"I've sent her so many apology texts, but she hasn't responded to a single one."
"Maybe... maybe I should move out?"
Watching her on the verge of tears again, Dominic frowned and pulled her into his arms.
He placed a light, perfunctory kiss on her forehead. "Don't think too much. Take care of your health."
"Whether Seraphina likes it or not, from now on, this will be your home and our child's."
Half an hour after making that promise, Dominic stood alone on the open-air balcony of the compound's top floor, wrapped in a silk robe, quietly smoking a cigarette. Below him, the city sprawled out in cold light, and somewhere beyond the property line, a car idled with its headlights off. One of his own, keeping watch. There was always someone keeping watch.
He hadn't smoked in a long time.
But tonight, for some reason... he couldn't resist.
On impulse, he opened his contacts and scrolled all the way to the bottom. Seraphina's number was still there. The name sat on his screen like an accusation.
His thumb hovered over the call button for a long time.
After two cigarettes, he didn't dial. Instead, he sent a message.