Chapter 158
Ellie POV
This isn’t a trap.
I keep waiting to find the hidden condition.
The part where he asks for something impossible.
The part where I realized I misunderstood.
But it never comes.
Every single thing I asked for is there.
And more.
I stare down at the contract for a long moment before finally speaking.
“You still didn’t include anything for yourself.”
Dominic pauses.
Then he leans back slightly, crossing his arms as he studies me.
Something unreadable passes through his expression.
“Didn’t know that was an option.”
I blink.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It is to me.”
I tilt my head.
“So you just…”
I gesture vaguely at the pages between us.
“Give me everything and ask for nothing?”
A small smile pulls at the corner of his mouth.
“I’m getting something.”
“Oh?”
I raise an eyebrow.
“Enlighten me.”
His answer comes without hesitation.
“You're alive.”
The room goes quiet.
Suddenly, the contract feels heavier in my hands.
I look back down because meeting his eyes feels like too much.
My throat tightens.
“You’re bad at this.”
His brow furrows.
“At contracts?”
“At pretending you don’t care.”
The silence that follows is softer.
More dangerous.
Dominic exhales.
“Don’t push it.”
But there’s no anger behind it.
Not really.
I sign.
The pen moves across the page, leaving my name behind.
A simple motion.
A permanent choice.
When I hand the contract back, our fingers brush.
Neither of us immediately moves away.
For a second, we just sit there.
Quiet.
Different.
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to ignore the nervous feeling building in my chest.
“So…”
I clear my throat.
“The bond.”
His attention returns to me.
“How do I accept it?”
I glance around.
“Do I just say something dramatic and magical happens?”
A faint smirk appears.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know.”
I shrug.
“Sparkles. Lightning. A sign from the universe.”
“Disappointingly simple.”
He leans back.
“You just accept it.”
I open my mouth.
Before I can speak, his hand gently covers it.
I freeze.
His expression turns serious.
“My father warned me.”
His voice lowers.
“When a rejected bond is accepted, the reaction can be intense.”
I nod slowly.
His hand drops.
“If something happens…”
I hesitate.
“If the bond changes things between us…”
My voice gets quieter.
“It doesn’t count.”
I look at him.
“Right?”
He studies me.
Really studies me.
Then he nods.
“Right.”
I swallow.
Because somehow, that answer both comforts and hurts.
“It feels strange.”
I look down.
“Just saying it.”
Dominic watches me for a moment.
Then he says quietly:
“Then don’t.”
Before I can ask what he means, he leans forward.
And kisses me.
Everything changes.
Not because it’s perfect.
Not because all my fears disappear.
But because for the first time in so long…
I’m not fighting.
The bond responds instantly.
Warmth spreads through me.
The constant ache.
The exhaustion.
The pain that has followed me for weeks.
It fades.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough for me to breathe.
Enough for me to feel like myself again.
When we pull apart, I’m left staring at him.
My heart is racing.
My thoughts are everywhere.
And somehow, I know.
This is the moment.
The choice.
My choice.
“Dominic…”
My voice shakes.
He looks at me.
And I finally say the words.
“I accept the bond.”
The world doesn’t explode.
There are no grand signs.
No dramatic display.
Just warmth.
Relief.
A feeling like something inside me has finally stopped fighting itself.
I close my eyes.
For the first time in what feels like forever…
I feel alive.
Dominic rests his forehead against mine.
We’re both quiet.
Both overwhelmed.
Because this isn’t simple.
It isn’t easy.
But it’s real.
After a moment, he pulls back slightly.
His expression is softer than I’m used to seeing.
“Ellie.”
I look at him.
There are a thousand things neither of us knows how to say.
Apologies.
Fears.
Promises.
Instead, we just sit there.
Together.
Eventually, reality catches up.
The exhaustion.
The emotions.
Everything.
Dominic takes a slow breath and stands.
“Get some rest.”
His voice is still rough around the edges.
Like he’s processing everything too.
I watch him move toward the door.
And for some reason, that simple act feels strange.
Because this time…
He isn’t leaving because he has to.
He’s leaving because he’s giving me space.
A choice.
After he’s gone, I stare up at the ceiling.
My body feels different.
Not healed completely.
Not magically fixed.
But quiet.
Finally quiet.
I let out a slow breath.
Tomorrow, I reopen my mother’s case.
Tomorrow, I fight back.
Tomorrow, I step into this strange new life.
A life where I’m Dominic’s Luna.
A life I chose.
But tonight…
Tonight, I sleep without pain.