Chapter 28
Rebecca’s POV
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In the elevator, I leaned against the wall, trying to calm my racing heart. What had just happened? How could my body betray me so completely with a man who was essentially trying to buy me?
And why, despite the degrading nature of his proposition, was a part of me—a part I desperately tried to silence–actually considering it?
I wandered aimlessly through the city streets, my mind reeling from Dominic’s proposition. Each step took me further from his office, but I couldn’t escape the memory of his touch, his taste, the predatory gleam in his eyes as he laid out his terms.
My phone buzzed with a text from my mother: [Dad’s having trouble seeing the TV now. Doctor says tumor pressing on optic nerve. When are you coming home?]
A sob caught in my throat. Time was running out. Dad’s tumor was growing, robbing him of his senses day by day. While I stood here wrestling with my pride, my father was suffering.
Was my dignity worth more than his life? Could I live with myself if I refused Dominic’s offer and my father died waiting for treatment that came too late?
I found a bench in a small park and sat down, my legs finally giving out beneath me. Sharing Dominic’s bed. Being at his beck and call. The thought made me sick with humiliation. But then, hadn’t I already been with him twice? Hadn’t my body responded to him each time with a hunger that frightened me?
“This is different,” I whispered to myself. “This is… prostitution.”
But was it? He wasn’t offering to pay me for sex. He was offering to save my father’s life in exchange for my companionship. It was more like an arranged marriage–the kind made throughout history to secure alliances, wealth, power.
The thought didn’t comfort me much.
I stood up, a new determination taking hold. If I was going to do this–and God help me, I was running out of alternatives–then I needed to approach it differently. Not as a victim, but as a participant. Not as merchandise, but as a partner in a transaction.
I found the nearest restroom in a coffee shop and locked myself in. Looking in the mirror, I saw a
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woman on the edge–eyes too bright with unshed tears, cheeks flushed with emotion, hair slightly disheveled from running my hands through it in frustration.
This wouldn’t do. If I was going to negotiate with the devil, I needed to look like I belonged in hell.
I splashed cold water on my face, reapplied my lipstick, and fixed my hair. I unbuttoned the top button of my blouse, making my cleavage visible. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin.
“If he wants me,” I told my reflection, “he’ll pay full price.”
With newfound resolve, I left the coffee shop and headed back toward Sterling Enterprises. The receptionist recognized me immediately, her eyes widening slightly.
“I need to see Mr. Sterling again,” I said, my voice steady.
“Do you have an appointment?” she asked, though her tone was considerably more respectful than earlier.
“No, but he’ll want to see me,” I replied with a confidence I didn’t entirely feel. “Tell him Rebecca
Brown has made her decision.”
Minutes later, I was back in the elevator, ascending to Dominic’s office. My heart pounded, but I refused to let my fear show. When the doors opened, I walked with deliberate slowness to his office, each step measured, controlled.
His assistant looked up as I approached. “Go right in, Ms. Brown. He’s expecting you.”
Of course he was. He probably knew I’d be back before I did.
I pushed open the heavy door to find Dominic standing by the window, his broad shoulders outlined against the late afternoon light. He turned as I entered, and something flickered in his eyes- surprise, perhaps, at my quick return. Or approval of the subtle changes in my appearance.
“That was faster than I expected,” he said, making no move to approach me. “Have you made your decision already?”
I closed the door behind me, leaning against it. “I have a counteroffer.”
His eyebrow arched. “I don’t recall inviting negotiation.”
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Chapter 28
“You didn’t,” I agreed. “But you’re getting it anyway.”
A small smile tugged at his lips, though his eyes remained watchful. “I’m listening.”
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“I’ll accept your terms–living in your villa, being available to you, attending functions, sharing your bed.” Each item on the list made my stomach clench, but I kept my voice level. “In exchange, you will pay for my father’s full treatment and everything I want. And during our contract, you can’t find
other women.”
He sounded almost amused. “How mercenary of you. And why would I agree to this?”
I swallowed hard. It was time for my final card–the one I knew would either win me this negotiation or end it completely.
“If you refuse my conditions, then there’s no point in continuing this discussion.” I took a deep
breath before delivering the blow. “You and William both wanted me, which means there must be
other werewolves who would agree to my terms. I could find them instead.”
The change was instantaneous and terrifying. Dominic’s entire body went rigid, his eyes flashing
from deep blue to bright blue in a heartbeat. A low, feral growl rumbled from his chest as he closed
the distance between us in two swift strides.
“You. Are. Mine.” Each word emerged as a guttural snarl. His hands gripped my upper arms with
barely restrained strength, lifting me slightly so that I had to look up into his transformed face. “No
other man touches you without my permission. Do you understand?”
