The Devil in a tailored Suit

FIRST BREAKING POINT

CHAPTER 5

The following morning arrived beneath a sky covered in thick gray clouds that seemed determined to keep the sun hidden, and as Christen Wood slowly opened her eyes she was immediately reminded that she was no longer waking up in her small apartment with its peeling paint and constant financial worries, but inside a luxurious suite that belonged to one of the most powerful men in the city.

For several moments she remained motionless beneath the blankets while staring at the ceiling, hoping that if she stayed still long enough the strange reality she had entered over the past few days would somehow disappear and allow her to return to the familiar struggles she had spent so long trying to escape.

Unfortunately, reality was waiting for her the moment she became fully awake.

The contract was real.

Dominic Hale was real.

The enormous suite surrounding her was real.

Most troubling of all was the realization that with every passing day she seemed to be sinking deeper into a world she barely understood, a world where every door opened because Dominic allowed it and every person seemed to move according to an invisible structure that revolved entirely around him.

After finally forcing herself out of bed, Christen showered, dressed, and stepped out of her room expecting to find the suite quiet and empty, only to discover Evelyn already waiting near the dining area with the same professional composure she seemed to maintain at all hours of the day.

Good morning Miss Wood.

Christen stopped walking and narrowed her eyes slightly.

Do people in this place ever sleep or does Dominic simply keep everyone standing by twenty four hours a day.

A faint smile touched Evelyn's lips.

I assure you that we sleep.

That is comforting because I was beginning to suspect otherwise.

Evelyn's smile widened ever so slightly.

Mr Hale asked me to inform you that breakfast is ready and that transportation has been arranged for later this morning.

Christen sighed.

Of course it has.

Before she could ask any further questions, Dominic entered the room from the opposite side of the suite dressed in a dark tailored suit that looked expensive enough to cover several months of her rent.

The irritating thing was that he wore it so naturally that it appeared as though the suit had been designed specifically for him.

Good morning Christen.

His voice carried the same calm confidence she had come to expect.

Whether this morning is good remains open for debate.

Dominic pulled out a chair and sat down.

You appear frustrated.

You appear observant.

A brief flicker of amusement crossed his face before disappearing almost instantly.

For some reason the tiny reaction irritated her far less than it should have.

Breakfast passed with minimal conversation until Dominic finally placed his coffee cup down and informed her that they would be leaving shortly.

Christen immediately looked up.

Leaving for where.

You will know when we arrive.

That answer is becoming increasingly annoying.

Nevertheless it remains effective.

The fact that he delivered the response with complete seriousness only made her want to argue further.

Half an hour later they were seated inside a luxury vehicle moving through the city streets while the dark clouds overhead threatened another storm.

Christen found herself staring out the window for most of the journey as familiar buildings, crowded sidewalks, and busy intersections passed by outside.

People hurried to work carrying coffee cups.

Friends laughed together while crossing streets.

Couples walked side by side without a care in the world.

The ordinary scenes should not have affected her as much as they did, yet watching them made her feel strangely disconnected from her old life, as though she had stepped through an invisible doorway and could no longer find her way back.

You are thinking about leaving.

The unexpected statement pulled her from her thoughts.

She turned toward Dominic.

Excuse me.

You have been staring out the window for nearly fifteen minutes as though you are saying goodbye to the city.

Christen crossed her arms.

Perhaps I am.

That would be understandable.

The simplicity of his response caught her off guard.

You say that as though it does not concern you.

Dominic shifted slightly in his seat.

Whether you stay or leave remains your decision.

Christen let out a short laugh.

You keep saying that but nothing about this situation feels like a choice.

His gaze remained steady.

Explain.

Christen leaned forward slightly.

Everything around me suggests the opposite. The contract. The rules. The people who seem to know where I am every second of the day. The fact that I cannot even get a direct answer without feeling as though I am participating in some strange test.

For several moments Dominic remained silent.

Then he spoke.

Before you met me, how many choices did you actually have.

The question struck harder than she expected.

Christen looked away.

