Confessions

Sasha arrived at the upscale, dimly lit bar where Dominic had asked her to meet him. She wrapped her arms around herself as she stood by the entrance, her pulse racing with anticipation and dread. Her thoughts were a maze of questions, doubts, and lingering love, each one cutting deeper as she waited. Dominic had asked her to come so he could “explain everything.” But after everything she’d heard, she wasn’t sure what “everything” even entailed anymore.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, unsure if she was ready to face him, Dominic stepped out of the shadows. His gaze met hers, intense and unwavering, and for a moment, she forgot to breathe. He was magnetic, his presence a force that pulled her in, despite everything that had happened.

“Sasha,” he said softly, his voice laced with a mix of relief and tension.

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat as she tried to steady herself. “Dominic.”

They walked in silence to a private booth, the weight of unspoken words filling the space between them. When they were seated, Dominic looked her in the eyes, and she could see the turmoil brewing beneath his calm exterior.

“Thank you for coming,” he began, his voice low, almost vulnerable.

She forced herself to meet his gaze, though her heart ached with the weight of her unanswered questions. “I’m here because I want to know the truth, Dominic. No more half-truths. I need to know… did you do it?”

He ran a hand through his hair, his jaw clenching as he struggled to find the words. “Sasha… you have to understand. Everything I’ve done, every decision I’ve made, has been to protect what I built—and the people I care about. My brother… he got involved in things that could have destroyed everything.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” she pressed, her voice firmer than she felt. “Did you push him out? Did you betray him to keep your empire?”

Dominic’s gaze hardened, and for a moment, she saw a flash of the ruthless businessman everyone else saw. “Yes, I did. But it wasn’t because I wanted to. It was because I had no choice. He was reckless, dragging our family’s name through the mud, aligning himself with people who only cared about tearing us down.”

Sasha’s heart sank, the weight of his confession hitting her like a wave. “You really did sacrifice him… for this.”

Dominic’s expression softened, a flicker of pain crossing his face. “I know how it sounds. But my brother made choices that put us all in danger. I had to protect what was left of my family. Sasha, I never wanted to hurt him.”

She looked down, her chest aching with a mixture of anger and sadness. “And what about me, Dominic? What about all the secrets you’ve kept from me?”

He reached across the table, his hand hovering just above hers, hesitant. “I kept those things from you because I wanted to shield you from my past. I didn’t want you to be weighed down by the choices I had to make.”

Sasha pulled her hand back, her heart breaking as she saw the raw honesty in his eyes. “But don’t you see, Dom? By hiding it, you were still lying to me. You were still letting me fall in love with an illusion.”

He clenched his jaw, his gaze dropping. “You’re right. I should have told you. But I was afraid you’d leave if you knew everything.”

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she looked at him, her love and her anger battling within her. “Maybe I still have to,” she whispered.

A heavy silence settled between them, and for the first time, she saw Dominic falter. She could tell he was struggling, battling emotions he wasn’t used to showing. But just as he was about to respond, someone cleared their throat.

“Dominic,” a cold, familiar voice interrupted, and both of them looked up to see Luca standing there, a smug smirk on his face. “Mind if I join?”

Dominic’s expression darkened immediately. “What the hell are you doing here, Luca?”

Luca shrugged, his gaze flicking between Dominic and Sasha. “I thought I’d stop by and see how things were going between the two lovebirds. After all, Sasha deserves the truth, don’t you think?”

Sasha clenched her fists, anger flaring up inside her. “Luca, this isn’t your business. Just go.”

Luca’s smile widened, unbothered by her words. “Oh, but it is my business. Dominic here has been trying to play the hero, but he forgets that his sins don’t just affect him. They affect everyone around him—including you, Sasha.”

Dominic stood, his fists clenched, his expression livid. “Get out, Luca. I’m not going to warn you again.”

Luca merely laughed, shaking his head. “Temper, temper. It’s funny, Dominic—you act like you’re in control, but you’re just as much a pawn as the rest of us. Do you really think you can keep your empire intact when everything you’ve built is based on lies?”

Sasha’s heart pounded as she looked between the two men, each radiating a dark intensity that seemed to fill the room. This was the side of Dominic she’d feared, the one that was willing to do whatever it took to stay on top. And Luca… he was only too happy to see Dominic fall.

“Enough,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper but laced with strength. “Both of you. I’m tired of this game.”

Luca raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading as he regarded her. “Oh, Sasha. You’re in this game, whether you like it or not. Dominic’s secrets are only the beginning. If you really want to know who he is, just dig a little deeper. You might find more than you bargained for.”

With that, Luca turned and walked away, leaving a trail of tension in his wake. Sasha felt a shiver run down her spine as she processed his words, a sense of dread settling over her.

Dominic reached for her hand, his voice urgent. “Sasha, don’t listen to him. He’s just trying to drive a wedge between us. He wants to see me fail, to take everything from me.”

She pulled her hand back, her gaze hardening. “Maybe he’s not the only one. Maybe… maybe you’re doing that all on your own, Dom.”

He flinched at her words, his face a mix of frustration and sorrow. “Sasha, please. Don’t walk away from this. Don’t walk away from us. I’ll tell you everything, I swear.”

She looked at him, her heart aching with the weight of her decision. “I don’t know if I can trust you, Dominic. I don’t know if I even know who you are anymore.”

A flicker of vulnerability crossed his face, something she rarely saw. “You know me better than anyone, Sasha. I’ve done terrible things, yes. But I love you. I love you more than anything.”

Sasha took a shaky breath, the intensity of his words filling her with a mixture of hope and fear. She wanted to believe him, to believe that they could find a way through this darkness together. But the doubts Luca had planted were like poison, slowly seeping into her heart.

“I need time, Dominic,” she whispered. “I need time to figure out if I can live with everything you’ve done.”

He nodded, his expression pained but understanding. “I’ll give you whatever time you need. Just… promise me you won’t shut me out completely.”

She looked away, unable to make a promise she wasn’t sure she could keep. “Goodbye, Dominic.”

As she turned and walked away, her heart felt like it was shattering with each step. She had loved him, and maybe she still did. But the secrets, the lies, the darkness—it was all too much to bear. She needed space, needed clarity, needed to figure out if she could accept the man Dominic truly was.

But even as she walked away, a part of her knew that no matter how far she went, she would never be able to escape the pull of him.

The next morning, Sasha woke with a heavy heart, her thoughts consumed by Dominic. She missed him, the way he made her feel safe, the way he looked at her as if she were the only thing that mattered. But she couldn’t ignore the darkness he’d hidden from her, the secrets he’d kept.

As she sat by the window, staring out at the city, her phone buzzed with a message. It was from Luca.

“If you want to know the real truth, meet me tonight. I have something to show you.”

Sasha stared at the message, a shiver running down her spine. She knew that meeting Luca could mean opening a door she couldn’t close, exposing secrets she might not be ready to face. But if there was any chance of finding the truth, she had to take it.

With a deep breath, she typed her response.

“I’ll be there.”

As she hit send, a sense of foreboding settled over her. She knew that whatever Luca had to reveal would change everything—and that, no matter what she discovered, her life with Dominic would never be the same.