His eyes rested on me a second too long before he finally diverted his eyes and struck a match.
He took a long draw, the smoke curling lazily into the air between us.
“You dangerous,” he remarked, his voice low and serious.
I raised my coffee cup slightly, tilting it toward him with a smirk. “That makes two of us."
Domino didn’t return my smile or laugh; instead, he simply regarded me with an intensity that suggested he’d already figured me out in ways I hadn’t yet realized.
After that exchange, we had fallen into something easier. I sank back into my chair, cradling the warmth of my coffee in my hands, letting its heat seep into my palms, while he remained across from me, quiet yet attentive, eyes following my every move.
Then a voice cut through the atmosphere. “Ah. There you are.”
Startled, Domino and I turned our heads in unison.
My father stood in the doorway, hands clasped tightly behind his back, his sharp eyes sweeping over the scene like he was taking inventory.
“Well… I see the two of you are getting along just fine,” he said, his tone neutral but his expression revealing nothing of his thoughts.
Domino was on his feet before I could fully register my father’s presence.
“Morning, sir,” he greeted him, his voice losing all trace of warmth while his posture straightened, rigid and formal. “I didn’t know you were looking for her.”
My father's eyes flicked toward him. “I am now."
My stomach twisted at his words, and I rose to my feet, baffled. “Is everything okay?” I asked, searching his expression for answers.
My father faced me with an enigmatic smile ghosting across his lips. “I need to talk to you… privately.”
Domino took a half step forward, instinctively protective, but then halted himself, clearly wrestling with the urge to intervene. “If there’s a problem—”
“There isn’t. This is family business,” Alejandro interrupted, his voice calm and collected, signaling authority with every syllable.
Domino nodded once, a silent understanding passing between them. “Understood.”
I turned back to Domino, lowering my voice to a whisper. “I’ll see you later,” I said, though uncertainty tinged my words.
The shift was immediate.
Gone was the inquisitive and engaging man who had shared coffee with me. He was replaced by the formidable underboss he truly was. I noticed it, and it unsettled me.
As I followed my father out, I glanced back, searching for some reassurance in Domino’s expression. He was still standing there, jaw tight, watching us like he didn’t like not knowing what was about to be said. And judging by how fast he’d pulled away, flirting with the boss’s daughter was off-limits… even if neither of us had meant to cross that line.
My father led me back into the sunroom, closing the doors behind us. He didn’t sit right away. Instead, he walked over to the window, hands behind his back, staring out like whatever he was about to say needed a moment to settle first. The breeze moved the curtains softly, but I barely felt it. My heart was still racing from Domino, from the shift… from everything.
Then my father reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, glanced at it briefly, and looked back at me.
“A match has been found for your brother,” he announced. “A strong one.”
Everything in me went still, as if the world hit pause just for those words.
My thoughts cleared instantly.
No Domino.
All I could do was stare at him. My mind needed a second—or ten—to catch up to what my ears had just heard.
“Are you… are you serious?” I asked, in disbelief.