HIS EMPIRE, HER RULES.

CHAPTER 6: THE WEB TIGHTENS

The morning after the warehouse incident, Valeria woke up feeling bewildered. The weight of the previous night still lingered in her chest. After the kiss, she needed time to reflect, so she remained on the couch in the penthouse. She was afraid as the truth of her increasing involvement with Dominic began to sink in.

She was startled out of her reverie by the sound of footsteps. As polished as ever, Dominic emerged at the doorway, yet his sharp eyes were softer than normal.

He offered a hot cup of coffee and remarked, "Good morning."

She accepted it, averting his gaze, and said, "Thanks."

Instead of pressing her, he sat in the chair across from her. "I presume you've had time to consider all of this?"

Valeria gave a nod. "Yes, I have. And I'm still not entirely sure why Torres is pursuing you with such vigor."

Dominic's jaw tightened as he leaned back. "It's more than just me. It has to do with control. In addition to hurting me, he also wants to make a statement to everyone who might oppose him."

"And the legal action? It's only a component of that?"

Dominic stated, "It's a part of a much bigger game." "But I don't intend to lose."

Valeria examined him, attempting to understand the guy before her. He was cunning, vicious, and fiercely defended his kingdom. Nevertheless, despite all the warning signs, there was something else that drew her in.

At last, she remarked, "If I'm going to help you, I need to know everything."

He answered in a quiet voice, "You already know too much."

"So what's a bit more?"

A slight smirk twitched Dominic's lips, but it stayed out of his gaze.

"Take care, Ms. Russo. Being curious can be risky."

***

His inner circle, which consisted of loyal confidants who worked in the background of his empire, met with Dominic and Valeria later that day. As they assessed the harm Torres had inflicted and planned their next course of action, the atmosphere was tense.

At first, Valeria sat quietly, taking in the group dynamics. Each of these strong individuals played a distinct part in Dominic's operations. She was most struck, however, by their implicit loyalty to one another.

"Torres is putting us to the test," Dominic stated in a cool but lethal tone.

"We must convey our own message." A wiry man named Ethan, one of his lieutenants, raised his voice.

"We might strike one of his distribution centers. It would make a powerful statement without going too far." Dominic nodded thoughtfully.

"Take action. However, ensure that it is clean. A trail that leads back to us is not what I want."

Valeria went over to Dominic as the meeting came to an end.

"Are you truly going to strike back?"

With a fierce look, he added, "Valeria, this isn't a game. Hesitancy is a weakness in my world. Torres must understand that I will not give up."

Realizing how far Dominic would go to defend his kingdom, she took a deep breath.

***

Valeria went back to her office that evening to be ready for the lawsuit's next stage. However, she came upon a strange collection of documents that didn't match the rest of the evidence when she was going through the case files.

She scowled as she retrieved the relevant contracts and compared them to the plaintiff's allegations. Her blood ran cold after an hour of trying to piece things together.

The disparities were intentional fabrications rather than careless documentation. The evidence had been manipulated by someone to implicate Knight Enterprises.

Valeria reclined in her chair, her thoughts whirling. It was a risky move if Torres was responsible. But if it affected Dominic's own people...

She gave a headshake. Before bringing this to Dominic, she needed to be certain.

***

Valeria went back to the penthouse that evening. Dominic was looking over a map of Torres' operations in his private study.

She remarked, "I need to talk to you," and entered.

He raised his head, his face reserved. "What is it?"

She put the papers on his desk and said, "I discovered something in the case files." The evidence that is against you has been altered. You are being framed by someone."

As Dominic looked over the papers, his eyes grew gloomy. "Torres," he said, his tone poisonous.

Valeria answered cautiously, "Maybe. However, what if it's an insider?" His eyes suddenly met hers, and she gasped at the intensity of the look.

"Do you have evidence?"

"Not yet," she acknowledged.

"But they could do a lot more damage if there is a traitor in your ranks."

Grasping the edge of the desk, Dominic's jaw tensed and his knuckles turned white. "I'll take care of it.

"Valeria paused. "Dominic, I must know that you have faith in me. Working together is essential if we are to overcome this."

He remained silent for a minute. Then, his presence became overwhelming as he moved closer. "I have faith in you, Valeria," he muttered.

"But trust is dangerous in my world."

***

Dominic called a secret gathering of his inner group the following day. From the sidelines, Valeria observed him questioning each of them, his sharp eyes looking for weaknesses in their allegiance.

By the end of the difficult and uncomfortable procedure, Dominic had reduced his suspicions to two people.

Dominic glanced to Valeria as they walked out of the room. "Tonight, I'll deal with them."

The concept made her stomach turn, but she nodded. This was the price she paid for sticking by him.

***

Later that evening, Dominic discovered Valeria gazing out at the city lights from the rooftop balcony.

He replied softly, "You don't have to be here for this."

Without looking back, she answered, "I'm not going anywhere."

His hand touched hers as he took a step closer. Even though it was a simple touch, it made her chill.

He surprised her by saying, "I'm sorry. Because you were drawn into this."

