Page 65 of Beneath the Thorned Crown

"I don’t know."

I exhale, shaking my head. "You’re lying."

His eyes darken. "I would never lie about this."

My stomach churns. The room spins.

A million thoughts race through my mind, none of them making sense. Jayden. Charles. Could it be one of them?

I press my fingers to my temples, trying to breathe, trying to ground myself.

"This isn’t just about you anymore, Dominic," I say, my voice steadier than I expect. "You’re not the only one in danger."

His expression sharpens. "I know."

I shake my head, frustration mounting. "Do you? Because it sure as hell feels like you’re trying to handle this alone!"

Dominic moves suddenly, closing the distance between us, his hands gripping my arms. Not hard—but firm.

I freeze.

"Isabella." His voice is low, his breath hot against my skin. "You think I don’t know what this means? You think I don’t know what they’re trying to do? This isn’t just a threat. It’s a message."

I swallow hard. "A message to who?"

His grip doesn’t relax.

"To me."

The finger is not a warning to the organization. It’s not a general threat.

It’s personal.

Someone inside this house—someone close—is working against him.

Against us.

The walls feel like they’re closing in. The house, once a fortress, now feels like a prison, filled with people who may or may not be the enemy.

My breath shudders. "What do we do?"

Dominic’s eyes darken, his expression hardening.

"We find the rat."

He releases me, his body vibrating with fury as he turns back to the desk, staring down at the bloodied package like it’s a puzzle waiting to be solved.

But I see it—the slight tremor in his fingers, the way his throat bobs with a hard swallow.

He’s furious.

But underneath it all… he’s afraid.

Not for himself.

For me.

And that terrifies me more than anything.

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