When Ariella woke, it took a moment to remember where she was.
Not her bed, Not her room, Not her world.
The silk sheets were warm. Dominic's scent still lingered. Sharp and masculine, laced with the faint burn of last night's bourbon. The space beside her was empty, but the mattress was still warm.
He hadn't left long ago.
She sat up slowly, running a hand through her hair.
How had she gone from a quiet bakery girl to waking up in billionaire's bed in less than a week?
And why... why... did it feel like the safest place she'd ever been?
She found Dominic in the library, dressed in a dark vest and slacks, eyes fixed on a screen full of documents. Morning sunlight poured through the tall windows, catching the angles of his face, his jaw clenched in quiet focus.
"You slept well?" he asked without looking up.
"Yes."
He closed the laptop. "Sit."
She obeyed, settling on the leather armchair across from him.
"There are rules you need to understand," he said, voice cool and businesslike. "If you're going to stay here."
She folded her arms. "Stay? I thought I was your prisoner."
"You're not. You're under my protection."
"Right. Big difference."
He ignored the sarcasm. "Rule one: you never open the front doors. No matter who knocks. No matter what they say."
She swallowed. "Okay."
"Rule two: if you leave the room at night, you tell me. My security team has orders to shoot first, ask later."
"Comforting."
His eyes darkened. "I'm not trying to scare you, Ariella. I'm trying to keep you alive."
She hesitated. "Is it really that dangerous?"
He leaned forward, voice low. "The people who sent those men to my gate, they don't care that you're innocent. They don't care that you were just delivering a damn cake. They've seen you now. That makes you valuable. Or vulnerable."
Her voice was small. "And what do you see me as?"
His jaw flexed. "That's the problem. I don't see you as either."
She waited. "Then what am I?"
He stood and walked to the liquor cart, pouring himself a drink despite the early hour. The silence between them stretched like a held breath.
Finally, he said, "You're the only thing in my life I didn't plan for."
---
Later that day, Dominic took her to the rooftop terrace.
She didn't know it even existed. The space was massive, draped in vines and shaded corners, with views that stretched over the glittering skyline. There were guards stationed at each edge, discreet but unmistakable.
"Why bring me up here?" she asked, stepping into the sun.
"Because you've been locked up too long. And I need you to breathe before you snap."
She glanced at him. "Is that a concern of yours? That I'll snap?"
"You're softer than the women in my world," he said. "You were raised in light. I wasn't."
Ariella studied his face. "And do you regret that?"
"No." His eyes found hers. "Because I wouldn't be the man who can protect you if I'd grown up anywhere else."
Her heart twisted at the way he said it, like violence was stitched into his bones, and he didn't know how to be anything but sharp.
"You're not what I expected," she admitted.
"What did you expect?"
"A monster."
He smirked. "And what am I?"
She looked down at her hands. "Someone who scares me… and makes me feel safe all at once."
Dominic stepped closer. Close enough that his scent filled the air between them again. His fingers brushed her cheek, gentle despite the power in them.
"You scare me too, little dove," he said. "That's the worst part."
They stayed up there for hours. Talking. Arguing. Laughing, once, when a bird landed on the edge of the table and stole a strawberry from Ariella's plate.
It was… normal.
Which was exactly why it was so dangerous.
Because it made her forget what he was capable of.
Until a call came in.
He answered it without a word, eyes narrowing as he listened.
Ariella couldn't hear the voice on the other end, but the tension in Dominic's body told her enough.
When he hung up, he was already moving.
"What happened?" she asked.
He didn't look at her. "Stay here."
"Dom..."
He froze. Turned. Walked back to her.
"Don't call me that," he said softly. "Not yet."
Then he turned and walked away.
Ten minutes passed before footsteps approached again.
But it wasn't Dominic who returned.
It was the last person Ariella expected to see.
"Rae?" she whispered, stunned.
Her best friend stepped onto the terrace, flanked by one of Dominic's guards, her expression pale and tight.
"What... how.... what are you doing here?"
Rae rushed forward, grabbing her arms. "I've been calling you for days. Your phone is dead. Your dad's freaking out. He thought you were kidnapped."
Ariella's voice caught. "I… I didn't have a choice. I saw something I wasn't supposed to..."
Rae cut her off. "Who is this guy, Ariella? I googled him. He's not just rich. He's dangerous."
"I know," she whispered.
"You can't stay here." Rae glanced over her shoulder nervously. "This place, these men, it's not safe. We need to go. Now."
Ariella opened her mouth but stopped.
Because her heart was doing something strange.
It wasn't beating faster at the idea of running. It was panicking at the idea of leaving him.
She looked at Rae, Then said the most terrifying thing of all.
"I don't want to go."
Rae's eyes widened. "Ariella. He kidnapped you."
"No," she whispered. "He saved me."
"How Ariella? "
" You... You won't understand. "
" But your dad, he's... "
"She's not going anywhere." A Sharp voice cuts her off.
Dominic stood at the edge of the terrace, his expression unreadable.
Rae stepped forward. "She's scared."
He tilted his head. "No. You are."
"Maybe because you have armed guards and blood on your shoes?" She resorted back.
Dominic gave her a long, cold look. Then turned to Ariella.
"You trust her?"
"Yes," Ariella said softly.
"Then she stays the night. Under my roof. But if she leaves this property, she leaves alone. And you stay with me. Understood?"
Ariella hesitated.
Rae looked horrified. "What the f**k? " No I won't stay here Ariella let's go home. "
But Ariella looked away, because whatever this was between her and Dominic, it wasn't over.
It was only the beginning.