Chapter 41

Nina hesitates for a few moments, because now, with the door open, the dim light from the nightclub's spotlight enters the room. She could see his freezing blue eyes, staring at her. His face really was very close and the look in his eyes made her feel a cold feeling in her stomach.

She lowers her head, avoiding his gaze, and leaves the warehouse. She looks around for Samuel and his bodyguard and feels relieved not to see them.

At that moment he hears Dominic let out a low growl and then hears the noise of metal and some things falling. Nina looks back at the storage room and realizes that the metal shelf had fallen, and he was protecting her by holding the shelf on her back, preventing her from getting hurt by the objects falling on top of her.

— D-Dominic... — she stutters and tries to help him, but soon he manages to push the heavy iron shelf and leaves the warehouse. — Y-you must have been hurt! — she says, with wide eyes.

— Do not worry, I'm fine. — he responds with a serious expression on his face.

— No! You must not be well. Come with me, let me help you.

Nina holds his hand, surprising him, and before he can protest, she already pulls him, taking him to the back of the club.

Nina takes him to the employee locker room, which was empty.

There was a table in the middle, with some chairs around it. She looks around and then asks:

— Take off your shirt, let me see your back.

She seemed very worried and Dominic raises an eyebrow and then says:

- You help me?

— Oh, of course! — he requests, she approaches him and begins to carefully unbutton the buttons on his shirt.

Every moment their eyes meet and Nina feels her breathing become heavy again. She starts to think that maybe it wasn't a good idea to offer to take off his shirt, since the idea that their relationship was just professional no longer existed.

She takes a deep breath and looks away from him, and finishes unbuttoning her shirt and says:

— Dominic, about what I said back in the warehouse that we can't have a relationship. Maybe it wasn't very clear...

She takes off his shirt and then the tank top he was wearing underneath, revealing his toned physique. She takes a deep breath, taking in her athletic body, and tries hard not to lose her train of thought.

— Dominic, I know you are very rich and… — she takes another deep breath and continues — and you are also very attractive. Maybe you're not used to being rejected and because I rejected you at the party, you took it as a challenge. Look, I didn't say those things to provoke you, the truth is that I can't relate is that I can't imagine being with anyone anymore, in fact I don't want to.

Dominic holds her hand, stopping her. Nina instinctively looks into his icy eyes and he says:

— What are you getting at by saying that? Does that mean you don't want me? There in the warehouse, you wanted me to kiss you, you can't deny that.

She turns him onto his back and looks at the bruises and scratches, after searching through the locker room lockers and finds a first aid kit and places it on the table.

— It's not that... I haven't had a relationship with any man for a long time, so it's normal for my body to react that way. The thing is, I was really hurt in my last relationship and I don't trust anyone else. I cannot exceed your expectations.

— And what expectations do you think I created?

— I don't know... — she starts to apply a muscle relaxing ointment on his back, while continuing to say — Maybe you think I can cultivate some feeling...

— I don't want your feelings. — He turns to her, making her look at him. — I want a mutually agreed relationship. I will not lie to you, there will be no disappointments, I want unlimited pleasure.

Nina is speechless with the intensity and sincerity of his words, then lowers her head and says:

— How can you guarantee that there will be no disappointments?

— That's a difficult question to answer. — he takes the tank top and puts it on — When you learn to trust me, you will understand what I say. Let's get out of here? I really hate seeing you in this kind of place.

She thinks for a while and ends up deciding to go out with him.

Outside, the valet stops the car and Dominic opens the passenger door for her, and after she gets in, he gets in the driver's seat and starts the car. Nina finds it a little strange that Patel isn't present, because most of the time she was. However, she says nothing and just looks at the city lights through the window.

She thinks about the direction her life would take from now on. Dancing at the club failed completely and knowing that Samuel frequented that place, she never wanted to be there again. Her only alternative was Dominic, but she didn't feel safe with him.

— Where are we going? — she asks, looking at him.

— To a place where we can discuss the terms of our agreement. — he says with a professional air, demonstrating that he took this seriously.

— Can I think first?

Dominic looks at her, frowning.

— Think after reading the proposal.

— Look, I'm exhausted. I'm emotionally and physically exhausted, I can't do this today.

She really was tired, but she said that because she wanted to avoid making hasty decisions. Nina was suffering a lot from the bad decisions she made in life.

—Are you running away again? — Dominic asks, staring straight ahead.

— No, I'm not going to run away... — she hides her face in the palm of her hands, demonstrating that she was serious when she said she was exhausted.

— I'll drop you off at home. — he says, maneuvering the car.

— Okay. — she says without protest.

Dominic stops the car in front of her house, and she leaves, without saying goodbye. Nina was at her limit.

She enters the house and plops down on the couch. She finally lets the tears flow. Furthermore, she felt like she had failed again, and that feeling consumed her.

Nina takes out her cell phone and calls the only person who felt safe to vent.

— Júlia, will it be very inconvenient if I come to see you at this time?

— Of course not, Nina! I'm going to make a cake with lots of chocolate to welcome you.

Júlia responds and Nina smiles, that was all she needed, support and comfort.

Even though she can't, she orders a car via app, which takes her directly to Júlia's apartment.

Nina didn't even change and was in her nightclub outfit and wearing Dominic's jacket.

Júlia welcomed her with a hug and some clothes in hand, so she could take a shower and change.

After feeling clean, she went to Júlia's room and the two lay down on the same bed. The friend stroked her hair while she vented.

— I think you should accept your billionaire boss's deal. — Júlia says, after Nina asks what she thinks.

— What if it all happens again? What if I leave this relationship worse than I entered it?

— Be smart this time. If he wants to use you, use him too. Manage to take from him everything you need to pay for Hannah's treatment, get enough to build a new life, and then run away with your daughter far away. I'm going to help you.