Chapter 286
Chapter 286:
One boy sat in the corner, isolated. He was tying his shoes.
When Dominic entered, the room went silent. The boy in the corner froze. Slowly, he stood.
He was tall and lean, with messy dark hair that fell over his eyes. But when he looked up, Skye felt a jolt of recognition.
His eyes.
They were Dominic’s eyes. The same shape, the same intense darkness. But where Dominic’s gaze was cold and cruel, this boy’s eyes burned with a quiet, restrained rage.
“Sebastian,” Dominic said. The name came out like a curse.
The boy, Sebastian, didn’t flinch. He stood his ground, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.
“Dominic p>
The tension in the room spiked, suffocating. Everyone looked between the two men, sensing a history that was violent and deep.
“Still here?” Dominic asked, walking closer to Sebastian. He invaded the boy’s personal space, looming over him. “I thought you would have quit by now. Or did you realize you have nowhere else to go p>
Sebastian’s jaw tightened. “I’m fulfilling my contract p>
“Your contract,” Dominic laughed. He reached out and flicked the collar of Sebastian’s cheap T-shirt. “You mean the charity I provide so you don’t starve? You’re a waste of resources, little brother. A bad investment p>
Brother.
The word hung in the air.
Skye’s eyes narrowed. This was Sebastian Thorne. The illegitimate brother Alistair had mentioned once—the one the family tried to erase.
Dominic turned to the group, raising his voice. “Look at him. This is what failure looks like. Wasted bloodlines p>
Sebastian looked down at the floor, his face burning. He was taking it. He was used to taking it.
Something in Skye snapped. It was the same feeling she’d had when Liam used to belittle her in front of his friends. The injustice of it burned in her throat.
She stepped forward. It wasn’t a conscious decision. It was instinct.
She moved out of the line of girls and walked until she was standing between Dominic and Sebastian. She broke the line of sight.
Ex𝖼𝘭𝘶𝗌i𝘃е 𝘯𝗈𝘃𝘦𝗹𝘀 оn 𝖻𝗲𝗅ոo𝗏𝘦𝘭ѕ.𝘤о𝗆
Dominic paused, looking at her with genuine surprise. “Excuse p>
Skye looked him in the eye. “You’re blocking the mirror,” she said, her voice cool and bored. “Some of us are trying to work p>
The silence that followed Skye’s comment was heavy enough to crush bones.
Dominic stared at her. For a second, he looked like he might strike her. His eyes narrowed into slits, calculating the cost of a scene versus the satisfaction of violence.
“You have a loud mouth for an employee, Skye,” Dominic said softly.
“I’m a trainee,” Skye corrected. “And time is money. Isn’t that your motto? You’re wasting ours p>
Dominic chuckled darkly. He turned his attention back to the group of male trainees, specifically a young boy near the front who looked like he might faint. The boy was shaking.
Dominic reached out and touched the boy’s face, tapping his cheek with a heavy, mocking finger. “Pretty,” Dominic sneered. “But fragile. Do they all break this easily, Grace p>
The boy flinched away, terrified.
Skye cleared her throat. It was a loud, abrasive sound in the quiet room.
“You seem to have a specific taste for touching the young male talent, Mr. Thorne,” Skye said. Her voice was conversational, but the implication hit the room like a grenade.
Dominic froze. His hand dropped from the boy’s face instantly.
Sexual harassment. In the current climate, even a rumor of it could tank a stock price. And Skye had just implied it in front of thirty witnesses.