Smoke filled the small apartment, curling into her lungs like poison. Aria stumbled backward, coughing violently, vision blurred as her eyes stung.
The figure was gone.
The door to her apartment hung open, swaying slightly in the hall's air current. Whoever had broken in was fast—and professional.
She rushed to the front door, slammed it shut, and locked the deadbolt with trembling fingers. Her mind raced. The warning still echoed in her ears:
"Tell Dominic… the past always comes back. And this time, it's bringing fire."
The folder. She reached for her bag, unzipped it.
Gone.
Panic clawed at her throat.
They had taken the only copy of Dominic's file on his brother. The one piece of truth he trusted her with. The one secret that could unravel everything.
She pulled out her phone and dialed without thinking.
Dominic answered on the second ring.
"Aria?"
Her voice broke. "Someone broke into my apartment. They took the file."
He was silent for a moment. Then:
"Stay there. Don't move."
The line went dead.
It took Dominic twelve minutes to get there.
He didn't knock. He burst in, eyes sweeping the apartment like a predator. Aria was still shaken, sitting on the floor by the couch. Smoke still lingered faintly in the air.
"Where were you when it happened?" he asked.
"Inside," she whispered. "They waited until I got home."
He crouched in front of her. His usual composure cracked, rage simmering just beneath the surface.
"Did you see their face?"
She shook her head. "Mask. But… he knew you. He said the past is bringing fire."
Dominic cursed under his breath.
Then he did something unexpected.
He reached out and gently touched her arm.
"You're not safe here."
"I know," she said, voice barely above a whisper.
He stood and paced. "Whoever this is, they want you scared. Exposed. They wanted the file, yes, but they also wanted you to feel hunted."
She looked up. "And it worked."
He stopped pacing. Turned.
"Come with me."
Aria blinked. "What?"
"You're staying with me."
"Dominic…"
"This isn't a request. This is protection. You don't leave my side until I find out who did this."
She hesitated. The thought of being in his space, in his world… it terrified her. But not as much as being alone.
She nodded.
Dominic's penthouse was nothing like she expected.
It was cold, yes. Clean. Structured. But it was also quiet. Isolated. The walls were mostly glass, with views of the skyline that made the city look small.
There was a fire burning in a glass fireplace, the only real warmth in the space. She stood near it, arms wrapped around herself.
Dominic returned with a drink and handed it to her.
"You okay?" he asked.
"No," she replied honestly. "But thank you."
He sat across from her, watching.
"You trust me," she said suddenly.
He tilted his head. "Why do you say that?"
"Because you brought me here. To your home. You don't do that with people you don't trust."
He didn't deny it.
"I do trust you," he said quietly. "But that might be the most dangerous decision I've ever made."
Aria blinked.
"Dominic… what really happened to your brother?"
He looked away.
"There's more to the story. I didn't want to burden you with it."
"I'm already in it. Whether we like it or not."
He sighed. Then, slowly, began to speak.
"Daniel found proof of something. I still don't know exactly what. Offshore accounts. Trafficking. Something buried deep inside Blackwood International before I took over."
"Why didn't he come to you directly?"
"He tried. But our father threatened him. Paid people off. When Daniel pushed harder, he was silenced."
Aria's stomach turned. "You think your father had him killed?"
Dominic didn't answer.
He didn't have to.
Later that night, Aria couldn't sleep.
She wandered into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. The penthouse was silent, the city below sparkling.
She was about to return to her room when she heard Dominic's voice—soft, low.
He was on the phone, in his office, door slightly ajar.
"I need a name," he was saying. "Someone broke into her apartment. Took the file. I want them found. I want them to understand what it means to cross me."
He paused.
Then:
"If my father had anything to do with this, I want proof. And I want it yesterday."
The call ended.
Aria stepped back before he saw her.
But now she knew two things for sure:
One, Dominic wasn't afraid to wage war to protect her.
And two—this wasn't just about her safety anymore.
It was about revenge.