Fatally Yours

Chapter 38

•INDIANA•

Dominik leaned back in his chair, swirling his wine glass lightly before he asked, "What was life like for you growing up in the foster system?" 

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart dropped, and for a moment, I froze.

He was trying to get to know me better, really better, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Still, I couldn't let him see my hesitation. 

"It was... tough," I began, my voice steady even though my chest tightened. "The system isn't exactly built to nurture kids. You're just... there, moving from one home to another. After a while, you learn not to get attached because nothing lasts." 

Dominik's brows furrowed slightly, his gaze fixed on me with an intensity that made my stomach churn.

He was listening so attentively, as if he genuinely cared about every word I said. But I couldn't let myself get caught in that sincerity because everything I was telling him was a lie. 

"I had to fend for myself early on," I continued, reciting the script I'd memorized to protect my real identity. "When I aged out, I didn't have much of a choice. I ended up on the streets, joining small gangs to survive. I knew it was dangerous, but... I didn't see another way. The money kept me alive." 

He didn't say anything, but the way his jaw tensed and his fingers curled slightly around the stem of his glass told me he didn't like hearing that. 

"Did you ever try looking for your real parents?" he asked, his voice quieter now, as if he was treading carefully. 

I shook my head, a wry smile tugging at my lips.

"No. What's the point? They're better off not knowing about the person I became. It's easier that way—for them and for me." 

But the words brought back a memory I hadn't let myself think about in years.

My real parents, their laughter, their love. The car accident that had taken them away from me. And my sister—my sweet, innocent little sister who had become my whole world after that.

It was just us against the world after they were gone. 

The weight of it all hit me, and I felt my eyes sting with tears. God, I missed Hailey. I quickly looked away, pretending to adjust my napkin, but I knew Dominik had noticed. 

"You okay?" he asked softly, his voice laced with concern. 

I glanced at him and saw something in his eyes I hadn't expected—sympathy.

Not the cold, distant kind, but something deeper, as if he really felt for me, as if he wanted to take away whatever pain he thought I was reliving. 

I blinked back the tears, forcing myself to smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's all in the past. I've left that life behind, and I'd much rather enjoy the moment I'm having now than dwell on things I can't change." 

Dominik's expression softened, and he raised his glass toward me.

"Cheers to that," he said. 

I smiled back at him, picking up my own glass.

"Cheers." 

The soft clink of our glasses felt like a quiet promise, an agreement to let the past stay where it belonged—for now.

As I sipped my wine, I couldn't shake the feeling that, for better or worse, I was being pulled deeper into Dominik's world.

And maybe, just maybe, I wasn't as resistant to it as I thought.