?Chapter 211:


    “Who can say?”


    Dominic tilted my chin up, his voice a soft murmur, smooth yet chilling. “The world is vast, and in such a world, anything is possible. Don’t you agree?”


    For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Dominic’s gaze was too sharp, sharp enough to pierce through me, rendering all my pretense meaningless.


    “Your Highness…” I maintained myposure, adopting a mocking tone as I met his stare head-on. “I never took you for someone so gullible.”


    “No, I simply find you… fascinating.” Dominic’s hand caressed my face, his touch light. “With you, I believe anything is possible.”


    “Your Highness, you might be mistaken.”


    I pulled my hand back with deliberate calm, lowering my sleeve, forcing my voice to remain steady. “I was quick enough to dodge, so the mark is shallow, nothing more.”


    Dominic’s gaze swept over me, scrutinizing, and I sat on the hospital bed, forcing myself to remainposed under the weight of his stare.


    Then, unexpectedly, he smiled—a slow, deliberate smile—and straightened up, looking down at me with a mix of amusement and interest. “It seems you have many secrets. I’m bing more intrigued by you.”


    His gaze was intense, as if it could prate my very soul.


    Under such a gaze, I felt increasingly exposed, as if every secret I harbored wasid bare before him.


    I shifted ufortably. “If I had any secrets, you could easily uncover them. No need to ask me.”


    Recalling how he had investigated me before, even using that information to threaten me, a sh of anger surged within me. If he wanted to know what happened in the woods, he could investigate to his heart’s content. I didn’t even know what had transpired myself—perhaps if he found out, he could enlighten me. The thought crossed my mind with a hint of defiance.


    “Investigate? That’s not something easily done.” Dominic didn’t release my chin; instead, his grip tightened slightly. “You’re more intriguing than I imagined.”


    I clenched my fists, unwilling to respond. Dominic was too dangerous, too difficult to deal with. I could only hope he would lose interest and leave without getting an answer from me.


    But he clearly had no intention of leaving. Instead, he asked, “Don’t you want to know who was behind the brown bear incident?”


    My heart clenched, and I immediately looked up at him. “Who is it?” If it wasn’t Bryan, then who?


    Dominic’s face drew closer, his warm breath brushing against my skin. His low voice resonated near my ear,den with implication. “If you want to know, you’ll need to offer something in return.”


    I understood his meaning at once. Was he seriously suggesting this here, in the hospital? I red at him, my irritation barely contained. “Are you out of your mind? I’m still hospitalized!”


    Dominic’s cool fingers traced my skin, his expression indifferent. “You seem fine to me.”


    With that, he tilted my chin and pressed his lips to mine in a forceful kiss.


    As I was forced to look up, enduring the kiss that felt as invasive as a storm, I tried to push Dominic away. But he seized my wrist, his tall and powerful frame overwhelming the already cramped hospital bed, making the space feel even more suffocating.


    .


    .


    .