CHAPTER 6: THE PRICE OF PROTECTION
520 Words
The drive back to the mansion was quieter than usual.
Elara watched the city lights blur past the tinted window, her thoughts tangled with Isabella’s warning and Dominic’s words.
Anyone who touches you declares war.
It sounded powerful. Reassuring.
It also sounded dangerous.
“You’re thinking too loudly,” Dominic said from beside her.
She turned to him. “Is that possible?”
“With you,” he replied, “yes.”
She hesitated, then asked, “What did Isabella mean? About people not liking surprises.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened slightly—a small change, but she was beginning to notice those things.
“My world runs on balance,” he said. “Power is shared, expected, inherited. You disrupted that.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“I know,” he said calmly. “But intention doesn’t matter. Impact does.”
The car rolled through the iron gates and came to a stop. As soon as they stepped inside, Dominic shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to a waiting staff member.
“Leave us,” he ordered.
They did.
The silence stretched.
Dominic turned to Elara slowly, his gaze sharp, assessing. “From today onward, security will double.”
Her eyes widened. “Because of me?”
“Yes.”
“That’s… excessive.”
“It’s necessary.”
She folded her arms. “I don’t want people hurt because of me.”
He stepped closer, stopping just within her space. “People don’t get hurt because of you. They get hurt because they make bad choices.”
Her heart thudded. “And what if I’m the one who makes a bad choice?”
His eyes darkened.
“Then I’ll correct it,” he said.
The words were calm. Final.
She should have stepped back.
Instead, she stood her ground. “I’m not your enemy, Dominic.”
“I know,” he replied. “That’s why you’re alive and protected.”
That wasn’t comforting.
He reached out, lifting her chin with two fingers—not rough, but not gentle either. Forcing her to look at him.
“Listen to me,” Dominic said quietly. “My name keeps you safe. My house keeps you alive. My ring”—his gaze dropped briefly to her hand—“marks you as untouchable.”
Her breath hitched.
“But protection,” he continued, “always comes at a price.”
She whispered, “What price?”
His thumb brushed her jaw slowly, deliberately.
“Obedience,” he said. “Trust. And silence when I tell you.”
Her pulse raced. “And if I refuse?”
Dominic leaned in, his voice a breath from her ear.
“Then you learn,” he murmured, “why people fear loving me.”
He stepped back just as quickly, breaking the moment.
“Dinner will be served at eight,” he said, already turning away. “Dress appropriately.”
She stood there long after he left, her skin still burning where he had touched her.
Protection had a price.
And Elara was beginning to realize—
she was already paying it.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD