Elena didn't know how to explain the
change inside her. Something had shifted after that talk with Dominic in his
office. His words still echoed in her head. "I'm willing to try." Just five
simple words, yet they carried so much weight. They weren't part of the
contract. They weren't about business. They were real.
She stood in front of the mirror that
morning, brushing her fingers lightly through her hair. Her eyes searched her
reflection, trying to find the woman she used to be—the one before this
marriage, before the lies, before the pressure to save everything her father
had left behind. But the woman staring back at her wasn't weak. She wasn't
broken. She was changing.
And maybe… just maybe, she wasn't
changing alone.
The kitchen was quiet when she
entered, sunlight pouring in through the tall windows. She was surprised to see
Dominic already sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked up
when she walked in, his expression unreadable but his eyes holding something…
softer.
"Elena," he said gently, standing.
She nodded, moving to pour herself
some coffee. "Morning."
There was an awkward pause. For once,
neither of them rushed to fill the silence. It just hung there, not heavy or
cold, but new. Different.
"I wanted to talk to you before you
left for Hart Enterprises," Dominic said, setting his cup down.
Elena froze slightly, her fingers
tightening around the mug. "Is something wrong?"
"No," he said quickly. "I just… I've
arranged a meeting. With the bank."
She looked at him, confused. "The
bank?"
"For the Hart loan," he explained.
"There's a way we can restructure the debt. It might give your company some
breathing room."
Elena blinked, her lips parting. "You
did that?"
Dominic nodded, watching her
carefully. "I told you I was willing to try. That includes helping your company
survive. Not because of the contract, but because I know what it means to you."
For a moment, she couldn't find her
voice. Her chest felt tight. She didn't expect that. Not from him. Not now.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He gave her a small nod and sat back
down. "We'll go together. 2 p.m."
She sat slowly, the warmth of the
coffee forgotten. "You didn't have to do that, you know."
"I know," he replied simply. "But I
wanted to."
Their eyes met, and something passed
between them. A quiet understanding. A beginning.
—
Later That Day
Elena sat in the passenger seat of
Dominic's car, staring out the window as they drove toward the bank. Her
thoughts were racing. It had been weeks since she felt this nervous. She wasn't
afraid of numbers or negotiations. She had faced worse. But sitting next to
Dominic, knowing he was doing this not as her business partner—but maybe as
something more—it made her heart flutter in a way she didn't understand.
"You're quiet," Dominic said, glancing
at her.
"I'm thinking," she said, her voice
soft.
"About what?"
She hesitated, then turned to him.
"About how much things have changed in just a few days."
Dominic didn't respond at first. His
jaw tightened slightly, but his eyes remained on the road. "Change isn't always
a bad thing."
"No," she agreed. "But it's scary."
He gave a short nod. "It is."
They didn't speak again until they
reached the bank. As they walked inside, Elena kept her head high. She
remembered who she was—Elena Hart, daughter of a business legend. She wasn't
going to let fear stop her from fighting for her family's company.
The meeting went better than she
expected. With Dominic's influence and his knowledge of the financial world,
the bank manager agreed to a new plan. More time. Fewer payments for now. Just
enough breathing room to start fresh.
When they stepped outside, the sun had
started to set. The sky was painted in soft shades of orange and gold.
"You did great in there," Dominic
said, sliding his hands into his coat pockets.
Elena turned to him, her eyes shining
with gratitude. "No. We did great."
A small smile tugged at the corners of
his lips. "We make a good team."
She smiled back, surprised by how
natural it felt.
And for the first time since this
marriage began, she didn't feel trapped. She felt… supported.
—
That Evening
Back at the penthouse, Elena stood in
the kitchen, stirring pasta while music played softly from the living room. She
hadn't cooked in days, but today felt different. She wanted to do something
nice—something simple and human.
Dominic walked in just as she was
setting two plates on the table.
"You cooked?" he asked, clearly
surprised.
She shrugged, trying to hide her
nervousness. "It's just pasta. Don't get too excited."
He chuckled and sat down. "I'm already
impressed."
They ate quietly for a while, the only
sound the soft clink of forks against porcelain. But the silence didn't feel
heavy. It felt… comfortable.
