Chapter 6 - The Morning After
Sunlight broke through the fading clouds at six in the morning, casting long gold beams across the hardwood floor of the master suite.
Bea woke up slowly, feeling warmer and safer than she had in years.
She shifted under the heavy duvet, her arm reaching out instinctively—only to find the other side of the bed empty. The sheets were cold where Dominic had been lying.
Panic flared instantly in her chest.
She sat up, pulling the sheet over her bare chest, her eyes wide as she looked around the unfamiliar, luxurious room. For one terrible second, she wondered if it had all been a dream—or worse, if Dominic had gotten what he wanted and left her to face the consequences alone.
Then she heard the quiet sound of footsteps coming from the adjoining dressing room.
Dominic walked out. He was fully dressed in a dark charcoal suit, his hair neatly styled, putting on his silver cuff links. He looked impeccably sharp, every inch the powerful head of the Russo empire.
When he saw her sitting up, his strict, formal expression softened instantly into something warm and devastatingly handsome.
“Good morning,” he said softly, walking over to the side of the bed.
Bea swallowed hard, pulling the sheet tighter around her collarbone. “Good morning, Mr. Russo.”
Dominic stopped at the edge of the mattress, a faint frown touching his brow. “Mr. Russo?”
Bea flushed, looking down at the white linen. “I... I didn't know what to call you this morning. After... after last night.”
Dominic knelt beside the bed, exactly as he had done the night before. He reached out, gently pulling the sheet away from her face and tucking a dark curl behind her ear.
“Last night was not a mistake, Beatrice,” he said firmly, his eyes searching hers until she was forced to look at him. “And I am still Dominic to you. Always.”
Bea let out a small, relieved breath. “Mrs. Bell is going to notice I wasn't in my room this morning.”
“Mrs. Bell already knows,” Dominic said calmly.
Bea froze, her eyes widening in horror. “What? Dominic, no! She’s going to think—”
“She’s going to think you belong to me,” Dominic interrupted smoothly, his voice dropping into that dark, possessive tone that sent shivers down her spine. “Because you do. I told her thirty minutes ago that your duties as a maid in this house are finished.”
Bea stared at him, stunned into silence. “You... you fired me?”
“I didn't fire you,” Dominic smiled faintly, leaning forward to press a lingering kiss against her lips. “I promoted you. As of today, you are Leo’s full-time personal caregiver and companion. Your salary is quadrupled, you move your belongings into the guest suite in the main wing next to Leo’s room, and no one in this house gives you orders except me.”
Bea’s mouth opened, then closed. “Dominic... I can't just... people will talk. Frankie, the staff, the guards—”
“Let them talk,” Dominic said coldly, his eyes flashing with lethal confidence. “Let them say whatever they want. No one in this family will dare disrespect you again. If anyone tries, they answer to me.”
He stood up, reaching down to take her hand, pulling her out of bed and into his arms, ignoring the fact that she was wrapped only in a bedsheet.
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“Now,” Dominic whispered against her ear, kissing the soft spot beneath her jaw, “get dressed. Leo is waiting for his breakfast, and he asked if Bea could sit next to him again.”
Bea smiled through the lingering anxiety, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Okay.”
