Loving him is a sin I can't escape

I hadn't seen Dominic Russo in five years. Not since the night everything fell apart. Not since the night he looked at me like I was a stranger.

Like I was the enemy. And yet there he was-standing at the head of the conference table like he owned the world. Because he did.

The glass walls of the boardroom overlooked the skyline of New York City, all steel and ambition and glittering power. The city suited him now. Hard. Unforgiving. Untouchable. Dominic Russo wasn't the reckless, passionate man I once loved. He was controlled. Precise. Dangerous. His tailored black suit fit him like armor. His dark hair was shorter, sharper. His jaw tighter. His eyes- his eyes no longer softened when they found mine. They hardened.

"Ms. Moretti." My name rolled off his tongue like a challenge. I froze at the doorway of the boardroom, aware that every executive at the table had turned to look at me. "You're late," he said calmly, flipping through a file without glancing up. I wasn't late. I was exactly on time.

He just wanted control. "Traffic," I replied evenly.

A few awkward shifts around the table. Everyone knew who he was. CEO of Russo Enterprises. The man who rebuilt his father's collapsing empire before he turned thirty.

The man who blamed me for its collapse in the first place. His eyes finally lifted. And locked onto mine. Five years vanished in an instant. I remembered his hands tangled in mine. His quiet promises. The way he once said he would burn the world before letting anyone hurt me. Now he looked like he would burn me himself.

"I wasn't aware you still worked in this city," he said.

"I wasn't aware you bought the company I work for," I shot back.

A flicker of irritation crossed his face. Brief. Controlled.

"I acquire what benefits me," he said smoothly. "This firm has potential."

His gaze lingered deliberately.

"Some assets more than others."

Heat crept up my spine.

The meeting continued, numbers and projections bouncing around the room, but I barely heard a word. Dominic's presence consumed the space. Every breath felt heavier. Every second stretched tight. Then he spoke again. "I'll be restructuring management."

My stomach tightened. "And I'll need a personal project lead." The room quieted. His eyes settled on me without hesitation. "I've already selected her." No. Absolutely not. "I decline," I said immediately. The word dropped like glass. Dominic leaned back slightly, studying me with faint amusement.

"You don't get to decline."

"I'm not interested in working under you."

"You signed a contract with this firm," he reminded me. "Which now belongs to me."

There it was.

The power move.

"I'll quit."

A sharp silence fell. Dominic rose slowly from his chair. The air shifted. Heavy. "You'll walk away again," he said softly. "Just like last time."

The accusation hit harder than I expected. "You don't know what happened," I snapped. His jaw flexed. "I know you chose money over me." That was the story he believed. That I took a payout from his father to disappear. That I sold us out.

He didn't know the truth. He didn't know about the threat. Or the document I was forced to sign.

Or how much it cost me to leave.

"You're wrong," I said quietly.

"Then explain it."

I opened my mouth. And closed it. Because I couldn't. Not without exposing a secret that would destroy more than just us. Dominic walked around the table, each step slow and deliberate, until he stood directly in front of me. Too close. Close enough that I could feel the warmth of him.

"You owe me, Elena."

"I owe you nothing."

His hand came down on the table beside my hip, trapping me between him and polished wood. "You left me to take the fall," he murmured. "Investors pulled out. My father nearly lost everything. And you vanished." His voice wasn't loud. But it was sharp enough to cut. "I did what I had to," I whispered. "That's the problem," he said. "You always decide alone." He straightened, stepping back just enough to make his next words land harder. "Here's what's going to happen." My pulse pounded in my ears.

"You will work as my personal project lead for six months."

"No."

"If you refuse," he continued calmly, "I'll release the financial audit from five years ago."

Cold flooded my veins.

That audit. The discrepancies. The deal his father forced me into. "If that becomes public," Dominic added quietly, "your father's name will be attached to it." Low. Cruel. Strategic. "You wouldn't drag my family into this." His expression didn't change. "You dragged mine."

The room felt suffocating. Six months. Six months working directly under the man who thought I betrayed him. Six months pretending I didn't still feel something when he looked at me.

"Well?" he pressed. I swallowed my pride. "For six months," I said stiffly. A slow, victorious smile curved his mouth. "Good." I turned to leave before my hands betrayed their shaking.

"Oh, and Elena?"

I paused.

"For the sake of appearances... you'll be attending all public events with me." My stomach dropped. "What events?" His voice lowered."Starting with the engagement gala next week." Engagement. The word echoed painfully.

"You're getting married?"

"No."

He stepped closer again.

"But you'll be my date."

"That's insane."

"Is it?"

His eyes darkened. "Or are you afraid of what people will remember when they see us together again?" Five years ago, we were everywhere. Five years ago- I was wearing his ring. My fingers curled slowly. He leaned in just enough for his words to brush against my skin.

"Don't worry, Elena," he murmured.

"This time..."

His gaze dropped to my lips before rising again.

"...I won't be the one who falls in love."

I didn't remember walking out of the boardroom.

