THE BILLIONAIRE'S BROKEN VOW

CHAPTER 3

DOMINIC

Every time I close my eyes, all I can picture is Celeste. She is like a haunting image that refuses to leave my mind. It's not like I forgot her after our divorce. I've thought about her every day and regret what I did, but she betrayed me.

And seeing her all better, more successful and independent — it was hard to believe this was the Celeste I used to know — my Celeste. My Celeste is sweet, kind, and puts others before herself.

This one is cold, blunt, and willing to get rid of anyone who comes in her way. But her words from last night were the ones I was unable to stop thinking about.

I came here to destroy you.

I could tell that she meant every f*****g word she said. I felt a hand on my chest, causing my eyes to snap open, and I held the hand tightly.

“Calm down, it's just me.”

I let out a sigh of relief. I had been so paranoid and thought it was someone else, but it was just Victoria—my fiancée.

Victoria and I met at an auction a year after my divorce. I was still unable to move on from Celeste, and at first it was just a fling. Until she became persistent, and I thought of giving it a try to forget about Celeste. Dad was ecstatic and brought up marriage as an alliance, which I didn't oppose either. I thought it was time to move on anyway.

She tried to sit on my lap, but I was feeling rather uncomfortable and didn't really want her presence right now. “W—what's wrong?” she inquired.

“Can I have my personal space right now?” I requested. “I've had a pretty bad day and would prefer to just be alone.”

She looked displeased but complied. I couldn't tell her that the real reason I didn't want her close to me was because all I could think about right now was Celeste.

“I wanted to see how you were doing, and judging by the look on your face, I can tell you're very stressed. Would you like a bit of a stress reliever?”

She bit down on her bottom lip seductively, but it just made me feel like gagging. I shook my head, but she got down on her knees. Her hands clutched at my belt.

“Let me make you feel good. I promise you'll like it,” she whimpered, almost pleading.

Victoria’s hands froze at my belt when I grabbed her wrist. “Don’t,” I muttered, my voice sharper than I intended. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she slowly rose to her feet.

“What’s wrong with you, Dominic? You’ve been so distant lately.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to calm the frustration building in my chest. “Nothing’s wrong,” I said, though even I didn’t believe the lie.

She crossed her arms, her tone laced with irritation. “You flinch every time I touch you. You hardly look at me anymore. And don’t tell me it’s work—because I saw your face when you came back from the gala last night. You saw her, didn’t you?”

Her words struck like a slap, but I said nothing. I didn’t need to confirm it. The silence was enough.

“Unbelievable,” she scoffed. “After everything I’ve done to make this relationship work, you’re still obsessed with that woman.”

I clenched my jaw. “Victoria, I’m not doing this right now.”

She huffed, rolling her eyes. “Fine. Go ahead and keep pretending. But don’t expect me to sit here and watch you ruin yourself over her again.”

When she finally left the room, I sank back into my chair, running a hand through my hair. My chest felt tight, all of my emotions mixed into one unbearable weight.

Then my phone buzzed on the desk. I almost ignored it until I saw the name.

Ethan—my assistant.

I answered. “What is it?”

“Sir, I just received word that Adrian met with Celeste Moreau earlier today. Apparently, he’s proposing a joint project between Moreau Atelier and Vance Innovations.”

I froze—the blood in my veins turned cold. “What did you just say?”

“It’s still under discussion, but they’ve already had a meeting. Some of the board members think it’s a smart move since it could challenge Vance Industries directly.”

My grip tightened on the phone. “Of course they do,” I muttered bitterly.

“Should I—”

“Cancel my next meeting,” I cut him off. “I have somewhere to be.”

I ended the call before he could respond. My pulse was already pounding as I grabbed my keys. It was already evening, and she should have been home by now. I did a little research and figured out where she lived.

By the time I arrived at her house, I didn’t even think. She came out of my brother's car, and I felt my body boil, but I tried to act calm.

She walked past me like she didn't notice, but I followed her until we got to her door. She paused and asked, “What do you want?”

My fists clenched. I collected the card from her, swiped the door open. I pushed the door and dragged her in. She kept trying to get out of my hold, but I was too strong.

When she looked up and our eyes met, something inside me twisted painfully. She didn’t look shocked to see me—just... with despair.

“What are you doing here, Dominic?” she asked, her tone calm but cold.

I took a step closer, anger beneath the surface. “You think aligning with my brother will save you?”

Her lips curved slightly, but her eyes stayed hard. “No. It’ll destroy you faster.”

The words hit deeper than she realized. I stepped forward again, unable to stop myself. “You really think you can play this game better than me?”

“I’m not playing,” she said evenly, standing to meet my gaze. “You are.”

The tension between us was unbearable. Every inch of space felt charged. I could smell her perfume—that same soft jasmine scent that used to linger on my pillow. It pulled me back to nights I tried to forget, to the way she used to laugh against my chest, to the sound of her whispering my name in the dark.

My hand twitched, and before I knew it, I was inches away from her. I could see her chest rising and falling, the way her eyes flickered for just a second—not with fear, but with something she was trying hard to bury.

“Don’t,” she whispered, stepping back before I could reach her. “You don’t get to touch me anymore, Dominic.”

The rejection stung more than I expected. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay composed.

“You act like you’ve moved on,” I said quietly, “but you haven’t. You can’t forget what we had, Celeste. Because neither can I.”

“Get out,” she said softly. “Before you embarrass yourself.”

I didn’t move at first. I just stood there, staring at her, trying to memorize the woman she’d become. Then I finally turned and walked out.

Because she was wrong. She might hate me now, but hate was just another kind of love twisted in disguise. And if she wanted a war, she was going to get one.