Chapter 5 - The Betrayal Inside Dominic’s Empire
Three days passed.
Three days of hiding.
Three days of learning that the man I loved had built our relationship on a lie.
Dominic kept me safe.
But he also kept me away from the truth.
Until I forced him to tell me.
“Who took Caleb?”
Dominic looked at me.
“You don’t want to know.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Harper.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“You don’t get to protect me by keeping me ignorant.”
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he finally answered.
“My former partner.”
“Someone you trusted?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Dominic looked away.
“Power changes people.”
The person behind Caleb’s disappearance was Vincent Hale.
A man who once stood beside Dominic.
A man who knew every weakness.
Including Caleb.
Vincent wanted the information my father had hidden.
And Caleb had promised to deliver it.
But Caleb failed.
Because he underestimated me.
He underestimated Dominic.
And he underestimated loyalty.
When Dominic finally found Caleb, I was there.
I expected anger.
I expected revenge.
Instead, I saw something unexpected.
Disappointment.
Dominic looked at Caleb.
“You used her.”
Caleb looked at me.
“Harper…”
I stepped back.
“Don’t.”
His face changed.
“I loved you.”
“No.”
My voice was quiet.
“You loved what I could give you.”
“That’s not true.”
“Then why did you need my father’s files?”
Caleb had no answer.
And that silence destroyed whatever was left.
Dominic looked at him.
“You lost the only person who trusted you.”
Caleb lowered his head.
For the first time…
May you like
He looked ashamed.
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