The Blackmail contract Bride - Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Dominic POV:
The car's gentle hum wrapped around me, yet my mind was anything but tranquil.
I gazed out the window, not really taking in the trees rushing by, just blurs of color and a sense of motion, a feeling of distance.
Distance from her.
From Lena.
Even when we were under the same roof, I could feel her drifting away, layer by layer, moment by moment.
And the hardest part?
I couldn’t hold it against her.
The private clinic was hidden away in the hills, without any signs or onlookers. Everything felt coded and discreet, just the way I preferred it.
The nurse at the front desk greeted me with a stiff smile as I walked in.
“Mr. Knight,” she said. “She’s awake. You can head right in.”
I nodded in acknowledgment but didn’t say anything; my throat felt tighter than I anticipated.
Why was I so uneasy?
She wasn’t my sister.
She didn’t belong to me.
She was Lena’s.
Yet, I had cared for her for years. I signed the papers, covered the bills, and spent countless hours in waiting rooms during procedures and long, restless nights.
I had given Emma more attention and care than I ever had for anyone else.
And still, it felt insufficient.
Her room was small but tidy. The walls were a soft blue, and the monitors beside her bed emitted a gentle beep.
Emma sat up, gazing out the window. She looked exhausted, and thinner than the last visit.
But she was alive.
That was all that mattered to me.
She turned her gaze towards me when the door softly clicked shut.
“Dominic,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “You look terrible.”
I managed a weak smile in response. “Thanks.”
She motioned to the chair next to her. “Are you going to sit down, or just loiter around like a weirdo?”
Despite myself, I couldn’t help but smirk and took a seat.
A moment of silence passed before she spoke again.
“She’s upset with you.”
I looked down at my hands. “I know.”
“You should have told her.”
“I didn’t know how.”
“She’s not oblivious,” Emma replied. “She’s just angry. And scared.”
“I get it.”
Emma sighed and leaned back against the pillows. “So why didn’t you just tell her the truth?”
I kept my eyes on the IV line running into her arm. “Because it wouldn’t have made a difference.”
“Yes, it would have,” she countered. “It would have changed everything.”
I stayed silent.
Deep down, I understood she was right.
The truth itself didn’t terrify me, not really.
But the thought of losing Lena did.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
I already knew who it was.
Mira walked in, her dark curls neatly tied back, a long coat hugging her figure.
She glanced at Emma, offered a smile, and then turned her focus to me.
Her expression was anything but warm.
“Can we talk?” she asked.
I glanced at Emma, who nodded.
Mira and I stepped out into the hallway.
I leaned against the wall, arms folded. “Go ahead.”
“You’ve got about a week before she’s gone again,” Mira said coolly.
I didn’t react.
“She’s planning something,” she continued. “I saw it in her eyes. She’s scared of you, Dom. And spare me the ‘I’m protecting her’ speech, I’ve heard it too many times.”
“I am protecting her.”
“No, you’re not,” Mira retorted sharply. “You’re controlling her. You love her, but you don’t know how to handle that, so you turn it into power.”
“I’m keeping her safe,” I insisted, my voice lower this time. “And the baby.”
“It's not just the thought of her leaving that frightens you,” Mira said. “It’s the fear that she might take the child with her and never look back.”
I averted my gaze.
Mira sighed. “I noticed how you reacted when you first met Emma. You were distant, intrigued. But with Lena, you experienced something deeper. That intensity scared you then, and it still does.”
“She doesn’t trust me,” I replied. “I don’t believe she ever will.”
“Then you need to earn that trust,” Mira stated matter-of-factly. “You can’t just keep her like an object. You have to show her you’re someone she wants to be with.”
I rubbed my hand across my face.
“I have no idea how to be that person.”
Mira studied me for a long moment. “Then it’s time to start learning.”
When I returned to the mansion, it was well past midnight.
The house was mostly dark, with only a faint light glowing from the sitting room.
I slipped inside quietly.
And there she was.
Lena.
Curled up on the couch, a book resting on her lap, her breathing calm and rhythmic.
She had fallen asleep there, as if she didn't want to return to the bedroom. As if she wanted to avoid being close to me.
I stood there longer than I intended, just observing her.
Her face looked serene in her sleep. A bit pale, perhaps, but stunningly beautiful.
So incredibly beautiful it was almost painful to look at.
I approached her slowly, carefully.
There was a blanket on the armchair near her. I picked it up and gently placed it over her.
Her lashes fluttered, and I froze.
But she didn’t wake up.
I knelt beside her for a moment, gazing at her hand. It looked small, relaxed.
I didn’t reach out.
I couldn’t bring myself to touch her.
Because I knew that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to let go.
The next morning, I fell back into my usual routine.
Suits. Phone calls. Security briefings.
The protective armor I felt most comfortable in.
I spotted her in the hallway by the stairs. She didn’t say a word, just walked past me as if I didn’t exist.
But her posture was rigid.
And she didn’t appear angry.
She looked… exhausted.
I nearly called out her name.
Almost.
But I held back.
Because if I allowed myself to soften again, I might not be able to maintain my composure.
And right now, that composure was all I had left.