Chapter 2

The next morning, I woke up sore all over.

Fragments of last night rushed back into my mind.

Miles and Tessa's engagement party. The liquor at the bar that burned down my throat. My reckless proposal.

And the heated entanglement inside the car. The forceful kisses. That overwhelming, almost devouring possessiveness...

My cheeks burned violently.

I had slept with Dominic?

The untouchable mafia godfather. My best friend's adoptive father?

I let out a strangled groan and looked around. The unmistakably masculine bedroom, the soreness in my body, all forced me to accept reality.

I turned on my phone. It was flooded with missed calls and messages from Miles.

"Lydia, I'm giving you one hour. Get back here. Otherwise I'm freezing your cards."

"Fine. You want to keep this up? Let's see how long you last once your cards are shut off."

As expected, in his eyes everything I did was childish drama.

I swallowed the bitterness and deleted every message without replying.

I got out of bed and studied the unfamiliar room. Dominic seemed to have already left.

A note lay on the table, written in bold, sweeping handwriting.

"There's an issue within the family. I had to rush back to handle it."

Relief washed over me.

At least I didn't have to face him right now. That would have been mortifying.

"Everything you might need has been prepared. This is my private number. If you're missing anything, call me directly."

Below it was a string of numbers.

Before I finished reading, my phone suddenly rang, startling me.

Annie's name flashed across the screen.

The moment I saw her name, guilt surged through me.

I had slept with her father. How was I supposed to face her?

I stared at her name on the screen, my fingertips icy.

Only when the call was about to disconnect did I gather the courage to answer.

"Annie, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I was drunk last night, I-"

Before I could finish, Annie's furious voice burst through the speaker.

"I heard Miles froze your cards. Who does he think he is-wait, Lydia, why are you apologizing to me? We were both drunk last night. Luckily my dad's people brought us back. Hey, but why didn't I see you this morning?"

Hearing her defend me warmed my chest.

But when she mentioned last night, guilt choked me into silence.

Just as I struggled to speak, Annie suddenly shrieked.

"Oh my God, Lydia! My dad just transferred me a huge amount of money! He even texted me saying he's taking you on vacation. Since when are you and my dad this close? I heard he came back last night. Don't tell me it was love at first sight?"

My heart jolted. I hadn't expected Dominic to be so direct. How was I supposed to explain this?

I steeled myself and shut my eyes. Maybe I should just confess. Things had already gone this far.

I gathered my courage and started to say, "Annie, actually, your dad and I-"

But Annie's carefree voice cut in again.

"Who cares what he's thinking? The money's here. Perfect timing since you're heartbroken. I'll take you on a trip to clear your head. Wait, what were you saying? Never mind. Where are you? I'll come find you. We'll talk in person."

Interrupted, all my courage evaporated.

When Annie said she was coming over, I glanced at the house filled with Dominic's presence and panicked.

"No. Let's just meet at the hospital entrance. Aren't you supposed to come with me to see the doctor?"

Annie sounded confused but agreed quickly.

I freshened up, put on the clothes Dominic had prepared for me, and went to meet her.

Annie was still furious about Miles's behavior. Only when she saw that I looked normal did she relax.

"Lydia, don't overthink it. When my dad gets back, I'll make sure he teaches Miles and Tessa a lesson. They've got some nerve bullying my best friend."

Hearing her mention Dominic stepping in again made guilt prickle under my skin. I responded vaguely.

Just then, my appointment was called. I quickly pulled Annie inside.

After the examination, the doctor looked at the test results and smiled.

"Ms. Prescott, your indicators have mostly returned to normal. You can stop the previous medication. It seems your mood has improved recently. However..." The doctor cleared his throat lightly. "You're young. It's good that your emotional state has improved, but you should exercise moderation. Get more rest. Don't... overexert yourself."