My whole body went still.
"What... what do you an my last?"
"The gardener’s son," he said. "Simone or whatever his na is. I saw the way you used to look at him. I saw you two kissing on the porch."
My stomach dropped. "What are you talking about?"
"You think his deportation and his father’s accident were just coincidence?"
The words didn’t land right away.
Then they did.
My eyes went wide. "No. Nooooo..."
My chest tightened.
All these years I thought Simone had just... left. That he ghosted . That maybe he regretted what we did.
But it was him.
It was my dad.
"Dad..." my voice broke. "I was thirteen. You knew about since I was thirteen?! And you still hurt him?"
"I was protecting you. Protecting this family."
"By destroying soone’s life?" My throat burned. "You’re a monster."
He sighed. "Then maybe think twice before your new boyfriend ends up the sa way."
I froze. "No," I whispered. "You wouldn’t.... You wouldn’t dare hurt Ash."
He raised an eyebrow. "Hurt him? No. What kind of monster would I be?" His tone dripped with irony. "But what about his mother? She’s still in a coma, isn’t she? And that sister of his...so fragile. Child services have been sniffing around. It’d be such a sha if soone gave them a reason to take her away."
My knees went weak. "You... you can’t..."
He smiled. "You think you can stop that?"
I couldn’t even find words. I needed to breathe.
He sighed, suddenly coughing, gripping the railing for balance. "You’re bleeding dry for that boy."
"They keep using you, Dominic. All of them. Three million for her hospital bills. Another million to keep child services quiet. And you still think I’m the problem?"
I stared at him, stunned. "You... you really know everything?"
He straightened. "Of course I do. And here’s what’s going to happen."
He pointed at .
"You’re going to cut him off. Completely. No calls. No ssages. You’ll get engaged to Gwen, hold a press conference, apologize publicly, and we’ll clean this ss up. And if you ever tell anyone we had this conversation..."
"Dad, please." My voice cracked as I stepped closer. "Please don’t do this. Don’t take his sister. Don’t touch his mom. I’ll do anything...please, just don’t hurt him. I love him."
He just looked at .
For a mont, I thought he might actually feel sothing.
"Then do as I say."
And that was it.
He walked back into his study room like nothing happened.
Like he hadn’t just ripped apart and called it protection.
Every sound felt distant....his coughing, my mother’s silence, the hum of the fridge.
The Coil weren’t the monsters I should’ve been afraid of.
My dad was.
I didn’t even make it halfway to my room before I snapped.
The mont the door shut, I just lost it.
I grabbed the first thing I saw ...a vase, and smashed it against the wall.
Then another.
And another.
I didn’t even feel the pain when a piece sliced my palm.
It was like I wanted to bleed....to feel sothing that wasn’t this choking anger in my chest.
The sound of glass shattering felt better than thinking.
I kept throwing, breaking, wrecking every damn thing in reach, until my eyes landed on the punching bag in the corner.
I went for it.
Hit after hit after hit.
Harder each ti.
I wanted to kill sothing.
I wanted to stop feeling like this.
But it didn’t stop.
The pain in my hands started spreading up my arms, but I didn’t stop.
Blood started streaking down my knuckles.
Sweat dripping into my eyes. I could barely see anymore. I was consud by rage.
But I didn’t stop.
Because if I stopped, I’d think.
And if I thought.. I’d break.
All his words kept looping in my head.
You’re less of a man.
You think I won’t hurt him?
Juan’s deportation wasn’t an accident.
Do you want to end up like Liam?
"Stop," I yelled, like my brain would listen. "Just... stop!"
My chest felt tight. My whole body kept shaking.
First it was Liam.
Now this.
The universe really hates .
I hated Simone for years. Hated the wrong person for years.
But the truth was... I ruined his life.
My own father did, and I didn’t even know.
I wiped my face with my sleeve, but the tears kept coming. My throat ached from holding it all in.
There was a knock on my door.
"Dominic!" Diane’s voice.
I ignored it.
She knocked harder. "Dom! Please open the door."
I didn’t answer.
"If you don’t, I swear I’ll tell Ash everything."
That made freeze.
I dropped my hands, breathing hard, and walked over to unlock the door.
My hands were trembling when I reached for the doorknob and opened it.
