<b>Chapter </b><b>102 </b>


    Reba’s POV


    ??))


    I sat alone in the darkness of my bedroom, the only illuminationing from the sliver of moonlight filtering through the partially open curtains. My silhouette cast a shapeless shadow across the wall–fragile and uncertain, much like how I felt inside. The conversation with my family earlier today kept reying in my mind, each iteration. more painful than thest.


    “Well, well, if it isn’t the executive assistant gracing us with her presence,” Jason’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Did you bring Mr. Sterling’s regards? Or just stopping by to make sure we peasants are surviving?”


    The memory made me curl tighter into myself, hugging my knees to my chest. I hadn’t known what to say then. The shock of discovering that Dominic had been quietly arranging things behind my back–giving Jason a job, transferring money to my parents–had left me speechless. And the worst part? My mother’s eyes, filled with gratitude and hope, silently pleading with me not to refuse this help they so desperately needed.


    The apartment was quiet except for the asional car passing on the street below. I’de back here instead of going to Dominic’s vi. I needed space to think, to breathe, to figure out why his actions had left me feeling so…


    vited.


    I heard the front door open, then close. Heavy footsteps in the hallway, ones I’d grown to recognize. My heart quickened despite my anger.


    The bedroom door creaked open, and his silhouette appeared, tall and imposing against the light from the hallway. Even without seeing his face clearly, I could sense his exhaustion–shoulders slightly slumped, tie loosened, the usual rigid posture softened by the weight of the day.


    “Reba. His voice was gentle as he moved toward me, the mattress dipping as he sat beside me. He reached out, fingers brushing my cheek where tears had dried. “I smelled your tears the moment I walked in. You’ve been crying.”


    I didn’t respond, my throat tight with emotion.


    He leaned closer, thumb gently wiping a fresh tear. “Is this about seeing your family today? I take it things didn’t go


    well.”


    Something in his tone–the confident assumption that he knew exactly what was bothering me–broke the dam of my silence.


    “How could <b>you</b>?‘ I jerked away from his touch, my voice sharper than I’d intended. “How could you go behind my back and arrange a job for Jason? Give money to my mother?”


    Confusion flickered across his face, visible even in the dimness. I was trying to help. Your family needed-”


    “That wasn’t your decision to make!” I cut him off, pushing myself off the bed to create distance between us. “You didn’t even talk to me about it, Dominic. Not a word.”


    <b>42 </b>


    20:37 <b>Wed</b>, <b>Sep </b>24


    :


    42


    He stood slowly, brow furrowed. “I don’t understand why you’re upset. Your brother needed work. Your father needed medical care. I had the means to help. What’s the problem?”


    “The problem is that you did it without me!” My voice rose as I paced the small space between the bed and the dresser. “Do you have any idea what Jason said to me today? He asked what I had to do to get you to ‘open your wallet.‘ He thinks I’m-” I stopped, unable to even repeat the insinuation.


    Dominic’s eyes shed blue in the darkness, his jaw tightening. “Your brother said that? That you’re what, trading yourself for my financial support?”


    I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the warm evening air. “He called it a ‘special rtionship.‘ Said I was using you. And you know what? Standing there, learning about all these arrangements you’d made without my knowledge, I couldn’t even defend myself because it <i>did </i>make me look exactly like that!”


    “That’s ridiculous.” His voice hardened. “Is that really what you’re worried about? What people think? Your brother’s petty usations?”


    “It’s not just about what people think!” Tears sprang to my eyes again, hot and insistent. “It’s about you making decisions that affect my life, my family, without even consulting me. As if I don’t deserve a say in my own life!”


    Dominic took a step toward me, then stopped, seeming to sense that his proximity would only agitate me further. “I


    was trying to protect you, to make things easier for you. Is that so wrong?<b>” </b>


    “I don’t need to be protected like that! I’m not some helpless creature, Dominic. My family and I–we’re not charity cases for you to fix!”


    His eyes shed again<b>, </b>brighter this time. “Is that what you think? That I see you as charity?” The temperature in the room seemed to drop with his controlled fury.


    “It doesn’t matter,” he said, his voice deliberately calmer. “What matters is your brother. Did you know he’s beente twice already? Called in sick once when I know for a fact he was at a bar? I didn’t want his behavior reflecting on


    you.”


    The redirection only fueled my indignation. “You’ve been monitoring my brother? What else have you been doing that I don’t know about?” I moved closer, looking up at him with growing horror. “Is this what I am to you? Someone who needs constant supervision and management? Someone too weak to handle her own problems?”


    Dominic’s face contorted with an internal struggle, the wolf in him battling with the man. When he spoke, his voice was lower, almost vulnerable.


    “I don’t know how to protect without controlling. It’s all I’ve ever known.” His admission hung in the air between us. “I promised myself I wouldn’t be my father, but I don’t know how else to be.”


    The raw honesty in his words cut through my anger, not erasing it but tempering it with understanding. I took a deep breath, steadying myself.


    <b>“</b><b>I </b>understand you want to protect me,” I said, my voice softer but no less firm. “But this isn’t the way. I need to be


    <b>20:37 </b>Wed<b>, </b>Sep <b>24 </b>


    your partner, Dominic, not your project. Any decision about me or my family needs to involve me <b>first</b>.”


    42


    I reached for his hand, holding it between both of mine. “I’m not asking you not to help. I’m asking you to help <i>with </i>me, not for me. Can you understand the difference?”


    Dominic looked down at our joined hands, his expression thoughtful. After a long moment, he nodded. “You’re right. I should have discussed it with you first.” He squeezed my hand gently. “I promise, from now on, we make these decisions together.”


    The tension between us began to dissipate, like storm clouds gradually clearing. As if on cue, my stomach let out an embarrassingly loud growl, breaking the serious moment. Dominic’s lips curved into a subtle smile, the first since he’d arrived.


    “When was thest time you ate, little doe?”


    I felt my face warm with a blush. “I… skipped dinner.”


    Dominic shook his head, his smile widening slightly. “My little doe needs food. Let me take you to Golden Sands Bay


    for dinner.”


    “Golden Sands Bay?” I blinked in surprise. “But that’s…” Expensive. Exclusive. Full of werewolves. “Are you sure? A lot of your people will see us together.”


    His eyes met mine, steady and determined. “Good. Let them see.” He brushed his thumb across my knuckles. “Be ready in thirty minutes. My car will be waiting downstairs.”


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