Chapter 33

Nina gently moves his hands away and takes a few steps back, distancing herself, and after thinking for a few seconds, she says:

— I'm sorry you lost your jewelry, I'm a bit clumsy...

Dominic gets a little annoyed and raises an eyebrow.

— Mr. Dominic, I can't pay you for them now, if they have any value, can you forgive this debt?

Nina realizes at that moment that she could be even more in debt, she closes her eyes, feeling disgusted with life that at the moment she thought everything would get better, everything started to go wrong as soon as she stepped into that party.

Dominic can't stand it and approaches her, takes her arm so she doesn't run away from him anymore and says:

— They were gifts from me. Of course I'm not happy to know that they're no longer with you, but you don't have to pay for something I gave you.

She nods positively, even feeling a certain relief.

— Nina, you still haven't answered what I asked. Don't run away again!

— They tried to rob me… — she lies, she didn't trust Dominic, especially after discovering that he was some kind of Samuel's brother.

— No, it was not! — He lost control, he wanted her to trust him, but he didn't know how to do it.

Nina tries to let go of him, but he doesn't let go. Dominic looks at her intensely, with her icy eyes and says:

— I read somewhere that what you have in your eyes is not common in humans, but it is more common in cats. And that's what you are! If you get hurt, I'll take care of you and when you get better, you run away from me! You're always out there, running around and knocking things down wherever you go and don't think before acting. I just want to know what the fuck happened!

Nina pulls his arm sharply, letting go of him and then says:

— It's none of your business! I… I just wanted to work and get paid. I didn't want to go to parties with people like you. — she loses control and leaves Dominic paralyzed, he wonders if she hated him.

Nina returns to her desk and ignores Dominic, continuing to work. She just thought that she had to find a way to get the money to pay off the debt soon.

At that moment Dominic's cell phone rings and he looks at the identification on the screen. You frown, because you were expecting exactly that person's visit.

— What was there? Why are you calling me? — he says, answering.

— I wanted to confirm the meeting. When I arrived, the receptionist told me he couldn't help me as he was very busy.

Dominic looks at Nina thoughtfully. It was obvious that this had something to do with her and the aversion she showed towards Samuel. But today he wanted the whole truth to be made clear.

— Go to the meeting room, I'm coming down.

After hanging up, he looked at Nina, who seemed to be ignoring him, and said:

— We have a meeting now and I need you to accompany me.

— Meeting? — she asks in surprise, she didn't remember having scheduled anything for that time.

— Yes, I booked that one myself. — Dominic says and walks to the curtain, pulls it aside, revealing the door that gave access to the stairs that went to the meeting room, on the floor below.

He stood there, waiting for her. Nina is a little suspicious, but ends up obeying him and walking past him to go through the door.

She goes down the stairs and stops on the top step.

His mouth dries up and his heart races, if seeing Samuel already caused him discomfort before, after the latest events it caused him much more.

Nina feels Dominic's presence behind her and looks back. He sees the fear in her eyes and this reinforces the idea that Samuel had something to do with what happened to her.

Hesitantly, Nina finishes going down the stairs and stands next to Dominic's armchair, and Dominic then takes her place.

—What is so important to call me urgently, Dominic? — Samuel asks and Dominic doesn't answer.

He just observes his appearance. Samuel had a small bandage on his forehead, which made him wonder if Nina had something to do with her injury.

After an awkward silence ensues for a few moments, Dominic says:

— I'm going to be very direct, Samuel. Do you and Nina already know each other?

— No… — Samuel replies, giving Nina a threatening look.

Before he could continue, Dominic interrupts him:

— I don't believe it. Look, if you're going to keep lying, I can't keep supporting your campaign. You have not behaved like someone who deserves to be elected.

— Are you serious?! — Samuel stands up, saying with aggression in his tone of voice.

Dominic is unfazed, but Nina takes a few steps back, scared.

— Yes, I met this woman! — Samuel says, pointing to Nina — Do you want to know the truth? She's like a prostitute, desperate to get ahead by conquering a rich man. The first time I saw her, she jumped on my bed.

Nina's heart races, she realized that at that moment her past would come to light. But not said by her but by Samuel's distorted words.

— Look, Dominic. At that time my marriage was in crisis, I was separating from Kira. It wasn't any kind of betrayal, it just happened that I was needy and she is very easy. I don't know how you didn't notice? Kira and I got back together and I didn't look for her anymore. She's telling you these things about me out of spite.

—She told me that she did some things that I didn't like knowing, Samuel. — Dominic bluffs.

Nina's eyes widen, realizing his strategy and Samuel falls:

— It's a lie! I was making political contacts at the party all night and Kira felt sick and left early. She decided to play with my security guards and then invented these lies. Look in the cameras.

Dominic, this time, looks at Nina and says:

— Is that really what happened?

He wanted to give her the chance to tell the truth and expose what really happened.

But Nina was scared, she didn't want Samuel and his gang to chase her anymore. Especially at that moment when Hannah was in such a fragile state, in the ICU.

So she thought for a while in silence and made her decision. She would do what Samuel wants and thus be able to keep him out of her life again.

She turned to Dominic and said:

— Sir, I want to resign.

Dominic looks at her, surprised.

— I will never set foot here at Bright Corporate again. — that sentence was for Samuel to hear and not exactly for Dominic. — I... I just ask that you pay for my days worked, please. — She couldn't be proud, every penny that entered her account was precious.

— No, I do not accept your resignation… — Dominic was disconcerted and Samuel was satisfied.

— I don't want to work here anymore, consider it as abandoning work, Mr Dominic.

After saying that, she walks away. Dominic stands up and shouts:

— Nina, don't even think about doing that!

She ignores him and opens the glass door to the room and leaves.

Dominic tries to follow, but is stopped by Samuel.

— Let her go, it will be better for you.

Dominic aggressively pushes Samuel and he hits his back against the wall. He goes towards the elevators and when he gets there, it was too late, Nina had already gone down.

He takes out his cell phone, dials and is immediately answered.

—Patel, Nina Moon.

— OK.

Dominic hangs up and goes back to the meeting room. Samuel returned to sit in her place, but he looked scared.

Dominic bends down and places both hands on the table, staring at Samuel with her icy gaze.

— D-Dom... we're practically brothers.

— Shut up! — Dominic says, extremely irritated — I'm not your brother and I will never have that kind of consideration for you. Listen carefully to what I'm going to say, be careful where you walk, because if I find out that you were just a few meters away from Nina Moon, I will take my own measures.

— D-Dom... look at the cameras, I told you I didn't do anything to her. — scared, Samuel instinctively raises his hands.

— So it's better to make sure that no scratches or marks appear on her body, because if they do... — at that moment Dominic sees the bite mark on Samuel's wrist, confirming that he did, indeed, do something to her. Dominic takes his wrist and squeezes, making him groan in pain — Samuel, if even a tiny scratch appears on Nina Moon, I'll come after you. I'm not going to bother investigating, I really won't!