Chapter 14 - The Night Dominic Chose Love Over Power
Adrian Vale wanted me.
For twenty-four years, he'd controlled the truth about my family.
Now he was trying to use me to escape the consequences.
But Dominic refused to play by his rules.
"Nobody is handing Lily over," he told the investigators.
I stood beside him.
"I'm not a bargaining chip."
The lead investigator nodded.
"We're not asking you to be one."
They explained that Adrian had contacted one of his former associates and demanded access to a private aircraft.
His destination was believed to be an airstrip outside Scranton.
Marcus provided information about Adrian's security arrangements and known escape routes.
For once, Dominic didn't issue threats or send men to settle the problem.
He worked with the authorities.
That surprised everyone.
Including me.
Later that evening, we waited inside a secure building while the operation unfolded.
Rose sat beside me, holding my hand.
Dominic stood near the window.
His phone vibrated.
He answered.
For several seconds, he listened.
Then his shoulders relaxed.
"They have him?"
My heart stopped.
Dominic nodded slowly.
"Thank you."
He ended the call.
I stood.
"Dominic?"
He looked at me.
"Adrian's in custody."
Rose started crying.
I covered my mouth.
For the first time in my life, the man who had terrorized my family couldn't reach us.
The investigators had intercepted him near the airstrip.
His associates had been detained.
The original financial records had been recovered from a private storage facility.
And Dr. Harold Price had agreed to provide testimony regarding Rose's unlawful separation from our mother.
But Dominic looked strangely troubled.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He turned toward me.
"There's something I need to tell you."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
"The government has been investigating parts of my organization for years."
I stared at him.
"I know."
"I've done things I'm not proud of, Lily."
He looked down.
"Some of those decisions hurt people who had nothing to do with my family's wars."
I remained silent.
Dominic continued.
"I've spent my entire adult life believing fear was the only way to survive."
I thought about the frightened seven-year-old boy my mother had protected.
"And now?" I asked.
He looked at me.
"Now I want something different."
"Different how?"
"I've instructed my attorneys to begin separating the legitimate businesses from the criminal operations and to cooperate with investigators where required."
I stared at him.
"You're giving up your empire?"
"The part built on fear."
His voice softened.
"I don't want to become the man my father tried to make me."
Tears filled my eyes.
Dominic stepped closer.
"But I need you to understand something."
"What?"
"I don't expect you to love me because I change."
My heart pounded.
He continued.
"And I don't want you to feel responsible for saving me."
I swallowed.
"Dominic..."
He gently took my hand.
"I've been falling in love with you, Lily Carter."
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
He smiled sadly.
"But I know you deserve someone who makes you feel safe, not someone whose reputation makes you afraid."
I looked at him.
Then I stepped closer.
"You know what my mother taught me?"
He shook his head.
"That people aren't defined only by their worst mistakes. They're defined by what they choose to do next."
Dominic's eyes filled.
I touched his cheek.
The same cheek I'd wiped with a warm towel at the diner.
This time, he didn't freeze.
He leaned gently into my palm.
Then I whispered the truth.
"I'm falling in love with you too."
His breath caught.
But before he could answer, his phone rang.
It was the lead federal investigator.
Dominic listened.
His expression changed.
"What do you mean there's another witness?"
He looked at me.
The investigator continued speaking.
Then Dominic whispered, "That's impossible."
I gripped his arm.
"What happened?"
He lowered the phone.
"Lily, they found someone connected to your mother's case."
"Who?"
Dominic stared at me.
"A woman who's been in witness protection for six years."
My heart pounded.
"And?"
May you like
His voice broke.
"She says Eleanor Carter didn't die when we thought she did."
