Chapter 4 - THE UNEXPECTED GUEST
The news hit the morning papers like a bomb.
Penelope sat in the sunlit breakfast nook of the Westchester estate, wrapped in a comfortable silk robe, staring at the front page of the New York Post.
COSTELLO ATTACKS MONTGOMERY DOCKS: THREE DEAD, MILLIONS IN CARGO SEIZED.
Below the main headline was a smaller, scandalous article:
WHERE IS PENELOPE GALLAGHER? RUMORS SWIRL OF HIDDEN DAUGHTER ABDUCTED IN CATHEDRAL ATTACK.
Penelope’s hands shook as she read the article. Dominic’s public relations team had deliberately leaked the truth to the press overnight. The public was now questioning why Richard Gallagher had never acknowledged his eldest daughter, and why the police records from eight years ago regarding a Hamptons fire had suddenly vanished from the department's database.
The heavy double doors of the dining room opened, and Dominic walked in.
He looked striking despite having clearly not slept all night. He had stripped off his suit jacket, wearing a crisp white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing dark Italian tattoos curling around his wrists. He carried a leather briefcase, setting it down on the mahogany table.
"Good morning, Penelope," Dominic said, taking a seat opposite her.
"Good morning," she replied softly. "You... you were at the docks."
"I took their primary shipping manifest," Dominic said coldly, taking a cup of black coffee from Mrs. Gable, who entered quietly and left the room. "The Montgomerys lost forty million dollars in imported steel last night. Richard Gallagher's stock is dropping as we speak."
Penelope looked down at her hands. "He will come after you."
"He can try," Dominic murmured, his icy eyes fixing on her. "How did you sleep?"
"Better than I have in years," Penelope admitted honestly. She looked up into his striking face. "Dominic... why are you doing all of this? Releasing my story to the press, attacking the docks... is it just for revenge against my father?"
Dominic set his coffee cup down. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, looking at her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat.
"At first, yes," Dominic admitted. "I wanted to humiliate Richard Gallagher. But then I saw what he did to you. I saw how he tried to erase you, Penelope."
He reached across the table, his large, calloused hand hovering near hers. He didn't force the contact, waiting for her consent.
Penelope slowly slid her hand forward, placing her fingers into his broad palm. His skin was warm and firm.
"I spent my whole life being told I was a burden because I didn't fit their standard," Penelope said softly, tears glistening in her dark eyes. "Because I was heavy. Because I had scars."
May you like
Dominic squeezed her hand gently, his voice dropping into a deep, earnest pitch. "Your father is a fool. A weak man who judges worth by superficial nonsense. You survived a horror that would have destroyed most people. That doesn't make you hideous, Penelope. It makes you undeniable."
Before Penelope could process the overwhelming warmth blooming in her chest, the emergency alarm inside the house began to blare loudly.
