Page 100 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

As the tension between us begins to ease, my phone buzzes again. I pull it from my pocket, my stomach sinking as I read the message:

“You’re running out of time. Reyes isn’t the only one watching.”

Eva leans in, reading over my shoulder. Her face pales. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t know,” I admit, dread pooling in my chest.

The phone buzzes again, this time with an attachment. I open it, my blood running cold. It’s a photo of Eva and me in the penthouse, taken through the window.

They’re watching us.

Eva steps back, her hand covering her mouth. “Dominic, how—”

“I don’t know,” I say, my voice sharp with anger and fear. “But they’re escalating. They want us to feel vulnerable.”

Adrian’s voice rings in my head.They’re setting the stage for something bigger.

I take Eva’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “We’ll figure this out. I won’t let them touch you.”

Her eyes are wide, but she nods. “What do we do now?”

I glance back at the phone, the photo burning into my mind. “We go on the offensive.”

As I move to call Adrian, the lights in the penthouse flicker, then go out entirely. The room plunges into darkness, and a heavy silence falls.

“Dominic,” Eva whispers, her grip tightening on my arm.

“Stay close,” I say, my voice low and steady.

A faint noise echoes from the hallway—footsteps.

They’re here.

27

______

Eva

The air feels heavy, like the city itself is holding its breath. Dominic’s penthouse glows dimly with the muted lights outside, shadows stretching across the room like silent witnesses. I sit cross-legged on the couch, my laptop resting on my knees. The words on the screen blur together, my mind too crowded with doubts to focus.

Adrian’s email plays on a loop in my thoughts—a warning about the backdoor Conrad used to infiltrate Kane Enterprises, sent months before the first breach. If Dominic knew about it, why didn’t he act?

Across the room, Dominic stands at his desk, silhouetted against the sprawling skyline. His sharp focus is unmistakable, his eyes locked on the screen in front of him. He’s always like this—calm, composed, and unreadable.

But tonight, something is different. His jaw is set tighter than usual, and his shoulders sag just enough to betray the strain he’s trying to hide. He’s unraveling, just like I am.

A knock at the door shatters the fragile quiet. I flinch, my heart lurching in my chest as Dominic straightens, his gaze snapping toward the sound.

He crosses to the security monitor, his movements precise and deliberate. After a moment, his jaw tightens. “It’s Elena,” he says, his voice low.

Elena. Dominic’s assistant. What is she doing here at this hour?

He opens the door, and she steps inside, clutching her purse like a lifeline. Her usual poised demeanor is gone, replaced by dark circles under her eyes and mascara streaks tracing her cheeks.

“Dominic,” she says, her voice cracking. “I need to talk to you. Both of you.”

Dominic closes the door behind her, his movements deliberate and calm. “What’s going on?” he asks, his tone controlled but firm.

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