Her hazel eyes were full of resolve as she turned to face him. "Dominic, I made this decision. Just swear to me that you will remember who you are after everything is over."

A little smile curved his lips. "And who am I, in your opinion?"

She whispered, "A man who is more than his empire."

Dominic pressed his forehead on hers as he drew closer. The fragility of their relationship was all that was left when the weight of their world briefly subsided.

However, they both realized that the peace was short-lived as the night wore on. Their biggest obstacles were still to come, and the storm was far from done.

***

Dominic's phone vibrating on the neighboring table broke the silence of their balcony moment. His expression froze as he looked at the screen.

He stepped back into the penthouse and said, "I have to take this."

Valeria felt a knot in her stomach as she watched him leave. She sensed their distance from one another growing again. She couldn't help but worry if her brief and infrequent moments of vulnerability with Dominic were just rifts in his well-made armor or something more serious.

Unable to get rid of the feeling that something was amiss, Valeria walked the living room as the minutes turned into an hour.

Dominic's expression was one of rage when he eventually came out of his study.

With hesitation, she inquired, "Is everything okay?"

"No," he stated plainly.

"Torres took the initiative."

A beat skipped across her heart. "What took place?"

Dominic's mouth tensed. "Tonight, one of my shipments got damaged. The storage facility was touched and three of my men were injured".

Valeria gasped for air. Although she wasn't ignorant of Dominic's world, it was startling to hear about the violence firsthand.

"Do you believe he did it directly or—Indirectly?"

Dominic cut in with a harsh tone. "The message is clear, but he never gets his hands dirty."

"What will you do, then?"

Dominic took a step closer, and his blue eyes darkened.

"What I must do. This is over."

Valeria wanted to argue and tell him that there must be another way, but she was hushed by the resolution in his eyes.

He refused to let anyone take this world away from him.

***

Dominic convened a conference with his most reliable allies the following morning. He protested, but Valeria insisted on being there. She had to know the whole extent of the conflict that was going on all around them.

The atmosphere was tense when the group assembled in a secret room at one of Dominic's upscale homes.

Ethan began the briefing by outlining the cash losses and the warehouse attack. "Torres is exerting more effort than before. He is attempting to undermine us."

Dominic responded sharply, "Then we push back harder."

Valeria recognized Claire as one of Dominic's key advisors, and she interrupted. "Dominic, retaliation is to be expected. He'll use it as an excuse to escalate things even further if we're not careful. What if we take no action?"

Dominic retorted. "Then we look foolish,"

Claire acknowledged. "But there is an alternative."

She slid a document across the table, drawing everyone's attention. "Torres has been collaborating with a third party—someone who provides funding for his business. He won't have the means to carry out his attacks if we stop that assistance."

Dominic looked over the papers, his face contemplative. "Who is this outsider?"

“Victor Crane, a businessman,” Claire said.

"Through his legal endeavors, he has been laundering money for Torres. Torres will be cornered if we expose him."

It was Valeria who first raised her voice. "Do you have proof that connects them?"

"Not just yet," Claire said.

"However, I have leads."

Dominic gave a nod. "Then go with them. I desire each and every link that has been recorded. We'll make sure Crane regrets supporting Torres***

Valeria ended up returning to Dominic's office that evening to discuss the legal ramifications of pursuing Victor Crane.

As she looked through the data, she remarked, "You're not just exposing him. Additionally, you're exposing yourself. This might bring everything to an end if it backfires."

"I am aware of the dangers," Dominic stated in a composed yet forceful tone.

"So why would you take them?"

With his blue eyes meeting hers, he answered, "Because this isn't just about business. It's intimate. Torres is endangering everything I've created, not just my enterprise, My people, My relatives."

Feeling the weight of his words, Valeria hesitated. "What about your other relatives? The one that's written down? How would Knight Enterprises fare if this gets out of hand?"

"I’m not going to let that happen,” Dominic muttered, his voice low.

She countered, "But you can't control everything. Dominic, even you have boundaries."

His eyes blazed into hers as he took a step closer. "Not when it comes to defending my property."

She shuddered at the severity of what he said. The unadulterated emotion in his eyes prevented her from challenging him or pushing back.

She whispered, "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I," he answered in a voice that was barely audible.

***

Later in the evening, Valeria went back to her makeshift penthouse office to go over the case once more. She was still not convinced by the plaintiff's assertions, and she was eager to find out why.

She discovered it—a little but important discrepancy in the financial documents—after several hours. Even though it was hidden and nearly invisible, it was sufficient to raise questions about the plaintiff's reliability.

She called Dominic into the room, excited. "I believe I've discovered something."

He studied the documents she had highlighted while he leaned over her shoulder.

"What is it?"

She pointed to a particular transaction when she stated, "This."

"It doesn't correspond with the schedule they gave. This disparity could undermine their entire argument if we can demonstrate it."

A rare smile curved Dominic's lips. "Good job, Valeria."

His compliment gave her a surge of pride, but it was soon eclipsed by a persistent feeling of dread. This case grew increasingly risky as she discovered more.

Additionally, she found it more difficult to distance herself from Dominic's world the closer she got to him.