The Untouchable Vow

closed laptop. Her chest felt tight, her mind racing with

disguised as an engagement. And

eper than she wanted to admit. Sh

something real, only to throw her aw

tile mix of confusion, hurt, and a growing defiance. She'd spent years being silent, bending

er answers and she was d

her purse and left the apartment. The crisp morning air

t in his office, his hands steep

nstructing an impenetrable fortress around his life, keeping everything and every

uard down, showing her a side of h

give her what she wanted, not with the weig

ng him out of his thoughts only to

Ashcr

is before it spirals. Call me." The message read as

bligation, a chess move orchestrated by their families to se

supposed t

in the picture, every

ime with a call from his assis

carried a note of urgency. "There's someo

ring her name as his h

He murmured sile

none of the turmoil brewing inside him a

all. Dominic's heart began pounding hard as he

the elevator onto the top floor of Blackwood Holdings. The plush carpet muffled her f

ass doors to Dominic's office, a flicker of doubt crept in. What was

nning. She hadn't felt this unsure of herself in a lo

ramatic backdrop behind him. He looked up, his face a mask of calm, but the f

low and steady, but she cau

r swing shut behind her. "I wasn't sure if you

ediately, watching her wit

n, Dominic. About this." She tossed her phone onto his desk, the headli

Dominic's jaw tightened,

e her best efforts. "Why did you pull me into this if y

," Dominic said finally,

n. "Because right now, it looks like you're playing games wit

his gaze intense. "You wer

, her voice trembling. "Just

, and the silence stretched

... it's complicated. There are thi

don't get to pull me into your life, make me feel like there's s

nted this?" he said, his voice finally breaking. "You think I wa

d vulnerable, and for a moment, O

anything, the door behi

lled as Olivia turned to see a tall,

n Olivia and Dominic, her expres

c said, his vo

op as Lila stepped into the room, her po

, her gaze lingering on Olivia before shiftin

er, his jaw clenched as he g

uld feel the tension in the room, becoming thick and suffocating, bu