Chapter 11 - The Phantom Threat
Dominic stared at the photograph in his hands, the blood freezing in his veins. The elegant, looping handwriting on the back of the picture mocked him from across the ocean. Vanessa Whitmore, the woman he had nearly married for the sake of business, the woman who had cried hysterically in his foyer claiming Arthur Sterling had forced her into treason, was smiling in a Parisian café. She was not a victim. She was the architect.
He carefully slipped the photograph into the inner pocket of his suit jacket just as the heavy oak doors of his office clicked open. Hannah walked in, the brilliant diamond on her left hand catching the warm light of the desk lamp. She had changed out of her white dress and was now wearing comfortable silk pajamas, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. She looked peaceful, a stark contrast to the violent storm brewing in Dominic’s mind.
"You have been staring at the wall for ten minutes, Mr. Moretti," Hannah said softly, stepping behind his leather chair and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Are you regretting proposing to a disgraced surgeon so quickly?"
Dominic reached up, covering her small, steady hands with his own. He pulled her gently around the chair until she was sitting on his lap, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He breathed in the scent of vanilla and sterile hospital soap that always lingered on her skin.
"I regret that I didn't find you five years ago," Dominic murmured against her collarbone. He looked into her sharp gray eyes, masking his turmoil with a calm smile. He could not tell her about Vanessa. Not yet. Hannah had just gotten her life back. She had just returned to the operating room. He refused to let the shadows of his underworld drag her back into the darkness on the very night they celebrated their engagement.
"Something is wrong," Hannah stated. It wasn't a question. Her medical training made her hyper-aware of micro-expressions, and she knew the man holding her better than anyone alive. "Your heart rate is elevated, and your pupils are slightly dilated. A surge of adrenaline."
Dominic offered a rare, genuine laugh, shaking his head at her terrifying brilliance. "I am just overwhelmed, Doctor Reed. I have a wedding to plan, an empire to rebuild, and a stunning Chief of Surgery sitting on my lap."
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Hannah studied him for a long, calculating moment. She knew he was lying, but she also knew Dominic Moretti would only lie to protect her. "Alright, Dominic. But remember what I told you on the lake. We are partners now. No more secrets."
Dominic kissed her forehead, the weight of the hidden photograph burning against his chest. "No more secrets," he lied smoothly. The moment she fell asleep, Dominic stepped out onto the balcony, pulling out his encrypted phone. He dialed his new head of security in Europe. It was time to hunt Vanessa Whitmore down.
