Chapter 4 The Taste of Betrayal

I should have stopped it.

I should have shoved him away and reminded him that this marriage was nothing but a contract.

But the moment Dominic's lips claimed mine, every rational thought burned to ash.

His hand gripped my waist, pulling me closer. My fingers curled into his suit, betraying me, holding him instead of pushing him away. The taste of him-powerful, intoxicating, dangerous-made my head spin.

This was a mistake.

A fatal one.

I pulled back, breathless. "This doesn't mean anything."

Dominic's smirk was lethal. "Keep telling yourself that, Sinclair."

I glared at him. "You don't own me."

His fingers traced my jaw, his touch deceptively gentle. "Then why are you shaking?"

Damn him.

I forced myself to step away, ignoring the heat still coursing through my veins. "That won't happen again."

Dominic leaned against the elevator doors, watching me like a predator indulging in his favorite prey. "We'll see."

The worst part?

I wasn't sure if he was wrong.

****

The following morning, my phone buzzed with an announcement I wasn't prepared for.

Elena Sinclair and Dominic Caldwell's wedding is officially set for six weeks from now!

I nearly dropped my coffee.

I stormed into Dominic's office, slamming the newspaper onto his desk. "A wedding date? Without asking me?"

He barely looked up from his laptop. "Why would I ask you? You already agreed."

My nails dug into my palms. "Six weeks is too soon."

His gaze finally lifted, piercing through me. "Are you backing out, Sinclair?"

I gritted my teeth. "You know I can't."

Dominic's smirk was razor-sharp. "Then stop complaining and pick a dress."

I wanted to throw something at his smug face. Instead, I turned on my heel-only to find Liam standing in the doorway.

My stomach dropped.

Dominic leaned back in his chair, clearly amused. "To what do we owe the pleasure, dear brother?"

Liam's gaze stayed locked on me. "Elena and I need to talk. Alone."

Dominic didn't move. "No, you don't."

Tension coiled between them, thick and suffocating.

"Liam," I said, keeping my voice steady. "What do you want?"

His jaw clenched. "To fix this before it's too late."

Dominic's smirk vanished. He stood, slow and deliberate, his presence filling the room with quiet danger. "You're wasting your time."

Liam ignored him. "Elena, let's leave. Right now. You don't have to go through with this."

My breath caught.

Dominic's fingers drummed against the desk. "Let me make this clear, Liam. She's mine now."

Liam's fists clenched. "She's not a possession, Dominic."

Dominic's smirk returned. "Aren't we all, in some way?"

I exhaled sharply. "Enough." I turned to Liam, my voice softer. "I can't leave, Liam."

His green eyes flashed with something close to desperation. "Why not?"

Because my father's reputation was on the line. Because Dominic held all the power. Because I wasn't just trapped-I was losing myself in this war.

I forced myself to stay strong. "Because I chose this."

Liam's expression hardened. "Then you're making a mistake."

Without another word, he walked away.

Dominic watched him leave, then turned back to me, his smirk returning. "That was cute."

I shot him a glare. "Go to hell."

He chuckled. "You first, sweetheart."

****

That evening, I found myself alone in Dominic's penthouse, staring at the city skyline.

The weight of everything crashed down on me.

My father's scandal. Liam's warning. Dominic's control.

And worse-the way Dominic made me feel.

I should hate him.

I did hate him.

So why did I keep remembering the way his lips felt on mine?

A knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts.

I turned-and froze.

Dominic stood in the doorway, holding two glasses of whiskey.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

I crossed my arms. "What do you want?"

He stepped closer, offering me a glass. "A truce. For tonight."

I hesitated. Then, reluctantly, I took the drink.

We stood in silence, the tension between us shifting into something almost... dangerous.

Dominic swirled his whiskey, watching me over the rim of his glass. "Tell me, Sinclair. If you could leave right now, no consequences, would you?"

I wanted to say yes.

But I couldn't.

And the realization terrified me.

I forced a smirk. "What about you, Dominic? If you could have anyone, why choose me?"

He leaned in, voice low. "Because you don't break easily."

A shiver ran down my spine.

His fingers brushed against mine as he took my empty glass.

And for the second time that day, I knew I was dangerously close to falling into something I couldn't escape.

****

The next morning, I woke up with a sense of unease I couldn't shake.

Something was wrong.

I reached for my phone-only to see a flood of messages.

My heart stopped.

I clicked on the first news article.

And my world shattered.

Senator Sinclair Exposed in New Corruption Leak-Evidence of Money Laundering and Fraud Uncovered!

I sucked in a breath, my hands shaking. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Dominic promised he would handle it.

My father's secrets were supposed to be buried.

The room spun as I clicked on another headline.

And that's when I saw it.

A leaked document.

A financial record signed by none other than-

Dominic Caldwell.

A knife twisted in my chest.

Dominic hadn't protected my father.

He had set him up.

The door behind me opened.

I turned, fury and betrayal burning through me.

Dominic stood there, his expression unreadable. "I see you've been keeping up with the news."

My breath came in short, ragged gasps. "You lied to me."

His gaze remained steady. "No, Sinclair. I just didn't tell you everything."

I clenched my fists. "You used me."

He took a slow step forward. "I warned you this wasn't a fairy tale."

Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "Was this your plan all along? Destroy my family and trap me in this marriage?"

Dominic tilted his head, considering. "Not all along. But plans evolve."

Rage and heartbreak collided inside me.

I had given up everything to keep my father safe.

And Dominic had ripped it all away.

I stared at him, voice shaking with fury. "I will ruin you for this."

His lips curved into something dark. "You can try, sweetheart."

I glared at him, my pulse racing. "You may have won this battle, but this war is far from over."

Dominic leaned in, voice a whisper against my skin. "Good. I wouldn't want my wife to bore me."

I slapped him.

The sound echoed in the silence.

He only smirked.

And I realized something horrifying.

I wasn't just trapped in this marriage anymore.

I was at war with the devil himself.

And I had no idea if I would survive.