Chapter 7 - THE KISS THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Faith Willis had never been good at lying.
Especially not to someone who had spent his entire life recognizing deception.
Dominic knew something was wrong before she spoke.
Her shoulders were tense.
Her hands wouldn't stop trembling.
And every few seconds, her eyes moved toward the window.
"Faith."
She looked at him.
"Who threatened you?"
Her face crumpled.
Dominic felt something cold settle in his chest.
"Tell me."
She shook her head.
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because they'll hurt him."
Dominic leaned forward.
"Who?"
Faith covered her mouth.
"My brother."
Within minutes, Dominic had the full story.
The phone call.
The photograph.
The envelope.
The warning.
He listened without interrupting.
When Faith finished, he took her phone and studied the messages.
Then he called his attorney and the security consultant Rebecca had recommended.
He also contacted the police investigator handling Faith's earlier assault.
Faith stared at him.
"You're calling the police?"
"Yes."
"Dominic, they said—"
"I heard what they said."
"They'll kill Eli."
Dominic looked at her.
"And keeping this secret gives them exactly what they want."
Faith began crying.
He reached for her hand.
"Listen to me."
She met his eyes.
"We're going to do this carefully. No reckless moves. No pretending I can solve everything with a gun."
Faith swallowed.
"Promise?"
Dominic nodded.
"I promise."
The investigation moved quickly.
The security team reviewed camera footage from the mansion grounds.
A vehicle had entered through a service gate earlier that afternoon.
The gate access code belonged to Carmine.
Dominic stared at the screen.
For a long moment, he couldn't speak.
Then he whispered, "You son of a bitch."
Faith stood beside him.
"Dominic."
He looked at her.
And for the first time, she saw grief beneath his anger.
"I trusted him."
"I know."
"He was there when my father died."
Faith squeezed his hand.
"I know."
Dominic lowered his head.
"He helped carry the coffin."
The following morning, Carmine arrived at the mansion expecting an ordinary meeting.
Instead, he found Dominic waiting in the study with two attorneys and a police detective.
His face drained of color.
"What's going on?"
Dominic looked at him.
"Sit down."
Carmine glanced toward the door.
One of the detectives stepped forward.
"We need to ask you some questions."
Carmine swallowed.
"About what?"
Dominic placed the hospital authorization documents on the desk.
"Start with these."
Carmine stared at the papers.
Then he looked at Dominic.
"Boss—"
"Don't call me that."
The words landed like a slap.
Carmine lowered his eyes.
Dominic's voice remained quiet.
"I trusted you with my life."
Carmine said nothing.
"And you used that trust to keep me helpless."
"Dominic, I can explain."
"Then explain."
Carmine's hands trembled.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this."
Dominic stared at him.
"What wasn't?"
"The accident."
Silence.
Carmine closed his eyes.
"Anthony wanted you removed. He said you were becoming a liability."
Dominic's expression didn't change.
"So you helped him?"
"I thought they'd scare you. Force you to step aside."
"Two of my guards died."
Carmine began crying.
"I know."
Dominic looked at him with something worse than hatred.
Disappointment.
"You knew."
Carmine nodded.
"And after the accident?"
"Anthony said if you recovered, you'd find out."
"So Whitmore helped keep me dependent."
Carmine looked away.
Dominic's voice broke.
"You watched me suffer."
Carmine whispered, "I'm sorry."
Dominic stared at him.
"No."
He shook his head.
"You're sorry you got caught."
Carmine was taken into custody after agreeing to cooperate with investigators.
His statements provided information about Anthony's financial schemes, the attack, and Eli's kidnapping.
But Anthony had already disappeared.
And Eli was still missing.
That night, Faith sat beside Dominic in the library.
The mansion felt strangely quiet.
For months, Carmine's footsteps had echoed through the halls.
Now his absence seemed to occupy every room.
Dominic stared at the fire.
"I should have known."
Faith shook her head.
"No."
"I built an empire on suspicion. I taught people never to trust anyone."
"And still, you trusted him."
"That was my mistake."
Faith moved closer.
"No. Betraying you was his choice."
Dominic looked at her.
"You always do that."
"What?"
"Find a way to make me feel human."
Faith smiled sadly.
"You are human."
He laughed without humor.
"That's debatable."
She reached for his hand.
"Not to me."
Dominic stared at their joined fingers.
Then he looked up.
"Faith."
"Yes?"
"I need to tell you something."
Her heart began racing.
He swallowed.
"I don't know what my future looks like."
She remained silent.
"I don't know whether I'll ever walk again. I don't know how much of my old life I'll have to leave behind."
Faith squeezed his hand.
"But I know one thing."
"What?"
His voice softened.
"When you walk into a room, I stop feeling like the worst thing that ever happened to me is the only thing that defines me."
Faith's eyes filled.
"Dominic."
"I think about you when you're gone."
He laughed nervously.
"I've never been good at saying things like this."
"You're doing fine."
He looked at her.
"I'm falling in love with you."
The room went silent.
Faith stared at him.
Then she stepped closer.
"I think I fell first."
Dominic's breath caught.
"Faith—"
She leaned down.
Their foreheads touched.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Dominic whispered, "Can I kiss you?"
Faith smiled through her tears.
"Yes."
Their kiss was gentle.
Unhurried.
Nothing like the violent world Dominic had once mistaken for strength.
When they finally separated, he rested his forehead against hers.
"Stay," he whispered.
Faith smiled.
"I'm not going anywhere."
At 2:13 a.m., Dominic's phone rang.
The caller was the detective investigating Eli's disappearance.
"We found your girlfriend's brother."
Dominic sat upright.
"Is he alive?"
"Yes."
Relief flooded through him.
"Where?"
"An abandoned warehouse near the river."
Dominic closed his eyes.
"Thank God."
The detective hesitated.
"Mr. Carter, there's something else."
"What?"
"Eli says Anthony wasn't acting alone."
Dominic frowned.
"Who else?"
A pause.
Then the detective spoke a name Dominic hadn't heard in twenty years.
"Frank DeLuca."
Dominic's blood turned cold.
Anthony's father.
The man everyone believed had died in a boating accident.
The man Dominic's own father had suspected of betrayal.
May you like
He was alive.
And he had been controlling everything from the shadows.
