Chapter 1

Dominic sat across from Solo, his face stoic. Like a mask still and unmoving,  his eyes were cold and distant. The silence between them—thick. All Solo could hear was the ticking of the wall clock. He spoke, his voice devoid of any warmth.

"Solo, what we have between us stops today. She's back."

His words cut through the silence in the room like a knife through butter, sharp, deliberate. Solo's breath hitched, but she didn't let it show.

She'd been preparing for this moment. Still, the blow landed harder than she expected. Sapphire. The girl who Dominic loved had left him three years ago, cheating on him and abandoning the relationship they had built. Now, she was back.

Despite the storm raging within, Solo swallowed, and her expression remained neutral. Dominic, the man who had been everything to her, sat across from her like a stranger.

"Okay," Solo said, her voice quiet but steady. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her break. Not here. Not now.

Dominic didn't flinch. He studied her as though trying to gauge what was behind her calm expression. He knew she wasn't the type to crumble or make a scene. It was one of the traits he’d always admired about her—her quiet strength. But now, it seemed, that strength no longer mattered. It irked him somewhat.

"You're taking this well," he said with a note of indifference.

"What do you want me to say?" Solo asked. “You've made your decision."

There was a pause. A heavy silence hung in the air.

Solo's mind flickered back to when this all began. It was late evening. The city's lights had shone golden through Dominic's office windows. Solo stood erect, feeling awkward in front of his desk. She twisted her hands as she waited for him to speak.

"My father's business…it's going under," Solo stuttered, her voice a whisper in the still of the office. She hated how vulnerable she sounded. "The debts keep flooding in and…and… They're threatening to seize everything. I—"

Dominic’s gaze rose from the papers scattered on his desk, his glare unyielding as he pinned his eyes on her. He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled in front of him.

“Are you here because you think I can solve this?" he asked, his tone cold but not unkind. "Because I can.” He grinned.

Solo nodded, trying to swallow the stubborn lump lodged in her throat. She managed to squeak. ”You're the only one who can help him. Please help me."

Dominic hesitated, scanning her face for a sign of what she would offer in return. He leaned forward, folding his hands on his desk.

"You know what this means?" he said, arching a brow. "If I step in and take care of your father's debts…you belong to me."

She blinked, her breath catching at the weight of his words. She wasn't naive. She had known coming here would mean making a deal. She just hadn't expected him to be so direct.

"I know. I understand,” she said, her voice steadier now. She couldn't afford to waver. "I'll do anything."

Dominic's lips twitched into a wry smile, with no warmth in his eyes.

"It's a simple agreement," he said in a voice void of emotion. “I'll pay your father's debts. You'll stay with me. If you keep your end of the bargain, your family will be cared for."

Solo nodded, though a chill from her decision had settled like ice within her. "For how long?"

"As long as I decide,” Dominic leaned back in his chair. "Until I no longer need you,” he said with an air of indifference,

Her heart sank at those words, but she masked her feelings well. She couldn't afford to show any weakness.

"Fine," she agreed, her voice firm now, displaying no unease, even though the weight of the decision was crushing her. "It's a deal."

"Come here," he said, swiveling in his chair. "On your knees." The sound of his zipper echoed in the room.

Solo blinked, snapping out of her reverie. The feeling of being powerless, of selling her freedom to save her family, still lingered. It had been the right choice—back then, it had felt like the only choice.

But now, standing across from Dominic, it felt like she had lost more than she ever intended.

Dominic cleared his throat, pulling her attention back to him.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a check, sliding it across his desk toward her. 

"One million dollars," he said. "I hope this makes up for...everything."

Solo stared at the check, her eyes scanning the printed numbers. A part of her wanted to laugh. Did he think money could erase the three years they'd spent together? The nights they shared? The moments of vulnerability that had seeped through his cold exterior?

Without a word, Solo took the check, folded it, and slipped it into her purse. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her crumble. Not here. Not now.

"There are a few things of mine at your place," Solo said, keeping her voice steady. "Can I get them back?"

Dominic's lips curved into a sarcastic smile. "You didn't have much when you came into my life. Everything you own, I gave you."

He tossed the spare keys to his apartment onto the desk with a casual flick of his wrist. "You have a week," he said. "When you're done, leave the keys with my secretary."

Solo stood up, smoothing out her dress. Her face was calm and composed, and her movements were deliberate and graceful.

"Goodbye, Dominic," she said with a slight nod, a sad smile traced her lips.

Dominic watched as she turned and walked toward the door—something flickered in his expression, but he pushed it away. He didn't stop her.

As soon as she stepped into the hall, her composure slipped. She paused and pressed a hand to her stomach. Her heart hammered in her chest, and a wave of emotion she hadn't expected washed over her. She opened her purse and traced her fingers over the cheque for services rendered that she had dropped next to the pregnancy report she had received only hours earlier.

She was pregnant, and Dominic didn’t know.

Solo stared at the ground as if the answers she sought could be found there. Her thoughts were a mess, directionless. She’d known about the pregnancy for a while but had kept it from him. How could she tell him now, after this? He didn't love her. He never had. He sure as hell didn’t want to have a child with her. Telling him would change nothing.

"He'll never know," she said, her gaze foggy from unshed tears. Solo drew in a breath, straightened her back, and stiffened her shoulders, then walked away from the man she had loved in silence.

Dominic glanced out the window as Twilight pushed forward, his fingers tapping on the table's surface. He didn't watch her leave, but something in the atmosphere shifted within him when she left the room.

He told himself it was for the best—Sapphire was back, and that's all that mattered. But as the door clicked behind her, he felt an unsettling emptiness.