Chapter 266
Chapter 266:
“Who did this?” he demanded, his voice booming. “This violence… it’s getting out of hand p>
I watched her performance. It was flawless.
Dominic stopped in front of me. “You were supposed to protect your people, Skye. You dragged a civilian into your mess p>
I ignored him. I looked straight at Seraphina.
“Why are you here, Miss Miller?” I asked softly.
Seraphina flinched, then clung to Dominic’s arm. “I was worried! Gabriel… he helped me with my computer once. He’s such a sweet boy p>
I stepped closer to her. I smelled her perfume—heavy, musky. “Worried he might survive p>
Seraphina gasped. She buried her face in Dominic’s chest. “Dominic! She’s being mean p>
Dominic glared at me. “Stop it, Skye. This is a tragedy, not a witch hunt. Seraphina insisted we come to offer support p>
I laughed. It was a sharp, jagged sound that made the nurses look up.
“Tragedy is when accidents happen,” I said. “This was a hit. And your ‘sister’ knows it p>
Dominic paused. His eyes narrowed. He was a brute, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew the underworld. He knew what a hit looked like.
He looked down at Seraphina. She was trembling against him. Was it fear—or guilt?
A doctor came out of the surgery wing. He pulled down his mask.
“He’s stable,” the doctor said. “But he’s in a coma. Head trauma. We don’t know when he’ll wake up p>
Seraphina let out a breath. It was a long, shuddering exhale.
I saw the tension leave her shoulders. She was relieved. A coma meant silence. Silence meant the digital proof he’d found died with him—for now.
I caught that micro-expression. I filed it away.
“You can leave now,” I told them.
Dominic hesitated. He reached for his wallet. “I’ll cover the medical bills. It’s the least I can do, since he was hurt during a conflict involving my family p>
“Keep your money,” I said. “Just keep your dog on a leash p>
Dominic stiffened. “Watch your mouth. Seraphina is a Thorne. The charges against her were dropped because my lawyer proved the ‘Seraphina’ person was a victim of dissociative fugue. Legally, she is Eleanor Thorne, and she is untouchable p>
𝗕𝗋ow𝘴e 𝖻𝗒 c𝘢𝘁eg𝗼𝗋𝘺 𝗼𝗇 𝖻𝖾𝗹n𝗈𝗏е𝗅𝘴.𝗰𝗈𝗆
“Legal fictions don’t change reality, Dominic,” I challenged him. “You paid for her freedom. But you can’t pay for her soul. You’ll have your driver run me over too p>
Dominic looked shocked. The accusation was too specific. He looked at Seraphina again.
“Let’s go,” Dominic said, his voice rough.
He grabbed Seraphina’s arm. It wasn’t a gentle hold.
He dragged her away, but as they walked, I saw him glance back at the ICU doors.
A seed of doubt had been planted.
Night fell over the hospital. The hallway lights dimmed. I sat by Gabriel’s bed, the rhythmic beeping of the monitor the only sound in the room.
I had borrowed Felix’s secure laptop. I sat in the plastic chair, typing furiously. I wasn’t crying. I was moving assets, setting up a trust for Gabriel’s mother, ensuring she would be taken care of no matter what happened to me.
The door opened.
Dominic returned. He was alone this time. He held two cardboard cups of coffee.
He offered one to me.
I looked at it, then at him. I took it, but I didn’t drink. “Checking on the enemy p>
Dominic sighed, sinking into the chair opposite me. He looked tired. “I’m not your enemy, Skye. Business is business p>