The silence in the penthouse was oppressive, heavy with the unspoken tension that loomed between them. Aurora stood by the balcony, staring out at the sprawling cityscape below. The night was thick with fog, the city lights hazy and blurred. She should have felt at peace, should have felt comforted by the luxury that surrounded her. Yet, it was impossible to ignore the gnawing unease that had settled deep in her chest.
The lies they had woven together were becoming harder to untangle. And with every passing day, they both seemed to be sinking deeper into the web they had created.
Dominic had insisted that the press conference had gone well. But in the aftermath, things were far from settled. The reporters hadn't stopped asking questions—questions that were becoming increasingly personal. The public was hungry for a scandal, for a crack in their perfectly curated image.
And there was something far more dangerous on the horizon: secrets. Dominic's secrets.
She couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something from her. Something critical. Every time they spoke about their future, about their so-called "relationship," there was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes—a fleeting moment of doubt that he always covered with a well-timed smile or a quick change of subject.
But she wasn't blind. She could see it. She could feel it.
"Aurora," Dominic's voice broke through her thoughts, low and steady as he stepped closer. "We need to talk."
She didn't turn to face him. "About what?"
"The future. The next step."
Her chest tightened. She knew where this was going. She had seen it coming a mile away. "Dominic, I told you—I'm not ready to play pretend anymore. Not like this."
"You're right," he said, his voice softer now. "This isn't a game. It never was. But there's something you need to know. Something important."
Aurora finally turned to face him, her eyes searching his. She could see the hesitation, the shadows that lingered in his gaze. Whatever it was, it wasn't something he wanted to say.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dominic stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "The media isn't the only one we have to worry about."
Her heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
"I've been keeping something from you," he admitted, his voice low, as if the words themselves were dangerous. "Something from my past."
Aurora's pulse quickened. She had known there was something off about him, but she hadn't expected it to be something like this. "What is it?"
Dominic's expression hardened, a mask slipping into place. "It's not something I'm proud of."
A chill ran down her spine. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything," he said quickly, his tone defensive. "It's not like that. But my family... they have a way of making things disappear. They think they can control everything."
Her eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say?"
"They think they control me," he continued, the words spilling out in a rush. "They've been pulling strings in the background, trying to shape my image, my future, even this relationship. Everything. They think they can manipulate the press, use you as leverage. They—"
Aurora's heart slammed into her ribcage. Leverage? The word hung in the air like a cloud, thick with meaning. Her stomach twisted with something that wasn't fear, but something far darker.
"I don't understand," she said, her voice shaking. "Are you telling me your family has been pulling strings in this... relationship? Is that what you're saying?"
Dominic's jaw tightened. "Yes."
The room felt suffocating. Aurora tried to process what he was saying, but the words kept swirling in her head, too fast to comprehend.
"Then why the hell didn't you tell me?" she demanded, her voice rising. "You've been lying to me this whole time? You made me think—" She stopped herself, feeling her breath catch in her throat.
Made her think what? That they were real? That what they had was genuine?
Dominic took a step forward, his eyes dark with regret. "I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want to drag you into my family's mess. But the truth is... this whole thing, Aurora, was never going to stay in the shadows. You're too much a part of my world now. You're too important to me."
Aurora shook her head, the words like acid on her tongue. "You don't get it, Dominic. I don't care about your family. I don't care about your business deals. I care about you. And I thought, for a second, that maybe you were being real with me. But now..."
Her voice trailed off, the pain of his betrayal too much to put into words. She couldn't look at him. She couldn't bear the thought of him lying to her, of everything between them being a game—a strategy.
"I am real," Dominic said, his voice pained, his tone more vulnerable than she had ever heard it. "I do care about you. But I had to make choices—hard ones. The press, my family, the company... it was all closing in. And I didn't want you to be collateral damage."
Aurora swallowed hard. The anger, the confusion—it bubbled to the surface again. "So, this whole thing... us... it's just a means to an end?"
"No," Dominic's voice was firm, almost desperate now. "It was never just a means to an end. It became real. Everything with you—everything we've shared—that is real."
She turned away, her hands shaking. The last thing she wanted was to hear him try to justify it. The last thing she wanted was to hear him tell her that his feelings for her were real when everything else had been a carefully constructed lie.
But she couldn't stop herself from asking the question, even though she was terrified of the answer.
"Do you love me?" she whispered, the words barely leaving her lips.
Dominic didn't answer immediately. He stood there, his gaze fixed on her, weighing the gravity of the question.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he stepped forward. "Yes. I love you, Aurora. I've loved you from the moment you walked into my life."
Her breath caught in her throat. She wanted to believe him. She needed to believe him. But the damage had been done, and now, everything between them seemed so much more fragile.
"Then why couldn't you tell me the truth?" she asked, her voice cracking.
"I was afraid," he admitted. "Afraid of what it would mean. Afraid of losing you."
Aurora closed her eyes, fighting back the tears. "I don't know what to believe anymore, Dominic."
He reached for her, his hand gentle but insistent, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Believe this: I never wanted to hurt you. Everything I've done has been for you, for us."
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The weight of everything between them hung like a suffocating fog.
And then, Dominic leaned in, brushing his lips against her forehead, his touch lingering.
"I'll make this right, Aurora. I promise."
But as the words left his lips, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was already too late.
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