Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Aria’s POV
“You are so controlling, Dominic. Allow the girl to breathe,” Nico said, voice rough from pain but his words were angry enough to spark fire in Dominic’s eyes.
Dominic turned slowly, every muscle in his body rigid. The air felt thick, dangerous, like standing in the center of a storm just before it breaks.
“What did you just say to me?” Dominic’s voice was deadly quiet, the softness far more terrifying than his earlier outbursts.
Nico spat blood on the polished floor, straightening with a grunt, his eyes locked onto Dominic’s with unflinching disdain. “I said you’re suffocating her. You’re squeezing so tight that you can’t even see what you’re doing. She can’t move without your permission, can’t speak without your glare. Let her breathe, Dominic.”
Dominic stepped forward, his stance towering, his presence swallowing the room whole. His eyes flashed, cold and lethal. You think you have any right to lecture me on control? You’re nothing but a traitor, Nico.”
“And you’re blind,” Nico shot back. “Too busy playing God to see you’re destroying her.”
My heart hammered as I tried to sit up, pushing myself shakily against the headboard. My voice came out thin, strained.” Stop it–both of you. Please.“.
Dominic ignored me, eyes fixed ruthlessly on Nico. “Aria is mine. You don’t speak her name, you don’t even look at her without my permission. Do you fucking understand me?”
Nico laughed bitterly, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. “That’s your problem. You see everything as yours–property, control. That’s not love, Dominic. That’s possession. You’re sick in the head and need therapy.”
In an instant, Dominic was across the room, hand gripping Nico’s throat with brutal force. Nico choked, eyes wide, hands clawing at Dominic’s grip as he was pinned against the wall.
“You know nothing about what I feel,” Dominic snarled, inches from Nico’s reddening face. “Nothing.”
Nico forced words through the pain, voice rasping, his eyes burning with raw anger. “You’re proving me right. Look at you- fucking unhinged because someone dared to care about her. You don’t love her; you’re obsessed with owning her,you sick fuck.”
Dominic released him abruptly, letting Nico drop gasping to the floor. He stood over him, chest heaving, rage radiating like
heat from his skin.
“You betrayed me,” Dominic said, voice cold, emotionless. “The only reason you’re alive is because I haven’t decided how slowly you’ll die yet.”
Nico struggled to his knees, coughing harshly before looking up, his will unbroken. Blood dripped from his lips, but he still managed a twisted smirk. “Go ahead and kill me. It won’t change the truth. You’re destroying her, Dominic. She deserves better.”
Dominic stepped closer, gripping Nico’s hair, forcing him to look up. “Better? You think you’re better for her?”
“No,” Nico spat. “But at least I see her as human. You just see her as something to own , control. You don’t even realize the more you tighten your grip, the further you’ll push her away.”
1
I finally found my voice, trembling and hoarse. “Dominic–please stop. He’s not worth it.”
Dominic’s head snapped toward me, eyes blazing. “Did I give you permission to speak?”
I flinched at the ice in his voice, heart cracking painfully in my chest. “I- ”
He strode swiftly toward me, leaning over the bed, his hand gripping my chin tightly, forcing me to look directly into the fury of his gaze.
“Never question me in front of my men again,” he growled, low and dangerously controlled. “Ever.”
Tears burned at the edges of my eyes, but I swallowed hard, refusing to let them fall. “Dominic, please-”
erce, yet
His grip tightened, fingers digging painfully into my skin, silencing me immediately. His eyes searched mine, d. beneath the rage, I saw desperation. Fear. The frantic need to control something that felt completely out of his grasp.
“You don’t understand, Aria,” he said, voice rough. “I do everything for a reason.”
I whispered shakily, “Hurting me can’t be one of them.”
He froze, eyes flickering briefly with uncertainty, and then released my face sharply, stepping back as if he’d burned himself. Behind him, Nico slowly climbed to his feet, a broken chuckle escaping his lips. Dominic spun around, his anger flaring
anew.
“Still laughing?” Dominic’s voice was deceptively calm.
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Chapter 82
Nico wiped fresh blood from his mouth, his smirk bitter, defiant. “You really don’t get it, do you? You think beating me proves anything?”
Dominic’s jaw clenched dangerously. “It proves your place.”
Nico’s gaze darted between us, before finally landing on Dominic, piercing through him. “You’re a fucking controlling freak. You’re so lost in owning everything around you that you can’t see the one person you claim to care about is breaking under your hands. You’re hurting her, Dominic. And you’re too blind to even see it. Fuck you.”
Dominic lunged at Nico, fist driving mercilessly into his jaw, snapping his head sideways. Nico staggered, crashing against the dresser, barely managing to stay upright.
“You think you know me?” Dominic growled, voice shaking with rage, as he dragged Nico upright again by his collar. “You think you know what it’s like to fight every goddamn day to protect something? You’ve never known sacrifice, Nico. You’ve never known real fear.”
Nico spat blood at Dominic’s feet, defiantly meeting his eyes. “And you have? You’re just scared of losing your favorite toy.” Dominic’s next punch knocked Nico sprawling to the floor again, groaning in pain, blood pooling beneath his cheek. Dominic stood over him, breathing heavily, fists clenched, his entire body coiled like a predator.
“I’ll end you,” Dominic whispered, deadly and certain. “You’re weak that’s tmwhy your father sent you away. Would rather use you for your money. But never value you as a song because you are nothing.”
But Nico just smirked through the blood. “Then do it. Kill me. But remember–when she’s gone , when she runs because you couldn’t stop yourself from breaking her–you’ll know exactly who to blame.”
Dominic hesitated, eyes narrowing dangerously. Silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating. Nico’s words hung in the air, echoing harshly.
Dominic turned back to me, his expression unreadable but haunted. Slowly, he approached, his voice quieter now, but no less threatening. “Is he right, Aria? Am I breaking you?”
I swallowed, shaking. “Dominic, I-”
His eyes narrowed, voice strained. “Answer me.”
“I don’t know,” I whispered, voice barely audible.
He exhaled slowly, jaw v tightening as if my answer had punched him harder than Nico ever could. “You don’t know?” He echoed bitterly.
“I don’t know what to think anymore,” I admitted, my heart shattering at the confusion, the hurt reflected in his eyes. ” Everything’s so twisted–so broken.”
He nodded slowly, pulling himself back together, his posture stiffening once again. Turning, he faced Nico coldly, his voice sharp as a blade. “I’ll deal with you later.”
Nico laughed bitterly, barely conscious but defiant still. “You’ll never control her forever, Dominic. She’ll leave. She’ll run.” Dominic paused briefly, then turned sharply, eyes blazing as he approached Nico one last time, speaking quietly enough that only the three of us could hear. “She’ll never leave me. Because unlike you–I don’t let go.”
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