Chapter 44: WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Dominic rounded the car and stopped a few feet away from her.
Violet’s entire body went still. Her lips parted slightly, her heart skipping a few beats as she desperately searched for something to hold onto, or somewhere to hide herself.
"Kierra." Dominic called again, softer this time.
"Do... I..." Violet tried to speak, but words failed her.
She closed her eyes, wishing that when she opened them, he’d have disappeared, and she could laugh at how vivid this illusion of him had been.
But that didn’t happen.
She swallowed a lump in her throat, then schooled her features, something that always came easily to her now suddenly felt difficult.
"You have the wrong person, Mr...?" She drew out the last word, expecting Dominic to supply his name the way he had the last time.
Dominic clasped one hand over his forehead and muttered a quick "shit" under his breath.
He cleared his throat, tugging at the bottom of his clean black suit. "I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called you that." He scratched the back of his neck, his eyes moving quickly over the woman in front of him.
He could see she was struggling to stay calm, which directly contrasted with how composed she’d been the few times they’d met before.
"Violet... I should have addressed you by your real name." His hand fell to his side, and a shy smile crept onto his lips. "I got a bit too used to Kierra, it just rolls off my tongue so easily now."
Violet narrowed her eyes. What did he mean? How did he even know her real or fake name?
"I’m sorry for the slip, Miss Violet." Dominic dipped his head slightly. "I was told to come pick you up."
Confusion etched across Violet’s brow as she drew them together. "You came to pick me up?" she asked.
Dominic simply nodded.
This made Violet question whether he was truly the man she’d met before. He’d seemed sane the last time they met, but right now he kept spouting nonsense.
Or had Jill and Jones discovered she’d impersonated one of their employees to approach Leo.
Had they sent him here to take her aw—
"I understand this must be confusing for you, and you probably have questions, given how we last left things." Dominic interrupted her train of thought. "But I assure you, all your questions will be duly answered."
A blue Lexus drove past them, its headlights cutting briefly through the deepening orange haze as the sun sank lower.
Violet assessed him with her eyes.
Even though he looked sincere, she had no reason to trust him. "Who asked you to come pick me up?" she questioned.
"Kai." Dominic said without hesitation. He slapped one hand across his forehead, letting out a groan. "I’m sorry, I just keep making mistakes. I should have started with that."
First, he’d called her by her fake name, second mistake, ’the second might even actually be the first mistake,’ he thought to himself. He’d failed to mention he’d been sent by Kai.
That would have saved a lot of time.
"Kai sent you?" Violet asked.
She’d seen him earlier, but they’d both pretended not to know each other, per her request the night before.
Had he been worried about her? Was that why he’d sent Dominic? Did this mean Dominic worked for him? So she hadn’t been exposed, right?
She hated the relief that settled in her chest, and how quickly it pushed out every other feeling.
"Yes."
"How can I believe that?"
Dominic fished his phone out of his pocket and took two swift steps toward her without saying a word.
Violet took a step back, then watched as his thumb worked across the screen before he turned it toward her face.
"These are the messages he sent."
On the screen was a series of messages exchanged between the two men.
The number matched the unknown one that had texted her the day before. The messages were proof enough.
Satisfied, Violet turned her face away, and Dominic lowered his outstretched hand.
"Do you believe me now?" he asked.
Violet didn’t respond.
Dominic opened the passenger door. "Let’s go."
Violet weighed the offer for a moment, running through a few things in her head.
One: she didn’t fully trust this man.
Two: she’d repeatedly told Kai she didn’t want his help.
Three: she didn’t seem to have any other options.
Four: she needed to leave before her father realised she’d gone and sent people to find her, if she kept walking, she might be spotted and dragged back.
Dominic held the door open, patiently waiting for her decision.
She let out a breath and decided to accept. If this turned out to be some kind of trap, she’d simply use her mind push on him, after all, his resistance percentage was only one.
The only reason she wasn’t doing that now was because, threatening the man who’d just risked himself to help her felt like a poor way to repay a favour she hadn’t even asked for.
The car smelled faintly of leather and mint. She settled into the seat, pressing her back against the cool black leather.
Dominic took his place behind the wheel and started the engine.
At first, the ride was silent, but after a while, Violet could no longer hold back her questions.
"So... when did you start working for him, and how much do you know?"
"Hmm..." He caught her eyes briefly through the rearview mirror. "I don’t know if you’d want me to answer that."
"You don’t exactly have a choice."
Dominic grinned. She was actually the one at a disadvantage here, not him. "For as long as Kai’s known." he said.
Violet pressed her lips together, his answer echoing in the back of her mind.
Of course he’d known from the beginning, his texts had already proven he was close to Kai.
How stupid had she been? Why had she assumed Kai had kept this to himself?
Dominic had known since the very moment he’d walked into that restaurant.
She decided to hold back her curiosity for now. As long as he wasn’t planning to expose her, she wouldn’t mind.
The car sliced through the city.
When Dominic didn’t take the route leading back to the hotel, Violet grew alert, sitting up straight immediately.
"Where are we going?" she questioned.
"Oh... I should have mentioned, we’re not going back to the hotel."
"That’s not what I asked." Violet had to stop herself from snapping at him. "I asked where you’re taking me."
"To the estate." he replied.