Chapter 14 Amelia
Seattle feels different without Dominic.
It isn’t something tangible—not like the way the hospital hums with life or how the rain clings to my coat.
It’s something deeper.
A whisper at the back of my mind, reminding me of the void his absence has created.
But I can’t afford to dwell on it.
So, I throw myself into my work.
The hospital is a haven of controlled chaos, a world where my hands know exactly what to do, where my mind can focus on patients instead of:
The unanswered messages
The persistent news stories about a prince halfway across the world
The fact that my heart keeps reaching for something that isn’t here
Here, I am Dr. Amelia Grant, not the woman caught in an impossible love story.
But no matter how much I try to stay occupied, reminders of Dominic are everywhere.
The texts he sends—sometimes short and clipped, sometimes full of quiet longing—pull me back in, each message a tether to something I’m afraid to name.
Dominic:
I miss Seattle. I miss you.
I stare at the screen longer than I should before tucking my phone away.
This is dangerous territory, and I know it.
But that doesn’t stop me from typing back.
Me:
Seattle’s still here. So am I.
It’s not a promise, but it’s something.
Days pass, and I try to keep busy.
When I’m not at the hospital, I find solace in the little things—Morning runs through misty streets, coffee at my favorite corner shop, late-night calls with Kate. Who, despite her teasing, knows when to let me be
But then, there are moments when it all catches up to me.
Like now.
I’m sitting in my office, reviewing patient charts, when a familiar name pops up in an email.
Hawthorne Industries: Health Initiative Partnership Proposal
My pulse jumps.
I read it twice before clicking it open.
The proposal outlines a new health initiative, a partnership between Hawthorne Industries and local hospitals to provide:
Better medical technology
Training
Funding for underserved communities
It’s… brilliant. And unexpected.
And undeniably linked to Dominic.
I glance at the sender’s name—Eleanor Whitfield.
Not Dominic himself, but close enough.
I hesitate before responding, but professionalism wins out.
Me:
Ms. Whitfield,
I’d be happy to discuss the proposal further. When would you be available for a meeting?
I hit send, my heart pounding.
Work.
This is work.
It has nothing to do with him.
With us.
At least, that’s what I tell myself.
Two days later, I find myself in a sleek office space overlooking downtown Seattle, sitting across from Eleanor.
She’s composed as always, but there’s a warmth to her today that surprises me.
“I appreciate you taking the time to meet,” she says.
“Dominic was very particular about ensuring this initiative aligned with your hospital’s needs.”
I stiffen slightly. “Dominic was involved in this?”
Eleanor’s lips twitch, the closest thing to a smile I’ve ever seen from her.
“He didn’t say it outright,” she says, “but let’s just say he’s been very persistent about making sure this happened.”
My stomach flips.
Of course, he has.
We discuss logistics, funding, and implementation strategies, but underneath it all, there’s something unspoken.
Something that lingers in Eleanor’s careful phrasing, in the way she watches me just a little too closely.
As I leave the meeting, my thoughts race.
Dominic isn’t here.
But in every way that matters, he still is.
And maybe, just maybe, I’m finally ready to admit what that means.
It happens in the most unexpected way.
I’m walking out of the hospital, rain drizzling lightly, when I see him.
Dominic.
Standing beside a sleek black car, coat unbuttoned, hair slightly damp from the mist, watching me like he’s afraid I might disappear.
My breath catches.
For a second, I think I’m imagining it.
Then he speaks.
“Amelia.”
And just like that, the world tilts.
I should be angry.
I should demand answers, should push him away before he pulls me back into something I can’t control.
But I don’t.
Instead, I close the distance between us.
“You’re back.”
He nods, exhaling like he’s been holding his breath this whole time.
“I had to come back. For you.”
My heart stutters.
“Dominic, I?—”
He steps closer, his voice lower now, raw.
“I don’t have all the answers. But I know one thing—I can’t do this without you.”
My chest tightens.
I should be careful.
I should protect myself.
But when he looks at me like that, like I’m the only thing grounding him, I know there’s no use fighting it.
So I do the only thing I can.
I reach for him.
And as his arms wrap around me, the rain falling softly around us, I know one thing for sure.
We’re not finished.
Not even close.
Dominic’s grip tightens, his warmth bleeding into me through the cold, damp air.
I hear the slight shudder in his breath, as if he’s afraid that if he lets go, I’ll disappear.
“Say something,” he murmurs, his voice strained.
I close my eyes, letting the moment settle deep in my chest.
“You came back.”
His forehead rests against mine, and for a second, it’s just the two of us, the rest of the world falling away.
“I never should’ve left.”
I tilt my head up, searching his face.
“Are you staying?”
He hesitates, his jaw tightening before he nods.
“If you’ll have me.”
A breath leaves me in a rush, caught somewhere between relief and disbelief.
“I don’t know what this means, Dominic.”
“Neither do I,” he admits.
“But I know I can’t go back to that life, to Petrovia’s expectations, without knowing what’s possible here. With you.”
Thunder rumbles in the distance, the rain picking up around us, but neither of us moves.
The moment stretches, something fragile yet unbreakable forming between us.
I swallow hard. “Then don’t leave.”
A ghost of a smile touches his lips. “I wasn’t planning to.”
And then, with the city lights flickering around us, Dominic kisses me, slow and certain, like a promise that neither of us fully understands yet.
But for now, it’s enough.