Her overdue rent.

Her empty bank account.

The constant fear of losing everything.

Those memories surfaced immediately.

Dominic continued.

You speak of freedom as though you possessed it before we met. From where I stand, you were running out of options long before you walked into that hotel.

The words frustrated her because part of her knew they were true.

She hated that.

She hated how often he seemed capable of identifying truths she preferred not to acknowledge.

The vehicle eventually stopped outside a towering glass skyscraper that stretched high into the cloudy sky.

Christen stepped out and looked upward.

The building seemed endless.

What is this place.

One of my companies.

One of.

Dominic simply began walking.

Christen followed while resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

The moment they entered the building the atmosphere shifted noticeably.

Employees greeted Dominic with immediate respect while simultaneously appearing nervous in his presence.

Some straightened their posture the second they noticed him.

Others lowered their voices as he passed.

No one ignored him.

No one appeared comfortable enough to treat him like an ordinary person.

The deeper they moved into the building the more obvious it became that Dominic's influence reached every corner of the company.

Eventually they arrived inside a large conference room where several senior executives were already waiting around a polished table.

The room immediately fell silent when Dominic entered.

Christen noticed it again.

The respect.

The fear.

The absolute attention.

Dominic pulled out a chair and gestured toward an empty seat beside him.

Sit.

Christen remained standing.

A silence immediately settled across the room.

Every executive seemed uncertain where to look.

Christen folded her arms.

No.

The tension became almost unbearable.

Dominic's expression remained calm though his eyes sharpened slightly.

Sit down Christen.

No.

Her voice remained steady despite the nervous energy building inside her chest.

You keep giving instructions as though everyone around you automatically belongs to you and honestly I am getting tired of pretending that is normal.

Nobody in the room moved.

Nobody interrupted.

Several executives looked as though they wished they were somewhere else entirely.

Dominic studied her for several long seconds before speaking.

This is not the appropriate place for this conversation.

Maybe it is exactly the right place.

The words escaped before she could reconsider them.

A heavy silence followed.

Then Dominic slowly stood from his chair.

The movement itself seemed to alter the atmosphere.

Not because it was threatening but because every person present immediately became aware of it.

He looked toward the executives.

Leave us.

The room emptied within moments.

When the door finally closed behind the last executive, Christen found herself alone with Dominic in a room that suddenly felt much larger than before.

For a long moment neither of them spoke.

Then Dominic walked toward the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city.

You believe this is about control.

Christen frowned.

Is it not.

No.

His answer came without hesitation.

Then explain it to me because from where I am standing that appears to be exactly what it is.

Dominic turned toward her.

You assume I want obedience because that is what most powerful people demand.

Is that not what you demand.

No.

His voice remained calm.

I demand competence. I demand honesty. I demand accountability. Those are very different things.

Christen remained silent.

You assume every action I take has some hidden motive because your experiences have taught you to expect disappointment from people. You expect manipulation because you have seen it before. You expect betrayal because you have experienced it before.

The accuracy of the statement made her uncomfortable.

Dominic continued walking toward her.

The problem is that every assumption you make about me is based on people who are not me.

Christen swallowed.

For the first time since meeting him she struggled to find an immediate response.

You are angry because the version of me you created in your mind keeps colliding with reality.

His words landed with surprising force.

The room suddenly felt much quieter.

Much more personal.

For several moments neither of them spoke.

Then Dominic's voice softened ever so slightly.

You are allowed to challenge me Christen. You are allowed to disagree with me. What you are not allowed to do is convince yourself that you already understand me when you have barely scratched the surface.

Christen held his gaze.

Something shifted in that moment.

For the briefest second she saw something behind his usual confidence and control.

Something heavier.

Something lonely.

Something that looked suspiciously like pain.

The glimpse disappeared almost immediately as the familiar walls returned to his expression.

Yet Christen knew she had seen it.

And as she stood there staring at the man everyone feared, she realized that for the first time she was no longer curious about Dominic Hale's power.

She was curious about the secrets he worked so hard to hide behind it.