Page 42 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

“Which means it’s a trap,” Dominic says, his tone colder than I’ve ever heard.

I nod slowly. “But it’s also our best shot at finding out who’s behind this.”

Dominic doesn’t respond immediately. He steps back, pacing the room like a caged tiger, his jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists. He’s weighing the risk, and I can almost see the wheels turning in his head.

Finally, he stops and looks at Adrian. “Can you track it? Follow the trail without tipping them off?”

Adrian hesitates, then nods. “It’ll take time, but I can try.”

Dominic’s gaze flickers to me, his expression unreadable. “And you?”

I blink, caught off guard by the question. “What about me?”

“Do you think it’s worth the risk?” His voice is calm, measured, but there’s an edge beneath it—a challenge.

I take a breath, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “It’s a risk either way. If we sit back and do nothing, they’ll keep coming. At least this way, we have a chance to fight back.”

A faint flicker of approval crosses his face, but it’s gone almost as quickly as it appeared. He turns back to Adrian. “Do it. But the second anything feels off, you pull the plug.”

Adrian nods and leaves the room without another word, his tablet in hand. The sound of the door clicking shut behind him feels louder than it should, leaving Dominic and me alone in the silence.

For a moment, neither of us speaks. The tension in the room is palpable, an unspoken acknowledgment of everything that’s at stake.

“You didn’t have to ask my opinion,” I say finally, breaking the silence.

Dominic arches an eyebrow. “And yet, I did.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re in this with me,” he says simply. “Whether either of us likes it or not.”

His words catch me off guard, and I hate how much they affect me. He’s right—I am in this, whether I wanted to be or not. But it’s not just that. There’s something in his tone, in the way helooks at me, that makes me feel…seen. Like I’m not just another piece on the board.

Before I can respond, his phone buzzes again. He glances at the screen, his expression darkening.

“What is it now?” I ask, my nerves fraying.

“Another message,” he says, handing me the phone.

I take it, my stomach knotting as I read the words:

You’ll never be ready for what’s coming.

I stare at the message, my mind racing. “They’re not just taunting us anymore,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “They’re warning us.”

“And I don’t take warnings lightly,” Dominic replies, his tone colder than ever.

The drive to the safe house Adrian flagged is tense, the air between us heavy with unspoken fears. Dominic’s hands grip the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white against the leather.

“This safe house,” I say finally, breaking the silence. “What makes it so secure?”

“It’s off the grid,” he replies, his voice clipped. “No one knows about it except me and Adrian. It’s been my fallback plan for years.”

“For situations like this?”

He glances at me briefly, his blue eyes sharp. “There’s never been a situation like this.”

His words send a chill down my spine. Dominic Kane doesn’t strike me as a man who’s easily rattled, but the fact that he’s taking this so seriously only underscores how dire things have become.

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