Chapter 47
Chapter Forty-Seven
Grace
The energy inside the venue was electric, the air thick with anticipation, excitement, and the underlying tension that came with being in a room full of legends.
Every inch of the place sparkled—golden chandeliers casting a soft glow over the sea of celebrities, cameras flashing, voices overlapping in an endless hum.
I sat in the front row, the VIP section reserved for DreamCrest’s closest guests, and Olivia was beside me, barely holding it together.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.” She gripped my arm so tightly I was starting to lose feeling in it. “This is insane.”
I sighed, adjusting the slit in my black dress. “Liv, we’ve been around them for months.”
She turned to me, eyes wild with disbelief.
“Excuse me? Being around them is one thing. Being in the front row at the biggest awards show of the year, with cameras everywhere, surrounded by actual A-listers, while waiting to see if they win Artist of the Year?!” She took a sharp breath. “This is different.”
I bit back a smile, shaking my head. She wasn’t wrong.
It was different.
DreamCrest had been nominated for multiple categories, but Artist of the Year was the one that mattered most. It was the biggest award of the night, the one that solidified a legacy, and tonight—tonight felt big.
On stage, the host was reading off the nominees, and the tension in the room tripled. My gaze flickered to the table where the guys sat, all dressed in sharp black suits, watching the stage with carefully controlled expressions. But I knew them well enough to see the signs.
Ezra was tapping his fingers against his thigh. Riley kept adjusting his rings. Theo had his arms crossed but kept shifting slightly. Jaden exhaled slowly, keeping himself composed.
And Dominic?
Dominic looked calm, his fingers interlocked on the table, expression unreadable. But then his eyes flicked to me.
And just like that, my chest tightened.
“And the award for Artist of the Year goes to…”
The entire room went silent.
I heard Olivia suck in a breath beside me.
The host smiled. “DreamCrest!”
The venue erupted.
The sound was deafening, cheers exploding from every direction. Olivia screamed, grabbing my arm in pure excitement as the guys shot up from their seats.
Riley yelled something that got drowned out by the noise. Ezra clapped Theo on the back. Jaden exhaled in relief. Dominic stood last, adjusting his suit jacket before leading the group toward the stage.
I watched them walk up the stairs, watched them accept their trophies, watched them stand in front of thousands of people—and for the first time since I had met them, I let myself take it all in.
They had worked for this. Bled for this.
And they had won.
Dominic took the mic first, waiting a moment for the cheers to die down. Then he spoke, his voice steady, powerful, completely at home on stage.
“This year has been a fight. We’ve been tested in ways we never expected. And I won’t lie—there were moments we weren’t sure we’d make it through.” His gaze scanned the crowd, and for a split second, it landed on me.
My throat tightened.
“But we did.” His grip on the mic tightened slightly, something raw slipping into his voice. “And we wouldn’t have made it without the people who kept us together. The ones who fought for us, when we couldn’t fight for ourselves.”
The air shifted, and even though he never said my name—I knew.
The rest of the band took turns speaking, thanking their fans, their team, their families. When they were done, the crowd erupted into another standing ovation. Olivia wiped at her eyes dramatically, sniffling.
“They love you,” she whispered, voice thick with emotion.
I swallowed hard. “I know.”
The after-party was at an exclusive rooftop venue, all glass walls and dim golden lighting. The night stretched far beyond the city, a sea of glittering lights below us.
Dominic had barely let go of my hand since we arrived.
The band had their own VIP section, tucked away from the chaos of the main party. Olivia was off befriending half the industry, and I was surrounded by DreamCrest, listening to them relentlessly tease Dominic.
Ezra leaned back in his seat, smirking. “You realize you used to boss us all around like a tyrant, right?”
Riley laughed, nudging me. “And then you happened.”
Theo shook his head, amused. “The legend fell.”
Dominic, unfazed, swirled his whiskey. “I didn’t fall.”
Jaden raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Dominic’s lips curved slightly, his grip on my waist tightening. “I just let her catch me.”
I rolled my eyes, but my heart betrayed me, skipping a beat at his words.
Riley smirked. “Oh, he’s so far gone.”
Ezra lifted his glass. “To Grace, the woman who single-handedly tamed Dominic Beethoven.”
I snorted. “That’s a bold assumption.”
Dominic turned to me, eyes dark, voice low enough that only I could hear.
“Oh?” His fingers trailed down my arm, slow, deliberate. “You think I’m tamed, Dauntless?”
My breath hitched slightly. “I think you like pretending you are.”
His smirk was dangerous. “And you like pushing me to see if I’ll break.”
I was about to fire back when he suddenly stood, reaching for my hand.
“Come with me.”
The rooftop balcony was quieter, the city stretching far below us. The moment we stepped outside, Dominic’s hands were on my hips, backing me against the railing.
“You looked good tonight,” he murmured, voice rough.
I raised an eyebrow. “You’re just realizing that now?”
His lips twitched. “No. I’ve been distracted.”
I let out a slow breath, staring up at him, at the way the moonlight highlighted the sharp angles of his face, the glint in his eyes.
“You meant what you said on stage,” I murmured.
His grip tightened, his forehead nearly brushing mine. “Every word.”
I swallowed, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Dominic…”
His name was barely out before his mouth crashed against mine.
It wasn’t soft.
It wasn’t careful.
It was a claim.
His hands gripped my waist possessively, pulling me flush against him, as if he was daring me to pull away. I didn’t. Instead, I let my fingers slide into his hair, let myself sink into the kiss, into him, into everything I had spent so long pretending I didn’t want.
His teeth grazed my bottom lip, his hand sliding to my back, his grip firm, dominant, certain.
When we finally broke apart, I was breathless, my body pressed so tightly against the railing I could barely think.
Dominic’s forehead pressed against mine, his voice a rough whisper.
“I haven’t fallen,” he murmured. “I just let you catch me.”
My fingers tightened in his shirt.
And I was more than willing to hold on.