Chapter 5 - The Blood Red Rose
The breach at the estate changed the atmosphere entirely. The Ashford Syndicate went on high alert, and Isla found herself drawn deeper into a world she barely understood.
Yet, amidst the violence and tension, a quiet transformation was occurring within the master suite.
Three weeks into the six-week contract, Isla had become more than just a medical presence; she had become Dominic’s anchor. He ate his meals with her, listened to her stories about normal life, and for the first time in his life, shared fragments of his own painful past—the betrayal of his uncle, the brutal rise to power, and the weight of holding an empire together.
One afternoon, Isla walked into the estate’s private courtyard to find a single, blood-red rose sitting on her medical tray, alongside a small, velvet box.
She opened the box to find a delicate gold necklace with a small sapphire pendant.
“What is this, Dominic?” she asked as he walked out onto the terrace, dressed in a casual charcoal sweater.
“A token,” Dominic said smoothly. “Blue matches your eyes.”
“I can’t accept this,” Isla said, trying to hand it back. “You’re already paying me a fortune. This wasn’t part of the deal.”
Dominic stepped closer, taking the box from her hands, taking out the necklace, and stepping behind her. “Consider it a bonus for surviving three weeks with a monster.”
Isla felt his breath on her neck as he fastened the clasp. Her heart hammered against her ribs—not out of fear, but out of something far more dangerous.
“You’re not a monster, Dominic,” she whispered turning around to face him. “You’re just a man who forgot how to be human.”
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Dominic stared down at her, his dark eyes burning with an intensity that made her breath hitch. He raised a hand, his thumb gently brushing her cheekbone. “Careful, Isla,” he warned softly. “Believing that will get you killed in my world.”
Before she could answer, Carter stepped onto the terrace, his face grim. “Boss. We have a problem. Don Moretti has called a truce meeting at the Grand Regency Hotel tonight. He demands you bring your new 'nurse' to prove she’s not a federal witness.”
