| 112 | Words Hurt

[ D O M I N I C O ]

The night is dead quiet as the car glides through the narrow roads. I'm getting cold, even though the windows remain shut. There's some tension between us again. I'm sure it's not just me feeling tense.

We're still in the backseat, but I'm not comfortable with my bodyguards sitting in the front, probably eavesdropping. I press a button on my armrest. The tinted partition slides up and hides us almost immediately.

I sit back and glance at her.

Seraphine is half-slumped against the door, her face pale, eyes distant. Obviously maintaining eye contact is difficult for her at the moment.

I get it, though. The question I asked her earlier is probably one she didn't expect to hear today. I'm itching to hear a real answer from her, but it's obvious that I'll need to pry it out of her myself in a more private setting.

The memory and noises of her retching outside my car just minutes ago lingers, and it's turning into a gnawing feeling that keeps telling me somethi