Aurora hadn't moved in hours.
She stood barefoot on the cold marble floor of her penthouse balcony, Dominic's ring cradled in her palm like a loaded secret. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, her mind battling between pride and surrender, fear and desire.
Everything about Dominic King terrified her—and not because he was powerful or cold. No. She was terrified because when he looked at her, she saw something she'd never let herself believe in before—forever.
But forever required trust.
And trust came with risk.
Her phone buzzed on the nearby table, yanking her back.
Incoming call: Sasha (Legal Head – Lane Designs)
Aurora answered with a clipped, "What?"
Sasha's voice was tense. "We have a breach. Someone leaked internal financial plans from our side—projections, merger strategy, and even personal correspondences with Dominic."
Aurora's blood ran cold.
"Who?"
"We don't know yet. But the document trail points to someone in your executive team."
Her heart clenched. "Find out who. I want a name in twenty-four hours."
---
Meanwhile, at Raine Corp, Dominic had problems of his own.
Elias had called an emergency meeting with select board members, using the scandal storm to propose a temporary vote of no confidence. If he succeeded, Dominic would be removed as CEO until an independent investigation cleared his name of personal-professional misconduct.
It was war now—family name against ambition, brother against brother.
Dominic stood before the boardroom, expression carved from ice.
"This vote isn't about confidence," he said, voice like a blade. "It's about control. Elias wants to rule from behind the curtain, using your fear as leverage."
One of the senior board members asked, "So what exactly are we to make of your… entanglement with Aurora Lane?"
Dominic didn't flinch. "What you see as entanglement is a strategic partnership. She's the sharpest mind in our industry. And if any of you believe a woman can't be both powerful and desirable—then you don't belong at this table."
He let that sit, daring them to challenge him.
No one spoke.
Vote postponed.
For now.
---
That evening, Dominic entered Aurora's office without warning.
She didn't look up.
"Did you come to collect your ring?" she asked flatly.
"No. I came to tell you we've been betrayed. Internally."
Her head snapped up.
"You too?"
Dominic nodded grimly. "The leak was coordinated. Someone on your team and someone on mine. Someone who knows the ins and outs of our communication."
Aurora's stomach twisted. "You think it's Bianca."
"No. She's not that clever."
Aurora arched a brow. "Says the man who almost married her."
He smirked without humor. "I said almost."
Their eyes locked—an electric clash of unresolved feelings and thick tension.
"You're scared," Dominic said quietly.
Aurora turned away. "I'm realistic."
"No," he murmured, stepping closer. "You're scared of what happens if we stop pretending this isn't real. If you stop pushing me away."
She didn't deny it.
"I've been on my own for too long," she whispered. "I don't know how to be… part of something."
Dominic placed a hand on her shoulder, warm and firm. "Then let me show you."
---
Elsewhere, Bianca Sterling smiled as she handed a flash drive to Elias.
"She's starting to doubt him," she said.
Elias looked pleased. "Good. Let's speed that up."
"Don't you want to know what's on the drive?"
Elias shook his head. "Doesn't matter. As long as it looks damning."
Bianca laughed. "Sometimes, perception is more powerful than truth."
---
The next morning, headlines exploded.
"Dominic Raine and Aurora Lane Under Fire—Accusations of Insider Trading Surface Amid Merger Drama!"
Attached to the article was a redacted file showing time-stamped emails between them, edited to imply they were manipulating stock prices through the timing of their press releases.
It was false—but it looked damning.
Aurora stared at the screen, pulse racing.
Dominic called immediately. "Damage control is in motion. I have my legal team drafting statements."
But Aurora wasn't listening.
Her eyes were on the email headers—the digital fingerprints.
One of them had come from her chief strategist. Her mentor. Her friend.
Marianne Bishop.
Her hand trembled. "Marianne betrayed me…"
---
Later that night, Aurora showed up at Dominic's place.
No guards. No limo. Just her, drenched from the rain, ring in one hand, a bottle of whiskey in the other.
Dominic opened the door, startled. "Aurora?"
She stepped inside, soaked to the bone.
"I'm scared," she said softly.
He shut the door behind her. "Of what?"
"Of losing everything I built," she whispered. "Of you leaving when it all crashes. Of trusting the wrong people. Again."
Dominic walked up, brushing wet strands from her face. "I'm not them."
"I know," she said. "That's what scares me the most."
Then, slowly, she pressed the ring back into his hand. "Put it on me."
His chest rose with emotion. "Are you sure?"
"I've never been more sure of anything."
With trembling fingers, he slid the ring onto her finger. The metal was cool, but her skin burned with heat.
And then he kissed her—not like before, not like it was a challenge—but like a vow.
Raw. Hungry. Reverent.
When they parted, breathless and flushed, Aurora grinned.
"We're about to take down the people who betrayed us, aren't we?"
Dominic smirked, brushing his thumb along her jaw. "Oh, darling. We're just getting started."
---