Morning arrived without mercy.
Sunlight flooded the penthouse, bright and invasive, pulling Lila from restless sleep. For a moment, she forgot where she was—until the quiet reminded her. No familiar warmth. No comfort. Just glass walls and a city that never cared.
She sat up slowly, her head throbbing with unanswered questions and unspoken fear.
The gala replayed in her mind. Ethan's smile. Dominic's possessive words. No one touches what's mine.
That sentence unsettled her more than Ethan's threat ever could.
Lila slipped out of bed and padded into the hallway, following the faint sound of voices. Dominic's study door was ajar. She hesitated, then stopped when she heard her name.
"She's becoming a liability," a man's voice said sharply.
Silence followed.
Then Dominic spoke, calm but edged with steel. "She's not expendable."
Lila's breath caught.
"You're risking too much," the man continued. "Your enemies will use her against you."
"They'll try," Dominic replied. "And they'll fail."
Lila stepped back quietly, her heart pounding. Liability. Weapon. Shield. Was that all she was in this war?
She turned away before she could hear more.
An hour later, Dominic joined her in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, expression unreadable. "You're awake early."
"I couldn't sleep," she said flatly.
He poured coffee, handing her a cup without asking. "We have a meeting today. Monroe Industries."
Her fingers tightened around the mug. "My father?"
"Yes."
Fear curled in her stomach. "He doesn't know, does he?"
"Not everything," Dominic replied. "But he suspects enough."
She met his gaze. "You're controlling the narrative."
"I'm protecting the assets," he corrected. "You included."
She set the cup down. "I heard you this morning."
His eyes sharpened. "How much?"
"Enough," she said. "To know I'm a liability."
A flicker of something crossed his face—annoyance, perhaps regret—but it vanished quickly. "You shouldn't listen at doors."
"You shouldn't discuss my fate like a business deal," she shot back.
Dominic stepped closer. "This is a business deal."
Her chest tightened. "Then stop pretending this is anything else."
Silence stretched between them, heavy and uncomfortable.
Finally, he said, "You wanted honesty. Here it is. Loving you is dangerous."
The words stunned her.
"Loving me?" she repeated. "That's not—"
"Exactly," he said quietly. "Which is why it can't happen."
Her heart raced. "Then why do you act like it already has?"
Dominic turned away. "Get dressed. We're leaving."
The Monroe Industries building loomed like a fortress, cold and imposing. Lila felt twelve years old again as they stepped inside, memories of boardrooms and pressure clawing back to life.
Her father stood when he saw her, relief and suspicion warring in his eyes. "Lila."
She hugged him tightly, breathing him in. "I'm okay."
He pulled back, studying her face. "Are you?"
Before she could answer, Dominic extended his hand. "Mr. Monroe."
The tension was immediate.
"So," her father said coolly, shaking his hand, "you're the man who married my daughter without warning."
Dominic didn't flinch. "Circumstances required urgency."
"Or control," her father countered.
Lila stepped forward. "This was my choice."
Both men looked at her.
Her father's expression softened slightly. "Is it?"
She nodded. "Yes."
The meeting that followed was brutal. Financial losses. Security breaches. Legal threats. Ethan's damage spread wider than she'd imagined.
"We're bleeding," her father said grimly. "And someone is feeding information to the wrong people."
Dominic leaned forward. "I can stop it."
"And what do you want in return?" her father asked.
"Trust," Dominic replied. "And time."
Lila watched them carefully. Two powerful men. Two different kinds of control. And her, sitting between them like a bargaining chip.
When the meeting ended, her father pulled her aside. "Be careful," he whispered. "Men like him don't save people. They own them."
She swallowed hard. "I know."
Outside, Dominic was silent as they walked toward the car.
"You let him doubt me," he said finally.
"I let him protect me," she replied. "Something you don't seem to understand."
He stopped abruptly, turning to face her. "You think I'm not protecting you?"
"I think," she said carefully, "you're protecting your empire first."
His jaw tightened. "And if that empire is the only thing standing between you and destruction?"
Her voice softened. "Then I want to be more than a strategy."
For a long moment, Dominic said nothing.
Then, quietly, "That's the problem."
The drive home was tense. Words lingered unspoken, sharp and dangerous.
That night, Lila stood alone in the penthouse, staring at the contract resting on the table. Lines. Clauses. Boundaries.
She realized something terrifying.
She had agreed to the rules—but not to disappear inside them.
When Dominic returned, she met him at the door. "We need to change the terms."
His brows lifted. "You already signed."
"I signed to survive," she said. "Not to be silent."
He studied her, eyes dark. "Careful."
"No," she said firmly. "You be careful. Because I won't be your weakness—but I won't be your weapon either."
Something shifted in his expression. Respect. Challenge. Fire.
"Good," he said slowly. "Then this war just got interesting."
And for the first time, Lila realized—
The cracks in Dominic Blackwood's armor weren't flaws.
They were where she could reach him.