Chapter 3 - The Ghost of the Past
The illusion cracked two months later, just as I entered my third trimester.
The baby bump was impossible to hide now, heavy and prominent. I spent most days reading by the penthouse windows or working on small, remote charity projects that Dominic’s legitimate businesses funneled my way.
It was a Tuesday afternoon when Dominic’s head of security, a massive, stoic man named Leo, walked into the sunroom with a sleek tablet in his hand. His expression was grimmer than usual.
“Ms. Chloe, the boss is on his way up. We have a situation.”
Before I could ask, the elevator doors chimed, and Dominic strode in. He looked furious. The calm, calculated mob boss was gone; in his place was a man vibrating with lethal intent.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, standing up awkwardly.
Dominic crossed the room and took the tablet from Leo, handing it to me. On the screen was a tabloid gossip blog.
MYSTERY MOB BABY? FORMER EVENT PLANNER CARRIES CHICAGO UNDERWORLD HEIR!
Beneath the headline was a grainy photograph of Dominic and me leaving the clinic, my pregnancy clearly visible. But it wasn't the paparazzi that had leaked it.
“Read the source,” Dominic growled.
I scanned the article. The source was listed as an "anonymous former associate." But the quotes gave it away instantly. 'She was a nobody until she trapped him. I dumped her because she was manipulative, and look at her now. She’s using the baby to get to Russo’s money.'
“Derek,” I whispered, dropping the tablet onto the sofa.
“He went to the press,” Dominic said, pacing the room like a caged tiger. “After I warned him. He thought going public would somehow protect him, or maybe he thought the tabloids would pay him enough to leave the state. He is a fool, and fools get innocent people killed.”
“What do you mean?” Panic flared in my chest.
Dominic stopped pacing and looked at me, his dark eyes shadowed with genuine concern. “The press is a nuisance. The problem is that my rivals read the press too. The Moretti family has been looking for a weakness to exploit for three years. Derek just painted a target on your back and broadcasted it to the entire city.”
Tears pricked my eyes. Not for Derek, but for the danger he had brought to my doorstep. “What happens now?”
Dominic walked over and cupped my face in his large, calloused hands. “Now, the gloves come off. Leo is tripling the guard on this floor. You do not leave this penthouse for any reason. I am going to deal with the Morettis, and I am going to silence your ex-fiancé permanently.”
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“Dominic, don't kill him,” I pleaded, grasping his wrists. Not out of love for Derek, but out of fear for Dominic’s soul. “He’s pathetic. He’s not worth a murder charge.”
Dominic’s expression softened just a fraction as he looked down at me. “I don't need to kill a worm to destroy it, Chloe. But I promise you, when I am finished with Derek, he will wish I had.”