"I used to cook with my mom," Elena
said suddenly, her voice distant. "Before everything went wrong."
Dominic looked at her. "She was the
heart of the company, wasn't she?"
"She was," Elena nodded, her eyes
misty. "Dad had the vision. But she had the soul."
He didn't speak right away. When he
did, his voice was low. "You're a lot like her."
Elena's eyes flicked up to meet his.
"You never met her."
"No," Dominic said. "But I've seen
what you do. How you fight. How you lead. That doesn't come from nowhere."
The words hit her harder than she
expected. She had always tried to be strong—for her mother, for her brother,
for the company. But to hear Dominic say it out loud… it meant more than she
could say.
"Thank you," she whispered.
After dinner, they moved to the couch.
Dominic poured two glasses of wine, and Elena curled her legs under her,
watching him with quiet curiosity.
"Can I ask you something?" she said,
turning toward him.
He nodded. "Of course."
"Why now? Why start caring about this
marriage… about me?"
Dominic was quiet for a long time.
Then he looked at her, really looked at her.
"Because I was wrong," he said
finally. "About you. About what this marriage was. I thought I could keep
everything cold and simple. But nothing about you is simple, Elena. And
pretending I didn't care was only hurting both of us."
Her heart thudded. His words weren't
perfect, but they were real.
"I thought you'd never see me," she
admitted. "That you only cared about control."
"I did," Dominic said. "At first. But
now? I see more than I ever did before."
They were close now. Closer than they
had ever been. Her breath caught as his hand brushed hers.
"Elena," he murmured, "I don't want to
keep pretending."
Neither did she.
—
The Next Morning
Elena woke up to the smell of coffee
and the warmth of sunlight streaming through the window. For a moment, she
forgot where she was. Then she heard the sound of quiet footsteps and
remembered everything.
Dominic had fallen asleep on the couch
last night. They had talked for hours—about her family, his past, the business,
everything. And though nothing physical happened, it had been more intimate
than anything she had expected.
She found him in the kitchen, two mugs
in front of him.
"Morning," he said with a small smile.
"Morning," she replied, taking the mug
he offered.
They stood in silence for a while,
sipping their coffee side by side.
"I have a meeting this morning,"
Dominic said. "But I'd like to have dinner again tonight. Just us."
She looked at him, her heart
fluttering. "I'd like that."
And just like that, a new chapter
began.
Not business. Not fake.
Just the beginning of something real.
—
Later That Day
At Hart Enterprises, Elena walked into
the boardroom with renewed confidence. The team greeted her with nods and small
smiles. For the first time in a long while, she felt like a leader again.
Kingston joined her after the meeting,
his eyes scanning her face.
"You look… different," he said slowly.
Elena laughed. "That bad?"
"No," he smiled. "That good."
She hesitated, then said, "Dominic
helped with the bank today. He didn't have to, but he did."
Kingston raised an eyebrow. "So… he's
finally acting like a husband?"
Elena looked down at her hands. "I
don't know what he's acting like. But I think he's trying. And I think I'm
starting to believe in it."
Kingston didn't say anything for a
moment. Then he nodded. "Just be careful, Lena. People like him… they don't
change overnight."
"I know," she said softly. "But I'm
not the same girl I was either."
—
Evening Again
That night, Elena lit candles around
the dining room. It felt strange to want to impress someone she had once hated.
But this was different now. Everything felt different.
Dominic arrived on time, holding a
small box.
She blinked. "What's that?"
He handed it to her. "Something I
thought you might like."
Inside was a silver pen, elegant and
simple. Her mother had always used a pen like this.
Elena's eyes filled with tears. "How
did you—?"
"I saw a photo in your office," he
said. "I wanted to give you something… personal."
She clutched the pen gently, her heart
full. "It's perfect. Thank you."
Dinner passed with soft laughter and
stolen glances. No contracts. No power games.
Just two people slowly opening their
hearts.
—
As the night drew to a close, Dominic
walked her to her room. There was no rush. No pressure.
Only a question in the air.
"Elena," he said softly, brushing a
strand of hair from her face. "Can we try? Really try?"
She met his eyes, her voice barely a
whisper. "Yes."
And in that moment, everything
changed.
Not because of a contract.
But because of something real.
Something that finally felt like love.