Page 41 of Beauty and the Billionaire

Fear filled me abruptly. Could he guess? Did he suspect? Oh, but I had to tell them who I was, or I would never have a moment of peace. Despite all Dominic had told me, I believed he was wrong. He had to be. It had to be better to be the person you were, even at such a high cost, than to not be true to yourself.

Mama Viv was true to herself.

Roman was, and so was Everett, even though the costs had been high. Cedric had left a kingdom behind, yet I was afraid of losing this little apartment, the room I shared with three of my siblings, and the shop I never meant to work in again.

“Yes,” I said simply. “It’s very large. Sometimes, I spend the entire weekend without running into him.” I forced a laugh after that and finished my tea.

When it was time to leave, I felt like I had failed. I had hoped to find the courage to tell them who I was, but all I succeeded in doing was discovering what a coward I was.

I hugged my parents tightly and told myself there would be another chance, but part of me knew that I would never have the courage to speak up. I would never have the courage to put their opinion of me at such a high risk.

When I walked out of the store and made my slow way back to Dominic’s penthouse, a terrifying sense of failure threatened to sweep me away.

Dominic

My things were packed neatly and loaded into the car. Fifteen minutes past noon seemed like plenty of time to settle any debate about whether Zain had given our actions some thought and reexamination. He must have.

So when he appeared in my study with cheeks red from the cold and a disappointed expression on his face, I was prepared to hear him say so.

I want to leave your employment. I considered this carefully and want to stay with my parents where I belong.He wouldn’ttell me that Neon Nights was just down the street and that he thought he should let himself explore his interests there. He wouldn’t tell me, for the sake of my feelings, that he wanted to meet more people his age. He was considerate like that, although I would have preferred directness.

“There you are,” I said without attaching any feelings to my voice. I stood up and walked over to the window while Zain looked distressed and on the verge of sharing his new decisions.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said. “I needed to clear my head.”

I inhaled and held my breath for a few moments, looking at the congested traffic far, far below. I wanted to run away from this city as quickly as possible. “It’s quite alright,” I said and exhaled. I let the silence go on for a bit longer, then turned on my heels to face him. “I understand you needed to think. And if you would rather stay in the city, that would only be natural.”

Zain frowned. He must have been shocked that I had pieced it all together.

“Of course, if you are interested in pursuing a corporate career, I will be happy to help. I have many companies based in the city with trusted executives…”

“What?” Zain asked. “Why would I want that?”

I stopped and blinked a few times. His frown was deep. “Because…”

He shook his head. “There is no ‘because.’ I don’t want that at all.”

We looked at each other. Part of me was aware that Zain’s expression was bordering on anger. I just couldn’t tell what precisely it was. “You want to return to Harringford?” I asked.

“Don’t you want me to?” he asked with growing impatience.

“I…thought that you might have regretted…”

“No.” He cut me off with a sigh. “Oh, Dominic. I didn’t regret anything.”

“Are you sure?” I insisted.

Zain stepped forward lightly, nearing me with a changing expression on his face. “What we did last night was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he whispered, extending his arms forward.

I stood still, not because I didn’t want to hold him but because I couldn’t control myself. My arms were limp, my feet glued to the floor, my legs heavy as stone. But Zain approached me and wrapped his arms freely around me, resting his face on my chest.

“Why are you so hard on yourself?” he asked softly.

I opened my mouth to counter that, but no words came.

“I didn’t sleep with you just because you were around, Dominic,” Zain said. “I did it because I wanted you. I wanted you for so long. And when it happened, it was everything I hoped it would be.”

I heard his words. I registered them. They carried meaning like any words, but I just couldn’t connect them to the reality. Part of me stood there in disbelief. He must have been mistaken. He wouldn’t say this to me. Would he?

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