Page 31 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

When Dominic appeared at my apartment tonight, shaken wasn’t the look I expected. He’s always in control—ice-cold and composed, no matter the chaos around him. But tonight, something about him was off. A shadow of unease.

“Start talking,” I said, crossing my arms as he lingered just inside the doorway. “You don’t look like someone here for small talk.”

He didn’t answer right away. His eyes swept the room, lingering on my scattered papers and open laptop before settling on mine.

“There was someone at the industrial site,” he said, his tone clipped. “Adrian and I thought we were alone, but we weren’t.”

A chill ran down my spine. “What do you mean by ‘someone’?”

“Watching us,” he replied, his voice low but steady. “They were careful. We didn’t see a face. Just a shadow.”

“And you came here because…?”

“Because whoever it was didn’t follow me,” he said, his blue eyes narrowing. “They followed you.”

The words hit like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. “How do you know that?”

“I don’t,” he admitted. “But if this is about the leaks—and it is—you’re not just a target. You’re bait.”

Now, standing in the suffocating closeness of my apartment with Dominic looming nearby, his words cling to me. Someone followed me. Someone is watching. If Dominic hadn’t shown up tonight, I wouldn’t have known.

I toss the folder onto the table between us, the papers spilling out in a chaotic mess of reports and emails. “This isn’t just some random hacker, Dominic. Whoever’s behind this is close—inside your company.”

He doesn’t flinch. His expression is unreadable, his face carved from stone. “Do you have proof, or is this another one of your theories?”

“It’s not a theory,” I snap, my voice sharp. “Look at the patterns. The access points, the timing of the leaks—none of it makes sense unless someone on the inside is feeding them information.”

He crosses his arms, leaning against the counter with infuriating calm. “You’re assuming a lot, Ms. Stone. Maybe you’re just seeing what you want to see.”

“I’m not ‘seeing things,’ Dominic!” My anger boils over, hot and unrelenting. “This isn’t just about your company anymore. It’s about me. Someone broke into my apartment, erased my files, sent me threats—and you think I’m imagining it?”

He exhales sharply, guilt flickering across his face. “I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to,” I shoot back. “But let me spell it out for you: Someone inside Kane Enterprises is behind this. And if you keep pretending otherwise, you’re going to let them win.”

His eyes narrow, and for a moment, I think he’s going to lash out. But instead, he steps closer, his voice dropping an octave. “Why do you care so much, Eva? Why does this matter to you?”

The question stops me cold. Not because I don’t have an answer, but because the answer feels too personal, too raw to admit. But he’s looking at me, waiting, and for once, I feel like he actually wants to understand.

“Because I have something to prove,” I admit, my voice quieter now. “To myself. To everyone who doubted me. My divorce…my career—it all fell apart. This is my chance to rebuild. To prove I’m not just some failed journalist or a woman who couldn’t keep her life together.”

The confession feels like a crack in my armor, leaving me exposed in a way I hate. But Dominic doesn’t pounce. He just watches me, his gaze softer, less guarded.

“I get it,” he says after a moment. “You want to fight back. Prove you’re stronger than what’s happened to you.”

His words surprise me, and I search his face for the mockery I’m expecting but don’t find. Instead, there’s something else—understanding. Maybe even respect.

“You’re right,” I admit, my voice steadying. “I’m fighting back. But I’m also trying to uncover the truth, Dominic. And that truth is somewhere inside Kane Enterprises.”

For the first time since we started talking, he looks away, his gaze shifting to the folder on the table. He picks it up, flipping through the pages with practiced efficiency.

“Let’s say you’re right,” he says finally. “Let’s say someone inside my company is behind this. Do you have any idea what that means? The damage it could do?”

“It means you have a choice,” I reply. “You can either keep protecting whoever’s behind this or start working with me to stop them.”

His gaze snaps back to mine, sharp and assessing. “And what’s your stake in this, Eva? Besides the story?”

I take a step closer, closing the distance between us. “My stake is the same as yours. We both want the truth. The only difference is, I’m not afraid to face it.”

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