said. “You’re late.”
She raised an eyebrow and signed:
[I’m always watching.]
Dominic smiled. “Creepy, but okay.”
They sat on the stone bench again. Their usual place. Quiet. Private.
He pulled out the notebook he always carried.
“Teach me something new?”
Ari nodded.
She showed him the sign for “safe.” Then “danger.” Then “trust.”
He repeated them, slower than her, but getting better each time.
Then he asked:
“How do you say... 'I like you'?”
Ari’s hands paused in the air.
She didn’t answer right away.
He looked at her.
“Too soon?”
She shook her head. Then signed carefully:
[This.]
[Means.]
[Like.]
She made the sign slowly, touching her chest and moving her hand out like a small offering.
Dominic copied it.
Then looked into her eyes and signed:
[I like you.]
Ari’s heart beat too fast.
She looked away quickly, trying to hide the color in her cheeks.
But Dominic saw it.
He didn’t say anything.
---
That night, Ari sneaked into the hallway again. She had to check if the crates were still in the east wing. She couldn’t forget her real reason for being here—even if Dominic made her feel safe.
She wore black, moved quietly, and turned corners fast.
The storage door was locked again. Two guards now.
She stayed hidden behind a pillar, counting the footsteps. Then slipped past when they turned their backs.
Inside, she checked the crates. They hadn’t been moved.
But a new one was added—marked with a Maltese cross. Something new.
She pulled out her phone to snap a photo—
The light flicked on.
Dominic stood in the doorway.
Her heart stopped.
He didn’t look angry.
He looked hurt.
“You lied to me.”
Ari froze.
Dominic stepped inside, eyes dark. “You said you were here for peace. You’re spying.”
She signed quickly:
[I had to.]
[Before I met you.]
Dominic stared at her.
“You were using me?”
Ari shook her head violently.
[Not now.]
[Not anymore.]
He looked down.
“This whole time… I thought we were building something real.”
Ari stepped forward.
She reached for his hand. He didn’t move.
She signed:
[It is real.]
Dominic’s voice cracked. “Then tell me why you’re here.”
Ari looked into his eyes.
Then she signed something she had never told anyone before:
[My father was killed.]
[I came to find out who ordered it.]
Dominic’s face softened.
He didn’t speak.
He just reached forward, slowly, and pulled her into a hug.
Ari tensed at first—then melted into him.
He whispered into her hair: “You should’ve told me.”
---
Their world had changed.
No more lies between them.
But that truth would only make things more dangerous.
Because now, they weren’t just enemies or spies.
They were something else.
Something harder to protect.
- Writer
