The weight of Dominic's confession hung heavily in the air, and Aurora couldn't shake the feeling that the ground beneath her feet had shifted irrevocably. She had always prided herself on being able to read people, to understand their intentions. But with Dominic, every glance, every word, every touch had felt like a puzzle—one she had struggled to piece together. Now, with the truth spilling from his lips, the pieces of their relationship felt like shattered glass, scattered beyond repair.
She sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around herself, a protective shield against the world that suddenly felt so foreign. The skyline outside the penthouse was a blur of lights and shadows, but all she could see were the lies that had clouded her vision.
Dominic stood by the window, his back turned to her, looking out over the city as though it could offer him answers. He hadn't moved since his last words hung in the air between them. I love you. I've loved you from the moment you walked into my life.
Aurora wanted to scream. She wanted to demand more from him—answers, clarity, something that would make sense of the chaos swirling inside her. But all she could do was sit there, silent and broken.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she finally asked, her voice barely audible.
Dominic's shoulders stiffened, and for a moment, he didn't respond. Then, he turned slowly, his expression strained, as though every word was being pulled from him with great effort.
"I didn't want to lose you," he said, his voice rough. "The truth was too much. Too dangerous. And I couldn't risk you walking away."
Aurora let out a bitter laugh, though it had no humor in it. "You couldn't risk me walking away? So instead, you built this... this lie around us, hoping it would protect us?"
Dominic's face darkened, and he took a step closer, but she held up her hand, stopping him.
"Don't," she said, her voice shaking. "Don't try to make me feel better about this. Because right now, I'm not sure I even know who you are anymore."
Her words stung, but they were true. The man she had fallen for, the man who had made her feel things she never thought possible, felt like a stranger now. Every part of him that had drawn her in—the flirting, the confidence, the passion—was suddenly tainted by the realization that it had all been calculated. Every touch, every moment they shared, had been part of a grand design.
"I'm not like that," he said quickly, his tone desperate now. "I never meant to hurt you, Aurora. But I've been backed into a corner. I had no choice."
Aurora stood up, shaking her head. "You always had a choice, Dominic. You just chose the easy way out."
"Is that what you think?" His voice was low, almost dangerous now, but Aurora didn't flinch. "That I just took the easy way out? I've been fighting for everything, for us, and you think I've been lying this whole time?"
"You should have trusted me!" she shouted, her emotions rising like a tide she couldn't control. "You should have told me the truth. We could have handled it together. But instead, you kept me in the dark, kept me as part of some twisted game, and you don't even see the damage you've done!"
Dominic's eyes flickered with guilt, but he didn't back down. "I never wanted to play games with you. Not with you, Aurora. You mean more to me than you'll ever understand."
"Then why didn't you trust me?" she whispered, the tears she had been holding back finally breaking free. "Why didn't you let me in?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Neither of them spoke, the air thick with everything they had said—and everything they had left unsaid. Aurora wanted to leave. She wanted to walk away, to put distance between them and find a place where the hurt wouldn't feel so raw. But she couldn't. Not yet.
"I don't know if I can forgive you, Dominic," she said, her voice breaking. "I don't know if I can keep pretending that everything is okay when I feel like I don't even know who you are anymore."
Dominic took a step closer, but this time, she didn't stop him. He was within arm's reach, his eyes filled with a mixture of regret and something deeper, something that still pulled at her heart.
"I don't want you to forgive me for the wrong reasons," he said softly. "I want you to forgive me because you believe in us. I want you to trust me again, Aurora. Trust that what I feel for you is real, no matter the mistakes I've made."
Aurora closed her eyes, the weight of his words pressing down on her chest. She wanted to believe him. She really did. But the pain of the past few days—the lies, the secrets—had created a chasm between them that seemed impossible to cross.
"You can't just erase what's been done, Dominic," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "You can't just sweep it under the rug and expect everything to go back to the way it was."
"I know," he said, his voice low. "I know I've messed up, and I can't change the past. But I'm here now. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it right."
For a moment, Aurora considered his words. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that the man standing before her, the man who had made her feel alive in ways she had never imagined, could still be the person she had fallen for. But the scars from the past few days were deep, and she wasn't sure if they could ever truly heal.
"I don't know what to do," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I don't know how to move forward."
Dominic reached out, his fingers gently brushing her cheek, his touch tender. "One step at a time," he said quietly. "We don't have to figure everything out right now. But I'm not giving up on us, Aurora. And I'm asking you not to give up on me either."
Aurora closed her eyes, leaning into his touch, her heart torn between the love she still felt for him and the betrayal that lingered like a shadow. She didn't know what the future held for them. But for the first time in days, she felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could find a way back to each other. If they were both willing to fight for it.
"One step at a time," she repeated softly, opening her eyes to meet his gaze.
And for the first time in a long while, she didn't feel so alone.
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