Chapter 11
Dominic slipped an arm around Sophia.
“You think caring for someone makes a man weak because you have never cared for anyone more than you care about yourself.”
He helped Sophia into the chair.
Then faced the council.
“The meeting is over.”
Anthony stared.
“You can’t just walk away.”
Dominic glanced back.
“I already won.”
He left with Sophia.
No threats.
No violence.
No dramatic order to have Anthony dragged away.
For Anthony, that was worse.
He had spent his entire life believing powerful men proved themselves by destroying enemies.
Dominic defeated him by deciding he was no longer worth the room.
The legal consequences arrived next.
The fraudulent prescriptions were turned over through attorneys to state investigators.
Anthony’s business partners abandoned him within weeks.
The clinic involved in the scheme faced investigations of its own.
Lauren left him before the baby was born after discovering he had lied to her too.
Dominic refused every suggestion that the family “handle” Anthony privately.
“No,” he told Michael.
“Let him face a courtroom.”
Michael looked surprised.
“People will talk.”
“Let them.”
“You’re changing the rules.”
Dominic stared through his office windows at the Chicago skyline.
“Some rules deserve to die.”
Sophia’s recovery took longer.
Much longer.
There was no magical morning when the fog disappeared.
Some days she woke energized.
Other days she cried because she couldn’t remember where she had placed her keys.
Sometimes she stood before the mirror and heard Anthony’s voice.
Sometimes she pushed away dinner before she was hungry.
Dominic never told her to eat.
He simply ate beside her.
He learned when to speak and when silence was kinder.
He also learned Sophia did not need protecting from every inconvenience.
One Saturday morning, he found her in his office reviewing contracts.
“You changed the vendor terms,” he said.
“They were terrible.”
“I approved those.”
“That doesn’t make them less terrible.”
Dominic stared at her.
Sophia raised an eyebrow.
“Problem?”
Slowly, he smiled.
“No.”
“You look annoyed.”
“I’m attracted to you.”
“You have a disturbing way of showing it.”
“You insulted a contract I negotiated for six hours.”
“It deserved worse.”
Dominic walked around the desk.
Sophia held up one finger.
“I am working.”
“This is my office.”
“And yet somehow I’m improving it.”
He laughed.
A real laugh.
The sound surprised both of them.
Sophia lowered the papers.
“There you are.”
Dominic stopped.
“What?”
“You.”
She smiled.