ic's

y phone and dialed my assistant. As the lin

matter, one I didn't ne

s soon as he answered. "Make sure everything is handled

asn't like him. "Mr. Dominic, I'll handl

iately suspiciou

r up earlier. There were.incidents with her

slowly building. I already knew she hadn't been living well, but

abruptly. "I

er into a marriage like this? Sophie was barely out of school, and yet, they sold her off t

weak and a crybaby. She'd been mistreated all th

your wife, M

ed coldly. "This marriage was a

had chosen. Hearing her called 'Mrs. Dominic' f

refer to her a

w handle

ear from her family now that she was under my care. I'd ensure that her f

-

no expense bringing the best to ensure Sophie's surgery was handled perfectly. When I en

perating room, she reached out suddenly, her s

spered, her voice shaking

hie, this small, timid girl, had dared to touch me, and worse, I didn't yelled or banned her right away as I usua

ts of opportunists-had tried to get close, thinking they could have me. I had shut them all down ruthlessly, many banned from

filled with fear. She wasn't like those other women. S

by saying, "Don't b

ged glances, wondering if they had just witnessed something they weren't

and I watched until the doors closed behind her. Then a

ophie's family to sign the c

ard and took it without

ut sir.legally, you aren't her dir

an anything I could have said. She quickly backed down, flustered, a

ng who I was had certain advantages, even when it came to matters

-

tside the operating room, my mind preoccup

n my hands. And though our marriage wasn't one born of love or de

ok her out, I moved

s something about the way she'd handled herse

expected. She hadn't clung to me with the desperation I'd s

from the anesthesia. "Sir." she whispered, her voice so fa

uldn't help but feel something stir inside me. Admiration, maybe? It wasn't something I gave freely,

. And for that, I ha

she slipped back into sleep. I stayed beside her, watching the rise and fall o

ion. I had no interest in love, no desire for a romantic relationship

et strength in her, a maturity that most girls her age lacked. She hadn't complained once about he

d that b

rlds were so different. I was used to control and power. She was young, naï

, but with a quiet respect. She was obedient, always doing

as just because I was older, because she saw me as an author

tful, obedient-maybe this arrangement would work. May