The drive home was quiet.
Not tense.
Not angry.
Just heavy with things neither of them were ready to say out loud.
Elara watched the city blur past the window, replaying the night in her mind—Bianca's smile, Evan's surprise, the way Dominic never once let go of the invisible line connecting them.
"You switched the glasses," Dominic said at last.
"Yes."
"You didn't hesitate."
"No."
He nodded once, fingers tightening briefly on the steering wheel. "That instinct will keep you alive."
Elara turned to him. "You don't like that I'm learning your world so fast."
A pause.
"I don't like that you have to," he corrected.
---
Back at the mansion, the house greeted them with silence again—but this time, it felt different. Watchful.
Bianca was waiting in the living room.
She stood when they entered, her posture perfect, her face pale under the lights.
"You embarrassed me tonight," she said calmly.
Elara removed her heels, unhurried. "You embarrassed yourself."
Bianca's gaze snapped to Dominic. "Are you really going to let her speak to me like that?"
Dominic didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.
"This isn't a negotiation," he said. "You will respect my wife—or you will leave."
Bianca laughed, sharp and brittle. "You're choosing her already?"
"I chose her the day she stopped being afraid of you," he replied.
That was the crack.
Bianca's composure shattered, just for a second. "You think she's strong?" she hissed, turning to Elara. "You think he won't get bored? Men like him always do."
Elara stepped forward.
"Maybe," she said quietly. "But you won't be here to see it."
Silence fell like a blade.
Dominic nodded once. "Pack your things. You'll stay in the east guest house. Limited access. Staff supervision."
Bianca's eyes burned. "You can't cage me."
"I can," he said evenly. "And I will."
She stormed past them, fury trailing in her wake.
---
Later that night, Elara stood alone in the study, hands braced on the desk, heart racing now that the adrenaline had nowhere to go.
Dominic entered quietly.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded, then shook her head. "I don't know."
He stopped a step away from her. "What you did tonight… that wasn't survival anymore."
"What was it?"
"Choice."
The word settled between them.
Elara looked up at him. "I'm scared of what I'm becoming."
Dominic's gaze softened—not possessive, not cold. Honest.
"I'm scared of how much I don't want to stop you."
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Dominic reached out, resting his hand over her heart—steady, grounding.
"We'll do this the right way," he said. "Slow. Clear. No games between us."
Elara covered his hand with hers. "Then don't protect me from everything."
A breath.
"I won't," he promised. "But I won't let her destroy you either."
Outside the study door, Bianca listened—nails digging into her palm.
They thought the lines were drawn.
But wars weren't won in the open.
They were won in the da