Behind the Vows

DOMINIC

Dominic stirred from sleep, blinking slowly as the morning sunlight streamed through the large windows of his bedroom. The silence of his usually regimented mornings felt different today-more relaxed, more disjointed. He wasn't used to this. His body clock had betrayed him, letting him sleep in for once. He stared at the ceiling, a frown already forming. Normally, his routine would already be in motion, but today... it was the weekend, he supposed.

He was about to roll over and doze off for just a little longer when his phone rang sharply from the nightstand. Dominic groaned, grabbing it blindly. It was probably Liam with some urgent matter that couldn't wait until Monday. Without glancing at the screen, he pressed the answer button and brought it to his ear.

"What now, Liam?" Dominic snapped, his voice rough from sleep. "If this is about the Baxter deal again, I swear-"

A soft, distinctly feminine voice interrupted his rant. "Um... Dominic?"

He froze. That wasn't Liam.

His eyes shot open, and he quickly glanced at the phone screen. It was an unknown number. His pulse quickened slightly as the pieces clicked together. He cleared his throat, trying to recover.

"Who is this?" His voice was sharper than he intended.

"It's Raven," the voice on the other side said, now filled with a certain coolness. "I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

Dominic sat up in bed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. So, this was Raven. They hadn't really spoken much since the engagement was set. He hadn't even given her his number. Of course, his father would have handed it out. He pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing himself to be polite.

"No, not at all," he replied, his tone softening just a touch. "What can I do for you?"

There was a pause, and for a moment, Dominic thought she might call him out for his curt greeting. But instead, she maintained her composure.

"I wanted to discuss my move-in," Raven said. "Your father gave me your number. I have a gala to attend this evening, but I need to know what time works best for you. I'm trying to coordinate everything."

Dominic swallowed the irritation rising in his throat. She was already talking about moving in. The arrangement still felt like some abstract business deal to him, something distant despite the looming reality of it all. But Raven's calm, no-nonsense approach threw him off guard.

"That's fine," Dominic said after a moment. "I'll be around in the afternoon. What time is your gala?"

"It starts at seven," Raven replied smoothly. "I'll aim to move in around three, then."

"Three works," Dominic said. He wasn't sure what else to say. "Anything else?"

"No, that's all," she answered. There was a brief pause before she added, "Thank you."

And with that, the call ended. Dominic stared at the screen for a moment, wondering why the exchange left him feeling so unsettled. Raven had been polite, efficient-everything he would expect from someone used to operating within high society. But something about her tone... it almost made him feel like this arrangement was more real than he had allowed himself to believe.

Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts aside and got out of bed. The cold tile beneath his feet grounded him back in reality. This was just another deal, he reminded himself. Nothing more.

Instead of reaching for his usual suit, Dominic grabbed a pair of black workout shorts and a fitted gray t-shirt. He tied his sneakers with deliberate precision, feeling the tension in his shoulders loosen slightly at the prospect of a hard workout later.