CHAPTER 7

The night was quiet as we drove farther away from the city, a stretch of road surrounded by thick trees and darkened hills. With every mile, we were sinking deeper into a place far from any familiar territory. The tension in the car felt tangible, and Dominic’s silence only heightened the unease curling in my chest. When he finally spoke, it was in a low, steady voice, almost as if he’d sensed the questions twisting inside me.

“Do you regret this, Elisse?” he asked, his gaze fixed on the road. “Coming with me?”

I hesitated, my eyes drawn to his profile as he drove. “Regret… isn’t the right word,” I murmured, unsure myself of what I meant. The emotions I felt were too complicated to untangle, a mess of desire, guilt, and a longing I didn’t want to admit to. “I don’t know what I feel.”

Dominic’s jaw tightened, a muscle working as he absorbed my words. “I know what I feel,” he said, voice laced with quiet intensity. “I want you safe. Away from him. And I want you to feel what it’s like t