One second I was standing in front of Dominic Russo, agreeing to six months of emotional torture. The next, I was in the hallway, my pulse roaring in my ears. Six months. Six months working directly under the man who believed I betrayed him. "You look like you've seen a ghost." I turned sharply. Dominic stood at the end of the corridor, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable. Of course he followed me.

"You're enjoying this," I said flatly.

He walked toward me, slow and controlled. "Enjoying what?"

"Watching me cornered."

A faint smirk tugged at his mouth. "You were never good at hiding when you feel trapped."

My stomach tightened. He remembered too much.

"You forced my hand," I said.

"No," he corrected calmly. "I gave you options."

"Blackmail isn't an option."

His eyes darkened slightly. "Neither is betrayal."

The word lingered between us like smoke.

I crossed my arms, trying to steady myself. "You don't know the full story."

"Then enlighten me."

The challenge was quiet. Dangerous. I hesitated.

Because the truth would unravel more than just his anger. "You wouldn't believe me," I said finally. "Try me."

For a second-just one second-I saw it. The old Dominic. The one who would have listened. But that version of him was gone. Replaced by the man who rebuilt his empire brick by brick after it crumbled. "You've already decided who I am," I said softly. "Why would my explanation matter?"

His jaw tightened. "You left without a word," he said. "You disappeared the night the audit surfaced. The night my father accused me of embezzlement. The night investors pulled out."

His voice lowered. "You think that was coincidence?" My throat closed. No. It wasn't.

But not in the way he thought.

"You chose silence," he continued. "And silence is guilt."

"That's not fair."

"Life wasn't fair either," he snapped.

The sudden edge in his tone startled me. For the first time, I saw the crack beneath his control. "You have no idea what it cost me to leave," I whispered. His expression shifted-just slightly.

"Then why did you?" The question wasn't cold.

It was raw. And that made it worse. Because I couldn't tell him. Not yet. "I had reasons," I said carefully. "That's not an answer." "It's the only one you're getting." Something hardened in his eyes. "Fine." He stepped closer, and the space between us shrank to nothing. "If we're doing this," he said quietly, "we're doing it my way."

I swallowed. "Meaning?" "Meaning there will be boundaries." A bitter laugh escaped me. "From the man who just blackmailed me?" "Professional boundaries," he clarified, ignoring my sarcasm. "You will address me as Mr. Russo in public. You will attend events when requested. You will not speak about our past."

"And if I do?" His gaze locked onto mine. "Then I won't protect you from the consequences." A chill slid down my spine. "You're not protecting me," I said. His voice dropped. "You'd be surprised." The elevator doors opened beside us with a soft chime, but neither of us moved. "There's something else," he added. I braced myself. "The engagement gala next week." "You still haven't explained that." "It's my company's annual partnership event," he said. "Major investors. Media coverage." "And you need me there because...?" "Because rumors travel fast."

My stomach twisted.

He studied my face carefully. "You think you're the only one who suffered when you left?" The question caught me off guard. "I had to answer questions," he continued. "About why my fiancée vanished." My breath stopped.

Fiancée. He said it like a reminder. Like a weapon.

"You never denied it publicly," I whispered.

"No," he said evenly. "I let them believe what they wanted."

"And what was that?"

"That you weren't strong enough to handle pressure."

The sting hit deeper than I expected.

"That's cruel."

"It was convenient."

Anger flared inside me.

"You let them paint me as weak?"

"You painted yourself that way when you ran."

The words felt like a slap.

"I didn't run."

"You disappeared."

"I was protecting you!"

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Silence fell instantly. Dominic's eyes sharpened.

"Protecting me from what?" My heart pounded violently. Careful.

Careful. "From the scandal," I corrected quickly. "The media would have destroyed both of us."

He didn't look convinced. "You always assume you know what's best," he said quietly. "And you always assume I'm the villain." His gaze softened for the briefest second. Then it hardened again. "This isn't about who's right," he said. "It's about what happens next." He stepped back, restoring space-but not distance. "Six months," he repeated.

"You work for me. You follow my terms. And maybe-maybe-I'll decide whether the past is worth digging into."

"Maybe?" I echoed.

His expression turned unreadable again.

"Or maybe I'll decide I prefer you exactly where you are."

"And where is that?"

His eyes traveled slowly over my face.

"Close enough to watch."

My pulse skipped."That sounds less like business and more like control." He didn't deny it. "Be ready at seven next Thursday," he said. "I'll pick you up." "I can get there myself." "I'm aware."

His gaze held mine steadily. "But I don't want you arriving alone." The implication lingered.

Possessive. Calculated. Dangerous. He turned toward the elevator, stepping inside. The doors began to close-but before they did, he spoke again.

"One more thing, Elena." I forced myself not to react.

"If you're planning to run again..."

His eyes locked onto mine through the narrowing gap.

"This time, I will follow."

The doors slid shut. And for the first time in five years- I wasn't sure which one of us should be afraid.

