Taming the Madam: Domenica (+18)

chapter seventeen (w/ recap)

Recap from chapter 15 – 16

Domenica finds herself entangled in a complex web of desires, guilt, and professional challenges. After a passionate encounter with Jaxon, Domenica is both exhilarated and troubled. Despite the thrill of their connection, the reminder of her wedding photo with Neil haunts her, making her feel both liberated and shameful. Her marriage to Neil seems increasingly hollow, unable to fulfil her needs in ways that Jaxon effortlessly does.

In a business meeting, Domenica's partner, Isabella, proposes signing a controversial author whose books stir debate yet captivate readers. While Isabella sees promise in the author's creativity, Domenica worries about aligning their company with such divisive themes. Their conversation quickly turns tense, with Domenica rejecting the idea outright, especially given the story's plot of a housewife entangled with her best friend's son, which hits too close to her own life. She reflects on her love for literature and the power of stories, contrasting the fairy tales we yearn for with the harsh realities of relationships and self-worth.

At lunch, Neil calls to remind Domenica about a meeting with her aunts to discuss her late mother's house. While her aunts suddenly claim sentimental attachment to the home, Domenica remembers their indifference when they first sold it to her father. Neil suggests giving them the house for peace, but Domenica resents the idea, feeling the house represents her connection to her mother and upbringing.

While processing these emotions in a café, Domenica witnesses a painful argument between a young couple. Watching the girl's heartache stirs up her own memories of struggling to connect with her mother. When the argument escalates and the boy strikes the girl, Domenica intervenes, forcing him to leave. This act of compassion toward the young girl momentarily lifts her spirits, leaving her with a sense of purpose despite the turmoil in her personal life.

Here's chapter seventeen,

Domenica.

The one thing you can never escape in life is curiosity. Once you get what you were after, you can't help but want more. You expect more, feeling that there must be something beyond this. Curiosity and expectation come hand in hand, always pushing you to seek out the next discovery.

A week felt like a year.

He slipped through my fingers like grains of sand. Each time I sent my butler to summon him, there was always an obstacle; he was either engrossed in my husband's demands or toiling away in the garden with his father. To keep my mind occupied, Celine has been staying here for a week. I have yet to decide what to do with the poor girl—no job, no home. I've learned she's twenty-two, only a year younger than Jaxon. A sense of alert for some reason blared within my body, was I afraid if I let Celine linger for too long, she might catch his attention?

I had to chase away those thoughts as I don't want to be acting like a jealous sixteen-year-old girl. I'm thirty for God's sake, I should be acting like my age. What I've learned from my therapist two years ago, I should embrace whatever it is that's bothering me. If I sensed a jealousy within me, I should embrace it with a positivity. See through them.

I see a lot of potential in Celine.

Once, I caught her lingering in the library, a book in her hand. I let her be, once, twice, and more, realizing she has a passion for literature. I contemplated whether to bring her to my office, perhaps to arrange an internship for her. She has been eager to repay me by working around the house, but I couldn't bring myself to let her. After seeing her in the library and listening to her gush about the book she was reading, I saw potential in her. Good God, she finished high school. It's a pity she crossed paths with the wrong person, led astray from pursuing higher education.