Inaya's POV

"How are you getting home?" Caterina asks as the party comes to an end.

"I stole Dominic's car keys. I'm driving myself home." I state.

"Haha, funny. Should I drop you off?" She offers.

I dangle the keys of the Rolls Royce in front of Caterina and her eyes widen.

"Oh my God, my sweet princess! Having you amongst us is making you tougher." She laughs.

"I didn't steal it... I was given the keys. He's too drunk to drive. I'm the only one sober."

I didn't lie, I didn't steal the keys. I asked the valet for Dominic's car keys, they asked me for my full name and apparently, I'm authorized to take the keys.

So, that's exactly what I did. I took the keys.

Plus, he is drunk. There's no way I'm letting him drive anyone home, whether that's me or himself.

I'm pretty disappointed with tonight and how everything unfolded.

Caterina wishes me good night and tells me to text her the second I get home. I wave her goodbye before watching her disappear into her car.

The valet drives up Dominic's car to where I asked him to and hands over the keys.

"Enjoy your night, ma'am." He says. There was a look in his eyes; the one where he didn't understand why anyone like me would associate myself with the crowd that was here tonight.

It's a good question. I don't know how I winded up here either.

"Thank you." I smile and he walks away.

I look down at my dress and the reflection of myself on the car door.

Even though I don't want to admit it, a part of me knows that I didn't only dress up for myself but I dressed up for him. I wanted him to see me as... beautiful.

He's always around such perfect women, I can never compete and I never should have tried. But I was selfish for once, for myself, and this is what the result was.

Heartache.

Maybe I was too harsh on him... but I know deep down inside that I wasn't harsh enough. He really goes around acting like such a jerk and gets away with it.

Why can't he take my feelings into account? Why can't he just let me be? Maybe there's a chance he understood what I tried saying tonight.

I'm honestly confessing this, I can't take one more bit of this heartache. I can't see him with another woman. I don't care how selfish this seems, considering that he's nowhere near mine. But I think I'll fall apart if I see him with... I shake the thoughts out of my head.

I get in the car and realize something, the fanciest car I've ever driven was a Mercedes Benz... This is a whole different world.

I look around to make myself comfortable with the pedals, gears, seat settings.

"I can't get comfortable! This is too much anxiety!" I sigh out of frustration.

Then, I think about how Dominic might get home.

"Don't think about him, don't think about him, don't think about—damn it!" I get out of the car and quickly catch up to the valet who gave me my keys.

"Have you seen Dominic Belcastro? I have to drop him off but my phone died so I can't contact him." I lie.

He nods. "He's a little rough, almost passed out on the couch near the entrance."

I thank him and quickly walk inside to find a good amount of people still left.

I find a familiar face in the crowd. Benny!

"Sir!" I call out to him.

He turns around and when he sees me, a smile appears on his face.

"Princess! I'm glad to see you're in one piece." He says.

"I'm glad to see you're alive." I say back.

"I should be saying that to you too." He laughs. "I'm glad Mr. Belcastro hasn't killed either of us yet."

"Me too." I giggle.

"You should visit Lenny and I or are we too boring for ya young folks?" He gives a sad smile.

"God, no! Your boss tends to almost never let me leave the house." I sigh.

"Ah... I should drop by myself, then." He suggests.

"Please, do! I'd love to hear some stories about your... missions." I choose my words carefully. "Angela told me a few but I want all the details!"

"Sure thing, Princess." He grins.

"Oh! I almost forgot what I was going to ask. Have you seen the man himself? Or maybe Nick? Dominic can't drive himself home tonight. I'm the designated driver."

"I think went upstairs into one of the rooms."

"Alone?" I make sure.

"Uhh, I think Nicholas might have gone with him but I don't think I saw anyone with him so yeah, I'm assuming alone. He might've went to get his coat or something." Benny says.

"Thank you! I'll go check up on him. Please do come by with Lenny and Angela! I'd love some company." I grin.

I quickly make my way up the stairs only to find myself even more confused. There's multiple doors and I do not want to stumble upon the wrong one.

You never know what these kind of people are up to at places like these.

I take quick peaks into each room and thankfully, each have been empty.

I've already opened six doors and I'm getting really tried and close to giving up to go home.

Actually... it just hit me I don't even know how to go home... I don't even know where home is.

"That's great!" I whisper to myself in defeat. I really need him.

Finally, the eighth door, I think I hit jackpot.

I recognize Dominic's very distinct shoes on the floor. I push the door open wide but the room's empty at first look.

I slowly walk inside. "Dominic?" I call out his name.

The room is pretty big. It looks like one of those fancy suites at a luxury hotel.

I wall towards the end of the room, where there's another door. The door was slightly peaked open and I accidentally pushed it further out. Now, the door was wide open for me to see.

The clothes are littered on the floor like breadcrumb trails left by a lost traveller. I follow the trail of clothes with my eyes.

Familiar pair of high heels are tipped over on the floor. A familiar black shirt, a familiar black dress—

I have to close my eyes because I honestly could not take it. I wanted to pray that it was all in my head. But when I opened my eyes, to my disappointment, everything was still the same.

There's lace undergarments, types that I would never even think of wearing, are scattered on the floor.

My eyes finally rest on the giant hot-tub-like bathtub further into the washroom.

There he is in all his glory... the man who repeatedly breaks my heart.

"Where's Nick?" I don't know why I blurt that specific question out. I wasn't even looking for Nick.

Dominic's eyes dart towards me. I know he's completely sober now. There's not a single cloud of judgement in his dark orbs. He just stares back at me with a stone-likes expression, almost daring me to ask what's going on.

Darcie peaks out from behind him while some other woman raises her head from his lap. There's no doubt that they're all naked.

Darcie slides her hand over Dominic's shoulder, and down his chest to rest her hand right over where his heart is.

Darcie continues to kiss his neck, while the other woman proceeds to—Lord knows what she's doing down there.

He doesn't even flinch, not one muscle out of place.

"Dominic... I..." his name escapes my lips like a broken whisper, only burning my throat as I speak.

I'm going to be sick.

"Inaya! I knew you wanted some with Dominic but maybe not tonight?" Her voice just doesn't fit in the room, I wanted to scream.

"Unless, you want to watch? Or maybe even join us?" She smirks.

"Your desperation is sad, really." Dominic stares at me with the intent to break every emotional bone in my body. "But there's no shame in wanting me. Do you want to join me, amore mìo? The girls wouldn't mind."

My throat burns as if I drank a glass of acid and it only gets achingly painful whenever he talks or I see those two woman coddling him.

Darcie's hand slowly slides down his chest, seductively caressing his body until she reaches to grab his—

The bathtub's covering the bottom half but I didn't have to think too hard to understand what she's doing–or about to do.

"You're a monster, Dominic... I know you know how I feel, yet you still... you're a..." My hands are shaking so hard that I thought they'd detach from my arms.

I turn around to walk out with the small bit of sanity I have left.

"I'm going to take my own life at this rate... I can't... I'm so tired..." I whisper but the echo of the washroom makes it sound louder.

I'm gripping the car keys so hard that I'm sure my palm is bleeding.

There's a loud splash, as if someone quickly stood up from the tub and all I hear is Darcie talking in a hushed, panicked tone, "Dominic, I don't know what you just did but she held onto those car keys with dangerous intentions. I don't think she's kidding."

- - -

A/N: when y'all thought I couldn't make you hate Dominic more and I pull out this trick up my sleeve 🤩 (I was going to say I pulled an uno reverse but didn't know if that made sense in this case 💀)

Highkey, I was really angry at Dominic while writing this chapter. 🙂

Next Update: Monday, December 23, 2019.