Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Grace
Dominic was gone.
I knew it the second I checked the penthouse security feed. His usual routine was predictable—morning rehearsals, business calls, endless meetings. But tonight, the tracker on his phone was disabled, his location unreadable.
He had left. Without telling me. Without security.
I clenched my jaw, shoving my laptop shut and grabbing my jacket.
This wasn’t just reckless—it was deliberate.
He knew the threat was escalating, knew that someone was watching him, knew that his personal data had been leaked to the entire world.
And yet, he had still walked out without protection, as if he were untouchable.
Like hell he was.
It didn’t take long to track him down. He was Dominic Beethoven, after all. He wasn’t exactly subtle. A quick search through social media, a few calls to my contacts, and I had my answer.
A club. VIP-only. Exclusive, expensive, and discreet.
Typical.
The bouncers barely blinked when I walked past them.
I was on a mission, and everyone in my way seemed to sense it.
The music pulsed beneath my feet, deep bass shaking the floor, the air thick with perfume and whiskey and heat.
My gaze swept the room until I found the private VIP section, glass walls framing the dimly lit space.
And there he was.
Dominic sat alone on a sleek leather couch, one arm draped lazily over the backrest, a glass of whiskey in his other hand.
He looked perfectly at ease, like he didn’t have a care in the world.
The amber light from the chandelier cast shadows over his sharp features, his expression unreadable, except for one thing?—
Amusement.
Like he had been waiting for me.
The second I stepped into the room, his lips curled into a slow smirk. "Miss me?"
I slammed the door shut behind me. "Are you out of your mind?"
Dominic tilted his head, watching me like I was entertainment rather than security. "You tell me, Dauntless." He swirled the whiskey in his glass, unfazed. "Didn’t realize I needed permission to go out."
I strode toward him, my anger rising with every step. "You left without security. After everything that’s happened, after the hacks, the leaks, the stalker—you just decided to disappear?"
He set his drink down on the table beside him, stretching his legs out as if he had all the time in the world. "I wasn’t aware I had to report my whereabouts to you."
I wanted to strangle him. "That’s literally my job."
Dominic’s gaze flickered over me, slow, deliberate. "And yet, here you are. Tracking me down. Like you can’t help yourself."
I ignored the way my pulse stuttered, the heat curling low in my stomach at the way he said it. I wasn’t here because of him. I was here because he was being an idiot.
I crossed my arms. "Why are you really here, Dominic?"
Something shifted in his expression—something darker, something unreadable. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "You tell me."
I narrowed my eyes. "Don’t play games with me."
His lips quirked, but the amusement didn’t fully reach his eyes. "You think I only know how to sing pretty songs?" His voice dropped lower, silkier, something heavier curling around each syllable. "You think I don’t know how the world really works?"
The air between us shifted, something invisible snapping too tight, too thick.
I wasn’t stupid. I had spent enough time around powerful men to recognize when someone wasn’t just another spoiled celebrity. Dominic had control—over his music, over his image, over people.
And I was starting to realize just how deep it ran.
I exhaled slowly. "So what else do you know?"
Dominic watched me for a long moment before standing. The movement was slow, calculated, like he was testing me. He stepped closer, but I refused to move.
His fingers brushed against my arm—barely touching, but enough. A whisper of contact.
My breath hitched.
He noticed.
His voice was quieter now, dangerous in a different way. "Tell me to move, and I will."
I should have.
I should have stepped back. Should have shoved him away. Should have told him exactly what I thought about his reckless behavior.
But I didn’t.
I just stood there, too aware of the heat radiating off him, too aware of how easy it would be to close the space between us.
His fingers trailed higher, ghosting over the inside of my wrist. The touch was light, but it burned anyway.
I swallowed, forcing my voice to stay even. "This isn’t the time to test me, Beethoven."
His smirk was slow, deliberate. "Why? Scared?"
I met his gaze, refusing to let him see how wrecked I was by something as simple as his touch. "No. Just not interested."
The lie sat heavy between us.
Dominic tilted his head, his fingers lingering for half a second longer before he finally stepped back. "If you say so, Dauntless."
The tension between us was suffocating.
I hated that I wanted to close the space again.
But before either of us could speak, my phone buzzed.
I barely glanced at it at first, my brain still tangled in whatever the hell had just happened between us. But then I saw the notification.
And my blood ran cold.
A photo.
Of us. Right now.
Dominic standing close. His fingers brushing my skin.
A caption, just three words.
"I see you."
I stiffened, my heart slamming against my ribs.
Dominic noticed immediately, his expression sharpening as I turned my phone toward him. His gaze flickered over the screen, his entire body going still.
Then, finally, he exhaled.
But this time, when he spoke, there was no amusement left in his voice.
"Looks like we’re not the only ones playing games," he murmured.