HIS EMPIRE, HER RULES.

CHAPTER 4: THE WARNING

Valeria woke up the following morning feeling strangely uneasy. The boundaries between her professional responsibilities and Dominic's murky empire were becoming more hazy than she could keep up with, despite her best efforts to compartmentalize the complexity of his world. His final remarks from the previous evening reverberated in her head. "I defend what is mine." The weight of his voice and the intensity in his eyes were both disturbing and powerful.

At her office, she was midway through a call with an investigator about the lawsuit’s financial anomalies when a delivery interrupted her. A package wrapped in plain brown paper sat on her desk, unmarked except for her name scrawled in bold, unfamiliar handwriting.

Curiosity turned to dread as she opened it. Inside was a single black feather, it stip stained scarlet. Beneath it lay a card with a single line scrawled in fine cursive:

“Stay out of the Knight’s game."

Her blood ran cold. The underlying threat was plain, but the psychological edge of the message worried her more than she cared to admit.

***

Valeria called Dominic and demanded a meeting because she couldn't get rid of the sense of danger. She returned to the tall Knight Enterprises building within an hour, and when she entered Dominic's office, her uneasiness was evident.

His powerful presence filled the room as he stood beside his desk. As soon as she revealed the contents of the gift to him, his eyes narrowed.

Dominic tossed the card onto the desk and muttered ominously, "Rafael." He spoke in a low voice, clipping each word with hardly contained rage. "He's pushing the envelope."

Valeria crossed her arms. "What occurs if he decides to stop testing and begins acting instead?"

Dominic took a step forward, his eyes intense. "That is not going to occur. I will ensure that it doesn't."

“I’m a lawyer, not a pawn in your turf war,” Valeria shot back, her voice rising.

“You’re not a pawn to me. You’re the only person I trust to see this through.” His tone was vulnerable, but she didn’t let her defenses drop.

“Trust isn’t enough if my life is on the line. I need to know what I’m walking into.” There was a moment of tense silence between them before Dominic sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“You’re right. I owe you the truth.” He motioned for her to sit, and for the next hour, he revealed the layers of his world: the tenuouscoalitions, the unwritten laws of power, and the potentially fatal consequences of betraying someone like Rafael Torres.

Valeria's head was spinning by the time he was done. "This goes beyond a simple lawsuit," she remarked softly, her voice shaking.

"This is a power struggle." Dominic gave a nod. "You're also in the line of fire."

***

Dominic insisted on taking Valeria to her apartment alone himself that night. As they ascended the elevator in silence, the usual indignation in her gaze gave way to peaceful tiredness.

She paused as they got to her door, her hand resting on the handle.

“Are you going to watch me all night?” she questioned, adopting a sardonic smile.

“If I have to,” he said without hesitation.

She was surprised at his seriousness.

"This cannot be done indefinitely. I can do it as long as it takes to keep you safe.” With a sigh, she entered.

Against her better judgment, she turned and beckoned him in. After a moment's hesitation, Dominic followed her.

The walls of her flat were lined with bookcases, and the aroma of vanilla remained in the air. In contrast to his sterile, gleaming apartment, it was cozy and welcoming.

After looking around, Dominic remarked, "You're not what I expected."

“Let me guess,” Valeria answered, laying her purse down.

"You anticipated clinical, frigid perfection?"

"No," he said, turning to her.

"I anticipated someone who would barricade entry."

For a minute, their gazes locked, and the air between them got thick. Valeria couldn't help but feel the tension as if it were a live creature, a magnetic draw. She looked aside first, busying herself with pouring a glass of wine.

She answered sharply, "You can take the couch."

Dominic's laugh was rich and deep. "Very kind of you."

****

Valeria woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of glass breaking. She sprang to her feet in panic, her thoughts whirling. With the help of his keen instincts, Dominic was already standing. He walked over to where the noise was coming from and gestured for her to stay back.

Glass shards glittered on the floor when the window in the living room was destroyed. Another black feather, this one pinned behind a brick with a letter wrapped around it, was on the couch.

With each word, Dominic's expression grew darker as he unfolded the message. "You've received a warning. Get out now or you'll pay for it."

Behind him, Valeria read over his shoulder, her face pallid. She spoke in a tremulous voice. "They are no longer playing games."

Dominic turned to face her, his face stern. "This is over now."

****

Valeria woke up the next morning in Dominic's penthouse, surrounded by his personal guards. She was angry that her life had been interrupted, but she was unable to ignore how serious the issue was.

Dominic was more defensive than ever, concentrating on removing Torres' threat rather than the case.

Valeria started to notice a different side of him as they worked side by side. Beneath the brutal façade, there was a guy who would stop at nothing to defend the people he loved, a man who bore the burden of an empire. It seemed strangely reassuring and unnerving. One evening, Dominic leaned back in his chair and looked thoughtfully as they went over the most recent developments in the case.

"You're more powerful."more than I anticipated," he murmured, shattering the quiet.

Valeria's eyebrows went up. "I practice law. This is a fact of life."

With a calmer tone, he stated, "It's more than that. By now, most people would have left."

"I'm not like most people," she said.

A little grin appeared on his lips. “No, you’re not.”