Page 66 of Bound in Ruin

I open my mouth to give a polite, sanitized answer, but the words catch in my throat as I think about him guiding my hands on the heavy gear shift of the Stingray, about him calling top doctors just for a minor graze, about the quiet way he holds me at night.

"I think..." I start slowly, my eyes turning to Dominic, "what surprised me most is that Dominic is not as cold or careless as he wants the world to believe. He wears a heavy armor, and he lets people think he's ruthless—which he can be—but beneath all of that, he is fiercely protective. When he decides to care for someone, he leaves zero room for failure."

The room goes entirely still for a second. Victoria looks touched, while Dominic's jaw tightens slightly, his dark eyes locking onto mine with a sharp intensity that makes my heart skip a beat. I meant every word. It wasn't in our script, but it is the absolute truth.

Victoria turns back to Dominic, clearly moved by the unspoken chemistry radiating between us. "And for you, Dominic? What surprised you about Rosalia?"

Dominic doesn't look away from me. His thumb continues its steady, soothing rhythm against my knuckles.

"I expected a lot of things," Dominic says quietly, his deep voice carrying a strange edge of pride. "I expected grace, beauty, elegance. But what surprised me—what catches my breath every single day—is her strength. Rosalia is harder to frighten than any woman I have ever known. You can put her through hell, throw a storm directly at her face, and she won't bow her head. She just stands up and fights back harder."

A warm blush creeps up my neck, settling high in my cheeks. My hand twitches under his, my fingers instinctively curling around his palm. The elaborate hotel suite shrinks until it feels like it's just the two of us sitting in the space between our lies and the undeniable truths slipping out from beneath them.

Victoria lets out a soft, delighted sigh, breaking the trance. "Well... I think our readers are going to absolutely fall in love with you two."

"Though, Rosalia... if I may be completely candid," Victoria says, her voice morphing into a faux-sympathetic tone that grates against the quiet room. "There are quite a few whispers in high society regarding your family's recent misfortunes. Many seem to view your marriage to a man of Dominic’s... immense status as a rather strategic, last-minute safety net for you. How does it feel knowing people see you as little more than a lucky trophy wife rescued from ruin?"

The room temperature instantly plummets to absolute zero.

Beside me, I feel Dominic go completely rigid. His knuckles turn stark white, the muscles in his jaw flexing violently as his dark eyes lock onto Victoria with a cold, murderous promise that makes her visibly flinch.

Before he can unleash holy hell and end this woman's career—or life—I immediately reach over, slipping my fingers firmly into his hand and squeezing it with a tight, grounding pressure.

I don't need Dominic to fight this battle for me.

"Victoria," I say, my voice smooth, quiet, and razor-sharp. I tilt my head, offering her a cool, effortless smile that doesn't reach my eyes. "If high society believes I’m a trophy, it only proves how little they understand true value. Dominic didn’t marry a helpless damsel looking for a savior, and I certainly didn't enter this union looking for an escape. I stand beside my husband as an equal, not a charity case. But please... do tell me more about what these 'whispers' say. I always find the opinions of irrelevant onlookers mildly entertaining."

Dominic’s sharp intake of breath is almost audible. I glance sideways for a fraction of a second and catch the subtle, wicked dark gleam in his eyes. He is enjoying every single second of this.

However, he doesn't let her completely off the hook.

Dominic leans forward slowly, placing his elbow on his knee, his broad frame looming over the coffee table like an approaching storm. Victoria’s smile vanished in an instant.

"My wife was polite enough to answer your question," Dominic says, his tone dark and flat, carrying an unmistakable warning that echoes off the glass windows. “Now let me make something abundantly clear to you, Victoria. You are in this room because we permitted it. Speak to Rosalia with disrespect again, or question her place beside me one more time, and this interview ends right now—along with your magazine's access to anything bearing the Kane name. Am I making myself clear?"

Victoria’s face drains of color. She swallows hard, her hands trembling slightly as she clutches her notepad tightly against her chest.

"I—I apologize, Mr. Kane... Mrs. Kane," Victoria stammers out quickly, bowing her head in genuine, terrified embarrassment. "That was completely out of line. Please forgive me."

I offer a small, calm nod, tightening my grip on Dominic’s hand as he slowly settles back into his chair, his eyes never leaving her until she nervously clears her throat and moves on to the next topic.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

DOMINIC

Two hours later, I drop Rosalia off at the estate. She’s the first to get out of the car, but when she notices I’m not following, she frowns.

"Where are you going?" she asks, crossing her arms over her chest as she stops on the front steps, her dark eyes tracking my every move.

I just offer her a slow, unreadable smile. "I'll be back."

She narrows her eyes at me, a sharp, suspicious glare settling on her face as I pull away, the heavy iron gates closing behind me.

I drive into an affluent, suburban neighborhood of the city, where historic mansions sit behind tall, pristine hedges and manicured lawns. I pull up to an ornate brick house, kill the ignition, and walk up the stone path to the grand front entrance.

I press the brass doorbell.

A moment later, the oak door swings open, revealing Judge Arthur Sterling. He’s in a silk lounge jacket, a glass of scotch in his hand. He blinks, a subtle flicker of recognition darting across his eyes as he takes in my face and my tailored suit.