Dominic.
His name glows across the screen and my body stiffens instantly. I sit up and ignore the call. The phone stops vibrating. Then the screen lights up again.
I glance at the time. 3:02 a.m. “Fuck,” I whisper under my breath. I must have fallen asleep. Dominic must be home now. His sixteen-hour shift is probably over. A small wave of panic creeps into my chest. Beside me, Lucien shifts slightly in the bed. He must feel the tension in my body because he opens his eyes almost immediately.
He lifts himself onto one elbow and presses a soft kiss against my bare shoulder.
“He needs to know,” Lucien murmurs.
A small knot twists inside me.
“I need to call Dominic,” I say quietly. “I’ll be right back.”
Lucien studies my face for a moment, then he nods. Understanding. I slip out of the bed and grab my phone before stepping out of the bedroom. Only now do I really notice the house.
It’s enormous. Massive open spaces, high ceilings, glass walls that overlook the dark ocean and the sleeping city below. The architecture is sleek and modern, the kind of place designed for someone with more money than they know what to do with. I didn’t notice any of it earlier tonight. Earlier I was too distracted.
Too overwhelmed by Lucien.
I make my way downstairs and step into the kitchen, the ocean view stretches endlessly beyond the windows. My fingers tremble slightly as I scroll through my contacts.
Dominic. I press call. He answers almost instantly. “Era?!” His voice comes through the phone frantic and breathless. “Where are you? Are you okay?”
I swallow hard, forcing myself to stay calm. “I… uh… I’m at my sister’s place.” The lie slips out automatically. “Dom… I need time.”
There’s a pause.
I can almost hear the confusion through the phone. “Time for what?” he asks.
A quiet, unbearable weight settles in my chest. “This has been a lot, Dom,” I say quietly. “And you know it.” There it is again, my cowardice. The part of me that still can’t bring myself to say the words out loud.
Dominic exhales slowly, like he understands exactly what I mean. “Era,” he says softly, “if you need time, I’ll give it to you.” His voice cracks slightly. “But please… come back to me.” My heart pounds harder. “I… I needto talk to you,” he continues. “No more hiding. I need to tell you the truth.”
My breathing stutters, uneven and shallow.
This is it.
His confession.
I force the words out. “Nadia… my coworker. She’s Sophie’s sister.” There’s a pause on the other end. “Sophie is missing.”
Silence. Dense and pressing. Like the world has stopped moving. And in that silence, I know. He knows I know. The affair, the blood on his hands. Everything.
“Yes,” Dominic finally says. “I know.” The words feel like ice running through my veins.
My voice barely comes out. “Did you do it?” I cover my mouth immediately, trying to silence the sob that escapes me.
Dominic doesn’t answer right away.
Then I hear it.
Crying.
Soft at first.
Then deeper.
“I… I think I did, Era.” His voice breaks. “I think I did.”