Sins of Dominion

Chapter 18: Shattered Masks

Evelyn

The morning light filtered through the stained-glass windows of the chapel, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the stone floor. I lay in Dominic’s arms, my head resting against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt at peace.

But as the soft light of dawn crept over us, that peace was tinged with a creeping sense of unease. The events of the previous night were still fresh in my mind—Dominic’s touch, his whispered confessions, the way he had looked at me as if I was the only thing in the world that mattered. It was overwhelming, intoxicating, and I found myself wondering if I had made the right choice.

Dominic stirred beside me, his arms tightening around me as he woke. I felt his lips press against the top of my head in a gentle kiss, and for a moment, I let myself sink back into the comfort of his embrace.

But the unease wouldn’t go away. There was something about the intensity of the connection we had shared, something about the vulnerability I had seen in Dominic’s eyes, that didn’t quite sit right with me. It was as if I had glimpsed something deeper, something darker, that lay beneath the surface.

I lifted my head slightly, my gaze drifting to Dominic’s face. He was watching me with that same unreadable expression, his eyes dark and intense. For a moment, I wondered what he was thinking, what was going on behind those eyes that always seemed to hold so much more than they revealed.

“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice rough with sleep.

“Good morning,” I replied softly, trying to keep my voice steady despite the swirling thoughts in my mind.

Dominic smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re thinking too much again.”

I sighed, resting my chin on his chest as I looked up at him. “I can’t help it. Last night… it changed everything.”

He nodded slowly, his expression growing more serious. “It did. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, Evelyn.”

“I know,” I said, though my voice was laced with uncertainty. “It’s just… there’s so much I don’t understand. About you, about what’s really going on here.”

Dominic’s jaw tightened slightly, and I could see the tension in his eyes. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” I whispered, my voice trembling with the weight of the question. “I want to know who you really are, Dominic. I want to know why you’ve been playing this game, why you’re so obsessed with control, with me.”

He stared at me for a long moment, the silence between us heavy and thick. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the struggle between wanting to let me in and the fear of what that might mean.

“Evelyn, there are things about me… about my family… that you’re better off not knowing,” he said finally, his voice tight.

I shook my head, my heart pounding in my chest. “You can’t keep shutting me out. Not after everything that’s happened between us. If you want me to trust you, you need to be honest with me.”

Dominic’s expression darkened, his grip on me tightening as if he was afraid to let me go. “You think you want the truth, but you don’t. It’s better if you stay in the dark.”

“No,” I said firmly, pulling back slightly to meet his gaze head-on. “I’m not staying in the dark anymore. If we’re going to move forward, if we’re going to have any kind of future together, I need to know everything.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the tension in his jaw as he wrestled with the decision to let me in or keep me at arm’s length.