Five years ago. The rain hadn't stopped that night. It clung to the windows of Dominic's penthouse, streaking the glass like something trying to claw its way inside. I stood in the middle of the living room, staring at the engagement ring on my finger. It felt heavier than gold. It felt like a countdown. "You're quiet."

Dominic's voice came from behind me. Warm. Familiar. Safe.

Back then, he still looked at me like I was his future. Not his enemy. "I'm thinking," I said softly.

He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. His chin rested on my shoulder. "About the wedding?" he asked. "Because if you're worried about the guest list, I'll cut it in half."

A small smile touched my lips. "I'm not worried about the guest list." "Good," he murmured. "Because in three months, you're not backing out." Three months. That was before the audit surfaced. Before the accusations. Before his father called me into his office. Before everything shattered. Dominic turned me gently so I faced him. "You're nervous," he said, studying my face. "Why?" Because your father threatened to destroy my family. Because he told me you were being set up. Because he said the only way to save you was to disappear. But I couldn't tell him that.

Not when his father made it clear what would happen if I did.

"I just feel like everything is happening fast," I lied.

Dominic smiled faintly. "We've been together for four years, Elena."

"I know."

"And I've wanted to marry you since the first."

His thumb brushed my cheek gently.

"Nothing is fast when it's right."

My chest tightened painfully. You don't know what's coming, I thought. A knock at the door cut through the moment. Dominic frowned. "At this hour?" "I'll get it," I said quickly, stepping away. My heart pounded because I already knew who it was. His father didn't wait to be invited in.

Mr. Russo walked inside with the same cold authority he carried into every room. Perfect suit. Perfect composure. Perfect calculation.

"Elena," he greeted calmly.

"Sir."

Dominic stepped forward. "Dad, what's going on?"

His father didn't look at him. Instead, his sharp eyes remained on me.

"We need a moment." Dominic's jaw tightened. "Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of me."

His father finally glanced at him.

"This concerns her."

Silence fell. Dominic looked at me, confused. "It's fine," I said quickly. "I'll be right back." The lie burned on my tongue. I followed Mr. Russo into the hallway outside the apartment. The door shut behind us. And his tone changed instantly.

"You have until midnight," he said.

My stomach dropped.

"You promised-"

"I promised to protect my son's reputation," he corrected. "The audit goes public tomorrow. When it does, Dominic will take the blame."

"He didn't do anything."

"That doesn't matter."

Cold. Heartless.

"Investors need someone to point at," he continued. "And right now, that someone is him." Tears burned behind my eyes.

"You said you could fix it."

"I can."

Hope flickered.

"If you leave."

The word echoed in the hallway.

"You walk away tonight," he said evenly. "No explanation. No contact. You disappear."

"And if I don't?"

His eyes sharpened. "Then your father's company becomes part of the investigation. Old tax filings. Old debts. I'm sure we'll find something." My breath shook. "You can't do that." "I can," he said simply. "And I will." The rain outside grew louder, like it was applauding his cruelty. "You're punishing me for loving him," I whispered. "I'm protecting him from choosing you over the company." The words hit like a blade. "If he stays with you," Mr. Russo continued, "he'll defend you. He'll fight the board. He'll destroy his own future." He stepped closer.

"And I will not allow that."

My chest felt hollow. "So you want me to break him."

"I want you to prove you're strong enough to do what's necessary."

Tears slid silently down my cheeks.

"You said you loved him," he added.

"I do."

"Then leave."

The hallway felt too small. Too suffocating.

"If I go," I whispered, "you'll clear his name?"

"Yes."

"And you won't touch my family?"

"Yes."

"And he'll never know?"

His expression didn't change. "He will believe what he chooses to believe." That wasn't an answer. But it was the only one I was getting.

Inside the apartment, I heard Dominic moving.

Waiting. Trusting me. I closed my eyes. "Midnight," his father reminded. When I walked back inside, Dominic looked up immediately.

"You okay?" he asked.

I forced my expression blank.

"I can't do this."

Confusion crossed his face. "Do what?"

"This. Us."

The words felt like acid.

"Elena-"

"I'm leaving."

Silence.

Heavy. Devastating.

"You're joking," he said softly.

"I'm not."

His eyes darkened.

"Why?"

Because I love you. Because I'm saving you.

Because your father gave me no choice. "Because I don't want this anymore," I said instead. The lie shattered something in his face.

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"Elena."

My name sounded broken.

"I'm done," I whispered.

And then I took off the ring. I placed it on the table between us. And walked out.

Present Day. I hadn't thought about that night in years. Not in full. Not in detail. But standing in my apartment now, staring at my reflection in the mirror, it all came back. Dominic's face when I left.The disbelief. The betrayal. The hatred that must have grown in its place. My phone buzzed suddenly. A message from Dominic. Be ready tomorrow. 8 p.m. Sharp. Then another message came through immediately after. And this one made my blood run cold. Wear the ring. I stared at the screen. My hands began to shake.

Because I didn't have it.And there was no way he should think I did.