Chapter Five: Trust Me, Even If It Hurts
1262 Words
Dominic paced behind his desk, one hand gripping the edge while the other combed through his hair.
“You’re telling me we’ve met before,” he said, glancing at Elena. “That you’re the girl from the lake.”
Elena nodded slowly, nerves crawling down her spine. “I never forgot you.”
He stared at her with that intense gaze again—the one that peeled away every wall she tried to build.
“And all this time, you never said anything.”
“You didn’t remember me, Dominic. I thought... maybe I was the only one who held onto it. I didn’t want to sound crazy.”
“Crazy?” He let out a low laugh, but it wasn’t mocking. It was almost... broken. “I’ve had nightmares about that night for years. About the smoke, the fire… and you. A girl with a ribbon in her hair and scratches on her hands, pulling me from the water.”
Elena’s breath hitched. “I had a red ribbon. That day. You remembered that?”
“I didn’t know I did… until now.”
The room fell silent, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was heavy. Charged. There was a history between them now—newly uncovered, fragile, and still pulsing with the electricity of their undeniable chemistry.
Dominic stepped around the desk slowly. “You saved my life, Elena. I owe you everything.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” she whispered. “I didn’t even know who you were... until I started working here.”
He stopped inches from her. “Then why did you stay silent even after you found out?”
She looked away. “Because it hurt to realize you didn’t remember me. I thought maybe it was just a moment for me—not for you.”
He reached out, his fingers lightly touching her chin, coaxing her to look up at him. “It wasn’t just a moment. Not then. Not now.”
---
Later That Night – Elena’s Apartment
Elena sat on her bed, fingers tapping nervously against her thigh. Her phone sat beside her, screen dark. She hadn’t heard from Dominic since the conversation earlier that day, and though it wasn’t unusual, tonight it felt different.
There was too much left unsaid between them. And too many threats still looming in the shadows.
Her phone buzzed.
Dominic: Pack a bag. You’re staying somewhere safer tonight. I’ll explain everything when I see you.
She stared at the message. What did safer mean? Was she in danger? Or was he?
She typed quickly: What’s going on?
His response came seconds later.
Dominic: I got word Vanessa’s working with someone else. Someone who wants me gone. I can’t let you get caught in the middle.
Her hands trembled. She shoved a few essentials into a bag, heart racing.
By the time the car pulled up, her mind was spiraling.
---
Dominic’s Private Penthouse
It was the first time Elena had seen where he lived—not just the man in a suit, the CEO in a penthouse suite—but him. The boy who had lost everything, and the man who rebuilt it from ash.
The elevator opened into a massive space: dark wood floors, glass walls that looked out over the entire city, sleek furniture, and an almost haunting quiet.
Dominic was already there, standing in front of the window with a glass of whiskey in his hand.
“Come in,” he said softly, not looking at her.
She stepped in, bag still clutched in her hand.
“You live here alone?” she asked.
He gave a short nod. “Always have.”
She sat down on the edge of the plush couch, not sure what to do with herself.
“I had security track Vanessa,” he said finally. “She’s been seen meeting with Richard Lane.”
Elena’s eyes widened. “LaneTech’s CEO?”
Dominic nodded grimly. “He’s been trying to sabotage my acquisition of two new companies. If he can smear my name—or better yet, take me down through scandal—it opens the door for him to move in.”
“And Vanessa’s helping him?”
“She hates you. She hates me. She’s reckless and vengeful, and if she thinks she can hurt me by exposing what happened between us... she will.”
Elena swallowed hard. “So what do we do?”
Dominic turned toward her, his expression unreadable. “We stay ahead of it. We protect each other.”
She didn’t know what startled her more: the fact that he said we, or the intensity in his voice when he did.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“For what?”
“For all of it. For getting tangled in your world. For dragging in mine.”
He walked toward her slowly and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his.
“You didn’t drag me in, Elena. I ran into it headfirst. The moment I saw you.”
She felt her chest tighten, emotions swelling too fast for her to contain.
“I don’t want to be just a scandal in your life,” she whispered.
“You’re not.” His voice was fierce. “You’re the only real thing I’ve had in years.”
And just like that, he leaned in and kissed her—softly at first, then deeper, hungrier.
She kissed him back, pouring every emotion into it. His hands slid up her sides, then tangled in her hair. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer until the space between them disappeared.
The kiss grew desperate, fueled by longing and fear and everything they hadn’t said until now.
When he pulled back, breathless, he rested his forehead against hers.
“You’re staying here for the time being,” he said. “No arguments.”
“Okay,” she whispered, lost in him. “Okay.”
---
The Next Morning – Trouble Brews
Dominic left for a high-stakes meeting before sunrise, but Elena remained in the penthouse, still dazed by the whirlwind of the night before.
She wandered through the apartment, trying not to overthink, until a knock at the door startled her.
She wasn’t expecting anyone.
Cautiously, she opened it just a crack.
Vanessa.
In a beige trench coat, sunglasses pushed into her curls, and that smug smile still painted across her face.
“Room service,” she said sweetly, waving her phone. “Hope I’m not interrupting your little hideaway.”
Elena tried to close the door, but Vanessa pushed it open with surprising strength.
“Relax,” Vanessa said. “I’m not here to kill you.”
Elena’s voice was cold. “What do you want?”
Vanessa sauntered in like she owned the place. “I want what I’ve always wanted. Leverage. Control. Power.”
“Over what?”
“Over you. And him.”
She waved her phone again. “This little kiss of yours is worth a hell of a lot to the media. But I’m feeling generous.”
Elena’s heart pounded. “What do you want?”
Vanessa smirked. “Leave him. Walk away from the internship, from this building, from him… and I’ll delete everything.”
Elena stood there, stunned. She couldn’t speak.
Vanessa leaned in. “Think about it. Because once it’s out… you’ll be the villain. The gold-digger. The homewrecker. No one’s going to believe the truth. They’ll just believe the headline.”
Then she left—like a hurricane that smiled before it destroyed.
- Writer
