The elevator ride felt endless.
I pressed the button for the top floor, Dominic Blackwood's domain and stared at my reflection in the mirrored walls. My chest tightened with every passing second. Every heartbeat screamed, you are walking into the lair of the predator who owns your future.
My mother's hand brushed mine lightly. "Aria" she whispered. "Stay strong."
I nodded, though my stomach churned with a storm I couldn't name. I wasn't afraid not completely but the uncertainty clawed at me.
The doors opened.
Dominic's office was vast, like the penthouse had been, but somehow more imposing. The city spread beneath us like a carpet of lights, but I barely noticed. My attention was on him.
He was already standing, arms crossed, eyes narrowed not at me, not at my mother, but at the contract on his desk. A wall of glass separated him from the city, and yet he seemed to dominate the space as if it belonged only to him.
"Miss Kingsley," he said without looking up. His voice carried the same cold authority that had frozen me in the lobby. "Sit."
I hesitated. Sit? The word was simple, ordinary but in his tone, it was an order.
I took the chair opposite his massive desk and lowered myself carefully, aware of every inch of the room's tension.
Dominic finally looked at me. His piercing blue eyes scanned me like a calculating machine, observing my posture, my hesitation, my pulse.
"You are aware," he began, "that this marriage is a legal and financial arrangement. Nothing more. Nothing less. Emotion will complicate things. Emotion will be punished. Do you understand?"
"Yes," I said quickly, though my stomach twisted. "I understand."
"Good." He leaned back, the chair barely making a sound, and folded his hands over the contract. "Then let's proceed."
I glanced at the thick document. Legal language, complex clauses, everything designed to protect him and the Kingsley family. And yet, the way he presented it, it was not just a contract. It was a statement. My life had been distilled into pages of legal precision.
"You may review it," he said, his tone almost teasing now. "Or you may sign it immediately. The terms are non negotiable, but I would appreciate efficiency."
I clenched my hands in my lap. My pride screamed, refuse. But logic whispered, this is survival.
"I need time to read it," I said finally, trying to keep my voice steady.
Dominic leaned forward slightly, the light catching the sharp angles of his face. "Time is a luxury we do not have. The wedding is scheduled. Signing tomorrow will be far more convenient."
Convenient. He made everything sound like it belonged to him, even my resistance.
"I will sign when I am ready," I said firmly.
His lips curved, just slightly into the tiniest smirk. "Spirited. Excellent. I do not enjoy tedium."
I stared at him, surprised by the flicker of amusement in his eyes. He wasn't mocking me. Not exactly. It was more like he was assessing whether I was worth his attention.
"I assume you will require my signature first?" I asked, daring a small jab.
Dominic raised an eyebrow. "Technically, yes. But I do not see the point. It is the same contract whether you sign before or after. Rules exist for convenience. Not for challenge."
A surge of defiance rose in me. "Some rules exist to protect people."
He leaned back again, arms folded, studying me with an intensity that made me flush. "I do not require protection. Only compliance. And discipline if compliance is not forthcoming."
The word discipline made my stomach twist.
I tried to steady my voice. "I will comply when it is just. Not when it is forced."
Dominic's eyes narrowed. For the first time, the air in the office felt charged not just tension, but a subtle spark. A dangerous energy that neither of us acknowledged openly.
"Interesting," he said finally, slowly. "You are stubborn. Clever. Fearless or foolish. Perhaps a combination of all three."
I felt my pulse quicken. "You make it sound like a compliment."
He tilted his head slightly. "It is an observation. I do not do compliments lightly."
My mother, who had been silent until now, cleared her throat. "Dominic, please. Aria is young. She needs time to"
He cut her off with a glance sharp enough to slice through steel. "Your daughter is fully capable of understanding the terms. She is not a child. And I am not interested in lectures."
I bit my lip to keep from smiling. He was intimidating, yes, but there was also a thrill in this battle of wills. I didn't want to admit it, but I felt alive in a way I hadn't in months.
Dominic leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. His eyes locked on mine with a predator's focus. "Tomorrow, we meet again. You will bring your signed copy. And I expect punctuality. Tardiness is unacceptable."
I stood, refusing to be intimidated by his tone. "I will be there. But do not mistake compliance for agreement."
He smiled then. A slow, deliberate smile. The kind that made your heart skip and your mind race. "I never mistake. I calculate. And right now, I calculate that you are more challenging than I expected."
My breath caught. Was that a warning? Or an invitation?
"I am not here to entertain you," I said firmly, straightening my shoulders.
"Nor am I here to amuse you," he replied, voice low and deliberate. "We are here because the circumstances demand it. But circumstances are fluid. And sometimes the unexpected is the most entertaining."
I froze for a second. His words were layered calculated. Dangerous. And yet intoxicating in a way I didn't understand.
"Tomorrow," he continued, "you will learn that power is not given it is claimed. And I am well practiced at claiming what I want."
I swallowed hard, the meaning clear. This was not just a contract. This was a challenge.
And somehow, despite every instinct screaming at me to resist, I felt alive.
The meeting ended shortly after, with Dominic dismissing us with a subtle wave of his hand. No pleasantries, no smiles, no warmth just authority and presence that lingered long after we left.
Back in the car, my mother exhaled shakily. "He's intense," she whispered.
"Intense?" I echoed, my mind still trapped in the icy blue of his eyes. "He's terrifying. And he knows it."
My mother placed a hand on mine. "You can handle him. You're stronger than you think."
I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe I could survive this. But as the city lights blurred past, one thought dominated my mind.
Dominic Blackwood was not just a man. He was a force. And tomorrow, when we signed that contract our war would officially begin.
And I wasn't sure who would win.