o the penthouse. He didn't look at her immediately, as if her reaction no longer surprised him, but the slight pause before he turned tol

l that a clause?" she asked, her voice steady but charged with restrained emotion. "You're asking me to give up control over my life, my choices, my s

ing the room without effort. "I think you're exactly as desperate as your situatio

stand that desperation is not weakness. It's cl

thing noble," she said, her voice tightening. "You're not offering clarity. You're offering control. There's

oser again, closing the distance she had tried to create, his gaze unwavering. "But yo

se I don't have a choice," she insisted, though her voice softened slight

lusion in situations like yours," he said smoothly. "You're not deciding between freedom and cont

ly in her chest. "And what about you?" she challenged, her voice gaining strength again. "Wh

ly what I want," he said finally, his tone calm but carrying a subtle edge. "A wife who fulfills her

she repeated, her voice lowering. "So that's it? I'm su

ze steady. "But that doesn't mean

her. "And this marriage..." she began carefully, her voice quie

is presence pressing against her senses. "Publicly, it's real," he said softly. "Legally, it's real. And privat

not answering the question," she said, though her voice had lost some of

rything that comes with the title," he said slowly. "Loyalty. Presence. Obedience to th

eality of his words sank deeper. "That's not a marriage," s

pretending this is based on love or emotion. I'm offering you s

ntract again, her thoughts spiraling. "And if I fail?" she asked after a moment, her

he said simply, his voice calm but absolute. "And I as

n't pull away. "You're asking for complete

th everything... without giving m

ame here for," he replied. "Your family's safety. Their future. Their peace.

ught to keep her emotions in check. "You make it sound so simple," sh

ves," Dominic

s snapp

arder than anythin

r, and the crushing weight of responsibility. "If I agree," she said

aid without

pressed. "I walk away with

rm," he replied calmly,

table, her gaze fixed on the blank line waiting fo

lowering again, more dangerous now

th caugh

eaving no room for hesitation. "You really thought this through," she sa

e the right decision,

d the pen. "You keep calling it the right decision," she said,

minic said quietly. "It's