Chapter 45
DOMINIC
Two weeks. That’s all it took for me to be back on my feet. Scars still raw, pain still sharp, but strength clawed its way back into me. Not because of meds or doctors, but because of Alec and Athena.
Alec, as always, had taken control of everything—my business and my people. He didn’t ask, he just handled it. That’s who he is, loyal to the bone. He’s the only man I trust with my life. And Athena… Athena was something else entirely.
She never left my side. Not once. She didn’t do it because someone told her to; she did it because she wanted to.
Her presence wasn’t just comforting, it was healing.
It wasn’t the painkillers that brought me back; it was her laugh.
Her eyes when she glared at me for skipping a dose.
Her body curled next to mine under that blanket while we binge-watched Gossip Girl.
Yeah. Gossip Girl. The little rebel has awful taste in shows, but I’d never say it to her face.
Truth is, I found myself hooked for some reason.
Maybe because it wasn’t about the show, it was about her.
Lying beside her, hearing her laugh at scenes I didn’t get, watching her cry at the parts I didn’t understand—it was the best fucking time of my life.
But now that I was back on my feet, I knew what I had to do.
It was time to face Maddox King.
I adjusted my tie as Athena walked beside me, her fingers laced through mine, grounding me with one small, powerful squeeze.
Her smile, quiet and reassuring, was the only reason I didn’t turn around and walk away.
The King mansion loomed in front of us, all polished stone and towering gates.
Maddox and Allyn waited by the doors, staring at us.
Athena didn’t let go of my hand as we approached. Maddox’s eyes dropped to our linked fingers before snapping up to mine, and I saw the disapproval, but he said nothing.
His wife, Allyn, was different. Warm eyes, a gracious smile. She was no less powerful, but the kind of formidable that didn’t come with a growl; it came with quiet calculation. Athena hugged them both. Allyn King offered me her hand while her husband just nodded.
“Let us speak with him. Alone,” Maddox said.
“Why?” Athena shot back, eyes sharp, jaw tight.
“Athena…” her mother said gently. I watched her war internally. Fierce, protective, but always soft when it came to her mother. She turned to me.
“You good with this?”
“I’ll be fine.” I smiled. Couldn’t help it. She gave her father one last dagger-eyed look before kissing me on the cheek. Right there in front of them, as if to prove something. Maddox twitched. Allyn smirked.
Then Athena disappeared inside. I followed her parents into a private room that looked more like a war room than an office.
Allyn closed the door behind us. The walls seemed to close in.
My hands were empty. No gun, no blade. Just me and the two people who once wanted me dead.
They took their seats across from me. I stood a second longer before sitting.
“Drink?” Allyn offered.
I shook my head. “Still on meds.”
Maddox leaned forward, elbows on his knees. After a few minutes, he spoke.
“Let’s get to the point then,” he said, clapping his hands once. “I was wrong.”
I blinked. Huh?
“My hate was never meant for you; it should have been directed at your father.”
My jaw tensed. My gut twisted. That man, my father, who left me for dead.
“What he did to you is unforgivable,” Maddox said. “And I didn’t help. I only made things worse.”
I said nothing, just nodded once. There was nothing to say. We both knew he had blood on his hands, even if he didn’t pull the trigger himself.
“But now, I think we can work together. Set aside our bullshit and give Garrett Stone the lesson he deserves.”
“Why help me?” I narrowed my eyes.
It was Allyn who answered.
“Because you’re important to our daughter. That makes you important to us.”
“I still don’t like you,” Maddox muttered. “But I owe you.”
“Then I’ll consider your offer,’’ I said back. ‘‘But on one condition- I’m the one who ends him. No one else.”
Maddox smiled. Sharp and dangerous. Almost proud.
“Of course,” he said. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
Silence fell, heavy but not hostile. Then he cleared his throat again, clearly uncomfortable to ask, but he did anyway.
“So… are you officially dating my daughter?”
I could hear the acid in his tone. It would’ve been funny if it weren’t so serious.
“No.’’
They both froze as if they didn’t expect to hear that. Maddox’s brows shot up, and Allyn’s lips parted. I stood slowly, rolling my shoulders back.
“We haven’t labeled it, but girlfriend? That is too small a word for her.”
They stared. Allyn narrowed her eyes, suspicious but intrigued. I met Maddox’s hard gaze, and he watched me, waiting for me to speak.
“I’m going to ask Athena to marry me.”
The room went still. For a second, no one breathed.
“I’m not asking for permission,” I said, voice firm. “I’m telling you.’’
“That’s a big step,” Allyn said softly, still processing.
“Damn right it is,” I replied. “But I’ll do whatever it takes to make her happy. If she says yes… I’ll give it all up. My empire. My legacy. Everything for her.”
Maddox leaned back, a bitter laugh escaping him, low and sharp.
“You think I will let my daughter become a Stone?” he asked, his voice laced with disdain. “That I’ll let her wear that name like a curse around her neck?”
“No, she won’t take my name,” I said. “She won’t carry the burden of the Stone legacy. She’ll never have to answer for what my bloodline has done.”
I took one step forward.
“I’m not asking her to become part of my world,” I said. “I’m stepping into hers.”
Allyn’s eyes widened slightly, lips parting in surprise. Maddox said nothing, but his jaw flexed, and something unreadable flickered behind his stare.
“If she agrees to marry me, she won’t be a Stone. I will become a King.”