Chapter 7 - The Confrontation
A week before Paris Fashion Week, Dominic tracked Nora down to an exclusive fabric showroom in Soho. He bypassed her security guards, stepping into the private fitting room where Nora was making final adjustments on a breathtaking crimson velvet gown.
Nora didn't flinch when she saw his reflection in the mirror. She continued pinning the hem of the dress with calm precision.
"You look tired, Dominic," she said smoothly, not turning around.
Dominic looked haggard. Dark circles bruised the skin beneath his eyes, his designer suit was wrinkled, and the ruthless aura he usually carried was replaced by a desperate, hollow intensity.
"I haven't slept in three weeks," Dominic said, stepping closer. "Every time I close my eyes, I see the look on your face at the hotel."
"Good," Nora said softly, turning to face him, the golden scissors resting comfortably in her hand. "That means your memory is working."
"I ruined everything, didn't I?" Dominic asked, his voice barely a whisper. "I let my pride, my greed, and the pressure of the family business turn me into a monster. Vanessa meant nothing to me, Nora. She was just a political alliance for the shipping routes."
"That makes it worse, Dominic," Nora said, her eyes piercing his. "You sacrificed your wife and your son for a business transaction. You traded my dignity for corporate favor."
Dominic dropped to his knees on the hardwood floor of the showroom, reaching out to touch the hem of her dress. The sight of the powerful crime boss and corporate titan kneeling before a woman he had once dismissed made the air in the room freeze.
"Forgive me," he choked out, tears finally breaking past his discipline. "Take the company. Take the houses. Take everything I own. Just come home. Let me be a father to Eli. Let me be your husband again."
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Nora looked down at him, her heart feeling neither anger nor joy—only a deep, quiet pity.
"The girl who would have forgiven you died on the floor of the Crown Harbor Hotel, Dominic," she said gently. "I am no longer your wife. I am your competitor. Get up off your knees. It doesn't suit you."
