Chapter 1246

Chapter 1246:

“You and Alden…” His voice came out rough and raw, almost unrecognizable.

He paused, swallowing hard. “Are you with him?”

My chest clenched painfully.

I could barely believe this was Dominic. He was normally calm and detached, always keeping his emotions in check. But now, he sounded lost—like a scared kid afraid of being left behind. His voice quivered as he demanded answers from me.

Without thinking, I dropped my gaze. But his icy fingers caught my chin and lifted my face toward his.

“Look at me.” His tone was firm but laced with something fragile, something I had never heard in him before. “Do you still love me?” The words hit me like a punch to the chest.

I froze, completely thrown off. My lips began to tremble.

I couldn’t think of a single moment when Dominic—always so polished, always composed—had ever looked this raw, this close to begging. It was nothing like the image I carried of him.

I started to speak.

“Do you care about Alden that much?” he cut me off. As he spoke, his thumb brushed across my bottom lip, the one I had nervously chewed. The gesture was unexpectedly soft.

My chest ached as memories of us came rushing in, crashing over me all at once.

In the end, I gave in.

“I love you,” I whispered, my voice barely holding. My eyes began to sting. “Of course I love you.”

Dominic’s breath caught in his throat. His hand on my chin loosened a little, but he didn’t let go. He pressed on, still needing answers. “Then what about Alden?”

His tone was quiet, almost gentle, but it slid into my heart like a slow, twisting knife.

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I parted my lips, but no words came out. Nothing would form.

Out of nowhere, memories of Alden surfaced. I saw his steady eyes as he stood between me and danger, his faint smile as he lay in that hospital bed, and I heard his voice again: “As long as I have a place by your side, that’s enough for me.”

Dominic noticed my silence dragging on. His eyes clouded over, darker now. His hold on me grew tighter without him even realizing.

I understood what he needed. A reply. One that might push him over the edge—or tear something open inside him.

Time crawled. At last, I drew in a shaky breath. My fingers quivered as I reached up and laid them gently against his face.

His skin felt chilled. But the moment my hand touched him, I felt a small tremble run through him.

I gently brushed away the faint trace of a tear from the edge of his eye with my thumb. My voice came out in a hush, barely louder than a breath, as if I might break something fragile. “Dominic, when did you start losing faith in yourself like this?”

He gave a bitter chuckle, the sound sharp and dry. His lips curled into a sarcastic grin, but he still wouldn’t look at me.

The eyes I once knew as piercing and full of certainty were now lowered, shadowed by his thick lashes. Whatever he felt, he kept hidden.

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