Chapter 71

• Bellamy stood by the window, her hands twisted nervously in front of her, as if she needed something to hold onto, something to anchor her beating heart. The room felt unbearably heavy with silence.
• Dominic’s presence was behind her, steady and overwhelming, like a storm waiting to break. She turned slowly, and when her eyes met his, her breath caught. His expression was unguarded, no stern mask, just raw need and longing written in his gaze.
• He took a step forward. Then another. Until the space between disappeared, his hands rising to frame her face. His thumb brushed lightly over her cheek, a tender gesture at odds with the usual authority he carried.