Diane’s eyes went wide when she saw . "Oh my god, Dom..." She looked around the ss... broken glass, the cracked wall, the blood. "What the hell did you do?"
She rushed in, grabbed my hands. "You’re bleeding, you idiot."
"Doesn’t matter," I muttered, pulling away.
"Stop saying that." She opened the drawer, rummaged for the first-aid box. "Sit down."
I sat on the edge of the bed, breathing unevenly while she wrapped my knuckles in silence.
Her hands were shaking too.
When the antiseptic touched my skin, I winced in pain
After a long pause, I said quietly, "He’s a monster, Di."
She didn’t argue. She just nodded slightly.
When she was done, she sat down next to . "You shouldn’t hurt yourself like this. He’s not worth it."
I laughed bitterly. "So what, I should just do what he said?"
She sighed, resting her elbows on her knees. "Sotis... you just have to make sacrifices for the people you love."
I looked at her. "You’re saying I should leave him? That’s bullshit!"
"Maybe, but it’s the truth. Think about Ash. If being with you puts him in danger... would you be able to live with that? Dad already hurt Simone, Ash shouldn’t go through that too."
I didn’t answer. My throat tightened too much to speak.
She patted my hand gently. "I know you love Ash. I can see it. You know what he’s capable of, Dom. Please don’t give him a reason to hurt anyone else."
Then she stood and whispered, "I love you, okay? Just... don’t do anything stupid," and left the room.
The door clicked shut.
I looked down at my hands...now wrapped in bandages.
And I just sat there.
For a long ti.
Breathing in shallow bursts.
Everything felt too loud.
The silence. My heartbeat. The ringing in my ears.
I grabbed my phone. Scrolled through his na. MyAsh❤️🔥😍
My thumb hovered over the call button for a second before I pressed it.
He picked up almost imdiately.
"Dom! Hey.. we just picked up Alia. We’re driving to the hospital. Did you sort things out with your dad?"
I couldn’t speak.
Not a single word ca out.
If I spoke, I’d break down completely.
He kept talking. "You’re scaring , Dom. Please just say sothing. Tell you’re okay."
My chest tightened so bad I thought I’d pass out.
Tears burned down my face, and I couldn’t even wipe them away.
So I just hung up.
Stared at the phone for a few seconds.
Then typed...
I love you so much, Ash. I’m sorry. Please don’t ask why. ❤️
And hit send.
I dropped the phone, burying my face in my palms.
My whole body kept shaking.
"I love you," I whispered to myself. "I really love you. Even if it ans breaking my own heart just to keep you safe."
Another knock.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Can Diane just give one damn minute to breathe?
My head was pounding. My hands throbbed beneath the bandages. I still couldn’t breathe right.
I dragged myself to the door and pulled it open...
....and instantly wished I hadn’t.
He stood there.
My dad.
I tightened my jaw. "What do you want now?"
He didn’t even acknowledge the wreck of a room behind ...the blood, the glass, the hole in the wall.
He just stared at like I was the problem.
"So dramatic," he huffed. "You really had to hurt yourself? Over that boy? God, you’re still such a brat."
I clenched my jaw. "Say his na. Ash!"
He ignored that too. "Shower. You stink. Then get dressed...sothing decent. A suit. We’re going to the town hall."
I blinked. "Why the hell would I go anywhere with you?"
He stepped forward, invading my space. "Because you agreed to do whatever I said if I left his family alone. That includes facing the press and apologizing for your reckless behavior."
"My reckless...?" I laughed, but it ca out broken. "Are you..serious right now?"
"Your engagent to Gwen will be announced today, publicly. The statent is already written. All you have to do is stand there and try not to cry like a child." His eyes flicked down to my bandaged hands. "You’ve embarrassed this family enough. Don’t make it worse."
"I’m not marrying Gwen," I said quietly.
He tilted his head. "Yes, you will. Or, I can’t stop what will happen to your boyfriend and his family if you make the wrong choice."
My breath ca out uneven. "You’re a monster."
"And you’re running out of ti."
He glanced at his watch. "Ten minutes. Wash yourself. Fix your face. People should see a man... not a pathetic, lovesick simp."
He turned away, walking down the hall without waiting for a response....like my fate was already sealed.
I shut the door before I threw sothing at him.
My whole body trembled.
I pressed my forehead to the door.
Love is dangerous when power is involved
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