The hum of the office was back to its usual rhythm, but Kirah's mind was far from calm.
She sat at her desk, brows drawn together in a practiced mask of indifference. She typed and replied to emails. On the outside, she was fine.
But inside?
A storm.
Dominic's text from last night replayed in her head like a broken record. "I'll be here if you need anything. Sleep well."
Really? After acting nonchalant after the party, acting all cold and professional like nothing happened between them, he now wanted to play the soft card?
She bit the inside of her cheek.
She closed her laptop harder than necessary and muttered, "Apologies don't come in designer boxes." She was so convinced that it was Dominic's doings now.
If he was really sorry, he would say it. Face to face. Own up to what he did instead of playing this guilt-laced generosity game.
---
Meanwhile…
Dominic stared at the clock on his desk. It wasn't even 11 a.m. and he was already done pretending.
He hadn't been able to focus since Monday. His mother's visit, Kirah's cold shoulder, the look in her eyes when he walked into her office—it was driving him insane.
He'd tried the thoughtful route. The gifts. The texts. Space.
Nothing worked.
Now, he was done guessing.
He buzzed his secretary.
"Clear the rest of my schedule for the day," he said curtly. "And call Ms. Kirah Evans, Tell her I need her to close up early today and meet me in the lobby by five."
"Yes, sir."
He leaned back in his chair and loosened his tie. No more tiptoeing. If he was going to lose her, she'd at least know exactly how he felt.
---
5:00 PM — Vierra Holdings Lobby
Kirah hadn't planned to accept the invitation.
But when the call came in from the front desk that Dominic personally requested she close early for a meeting offsite, her pride kicked in.
Fine.
She would hear him out and make sure he understood just how unimpressed she was.
He was already waiting in the lobby when she arrived, dressed down for once—no tie, no boardroom armor. Just a dark button-down shirt and slacks, sleeves rolled up, revealing strong forearms and a vulnerability he didn't usually show.
"Thank you for coming," he said softly.
She didn't reply.
The place wasn't loud. It wasn't extravagant. Just dim lighting, quiet music, and a small booth tucked into a corner.
He ordered them a bottle of wine, but Kirah barely touched hers.
"Why am I here, Dominic?" she asked bluntly, crossing her legs and leaning back.
He sighed, fingers curling around his glass.
"Because I owe you more than silence. I've been doing everything except the one thing that actually matters."
"Which is?"
"Apologizing," he said simply.
Kirah didn't blink.
He leaned forward. "I'm sorry. For everything. For what happened in the party, for ignoring you, for acting like it didn't happen. I was—confused. Scared, even. I've never felt this out of control before."
She scoffed, bitter. "Right. The billionaire who gets everything suddenly scared after sleeping with a girl from .... How convenient."
His jaw tightened, but he didn't react.
"I sent the heels. I arranged the car. I've been texting you for two nights because I didn't know how else to show you that I—" He hesitated. "That I regret how I handled things. Deeply."
Kirah stared at him for a long second.
Then she laughed—but it wasn't a sweet laugh. It was hollow, clipped. "You think expensive shoes and goodnight texts fix emotional disrespect?"
"No. I don't," he said quietly. "That's why I'm here now."
"Well, let me say mine now," she replied, voice steady but hard. "You're just a spoilt billionaire who sleeps with his employees and then acts like it never happened. Maybe they fall at your feet, maybe they don't. But I won't be a name on your list."
"That's not—"
She raised a hand. "Let me finish. I've worked too hard, built too much self-worth to be part of your dirty games, Dominic. If I wanted luxury, I'd marry a prince. But I want peace. And self-respect."
She slid out of the booth, grabbed her purse.
"I'm not one of your toys," she said, standing tall. "Don't ever try to make me feel like one."
And with that, she walked out.
---
Dominic sat still, staring at her empty seat.
For a man used to winning, to control, to women bending under his charm—this was new.
Painfully new.
And deserved.
But as she walked out of the bar and out of his reach again, one thought consumed him:
He wasn't giving up on her.
"I'll have you Kirah and you won't regret that decision, just be feeling yourself all you want my shawty"