Page 32 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

The tension shifts again, crackling like static electricity. His expression softens, just a fraction, and I realize how close we’re standing. Close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off him, see the flecks of silver in his blue eyes.

“You’re reckless,” he says quietly, his voice low and almost…admiring. “But you’re not wrong. You’re more right than I’d like to admit.”

Before I can respond, his phone buzzes, shattering the moment. He curses under his breath, pulling it from his pocket and glancing at the screen.

“It’s Adrian,” he says, his tone snapping back to business. “He’s found something.”

“What kind of something?” I ask, my pulse still racing.

“I don’t know,” he replies, already heading for the door. “But it’s big enough to warrant a midnight call.”

The words linger in the air as Dominic strides to the door. I grab my bag, ignoring the warning glance he throws over his shoulder.

“I told you, I’m coming with you,” I say firmly, cutting off whatever protest is forming on his lips. “I’ve already got a target on my back. Sitting here alone won’t change that.”

He hesitates for half a second before giving a sharp nod. “Fine. But stay close, and don’t get in my way.”

The city races past us in a blur of glowing streetlights and the muted hum of midnight activity. Dominic’s hands are steady on the wheel, but his jaw is tight, his focus razor-sharp. The tension between us feels heavier now, like it’s taken on a life of its own. I don’t dare break the silence. He’s already wound too tight, and I’m too lost in my own spiraling thoughts to form a coherent sentence.

Instead, I watch him, my gaze tracing the hard lines of his profile. There’s something about Dominic Kane—something I can’t quite figure out. He’s relentless, calculating, and impossible to ignore. But beneath that polished armor, I sense a flicker of something raw. Something human.

The car slows as we approach Kane Tower. Its sleek glass façade looms against the dark sky, a monolith of power and precision. The sight sends a chill down my spine. This building isn’t just a symbol of Dominic’s empire—it’s ground zero for whatever storm is brewing.

We park in the underground garage, the echo of our footsteps bouncing off the concrete walls as we make our way to the elevator. Dominic doesn’t speak, his expression unreadable as he swipes a key card and punches in a code. The elevator hums to life, carrying us up to the top floors in tense silence.

When the doors slide open, Adrian is already waiting. His dark eyes flick to me briefly before locking onto Dominic.

“It’s bad,” Adrian says without preamble, his voice clipped. “Worse than we thought.”

Dominic’s expression doesn’t change, but the air around him seems to shift. “Show me.”

Adrian leads us down the corridor to a conference room, the tension in his posture mirroring Dominic’s. Inside, the room is bathed in the cold glow of monitors displaying lines of code, surveillance footage, and detailed reports. My stomach twists at the sight of one of the images—a street corner I know all too well.

“That’s my building,” I say, stepping closer to the screen.

Adrian nods grimly. “This was taken less than an hour ago. Same figure we spotted at the industrial site. They didn’t stay long—just enough to make their presence known.”

I glance at Dominic, but his gaze is fixed on the screen, his eyes narrowing as he studies the grainy footage.

“Anything else?” he asks, his voice cold.

Adrian nods, pulling up another file. “We traced the breach from earlier tonight. The server logs were wiped, but not completely. Whoever did this was careful, but they left a trail. And it leads back to one of the internal access points.”

“Conrad?” Dominic’s tone is sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

“It’s possible,” Adrian replies. “But there’s no definitive proof. Not yet.”

Dominic curses under his breath, dragging a hand through his hair. His composure is fraying, and it’s both unsettling and oddly reassuring. Maybe he’s not as untouchable as he seems.

“What about the shadow?” I ask, forcing my voice to steady. “Do we have anything else on them?”

Adrian hesitates, his gaze flicking to Dominic before answering. “Nothing concrete. They’re skilled—military or black-market trained, maybe both. They avoided almost every camera except for the two we managed to capture. This isn’t amateur work.”

The weight of his words sinks in, pressing against my chest like a physical force. Whoever this is, they’re not just playinggames. They’re orchestrating something deliberate, something dangerous.

Dominic leans against the table, his expression unreadable as he processes the information. The silence stretches, heavy and suffocating.

Finally, he straightens, his gaze cutting to Adrian. “Lock everything down. I want every access point monitored, every system double-checked. No one moves without clearance.”

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