DANGEROUS DESIRE

DANTE “Let him know my budget for this campaign is $5m,” I said, ending the call with a hard tap on the screen. Before I could set my phone down, the office door burst open and hit the wall. Dominic stormed in, his face dark with anger. Of course. He reached my desk in seconds. “Did you sleep with my wife?” I leaned back in my chair, calm, watching him closely. “Answer me, damn it!” He slammed his hand on the desk. “Did you sleep with her last night?” A slow, amused smile touched my lips. “Yes.” He didn’t waste a second before he lunged forward, grabbing me by the collar. “I’ll kill you right now.” I stayed perfectly calm, not bothering to fight his grip. The whole thing almost amused me, seeing his anger. “You’re the one who wanted an open marriage,” I replied. “Funny how there’s nothing open about your temper right now.” His glare lingered before he finally let go of my collar, his chest rising and falling. He paced, digging his hand into his hair restlessly. “I told you not to hurt her,” I said, straightening my tie and smoothing my shirt as I leaned back in my chair. He gave a low, bitter laugh. “I know what this is,” he said, his voice laced with disgust. “She cried to you last night, didn’t she? And now you’re staging some dramatic stunt to make me jealous. You didn’t sleep with her. Someone else did. Who is it? Or did you stage that too?” Heat flared in my chest. My hands curled into fists as I pushed to my feet, pacing once before gripping the edge of the desk hard enough to make it creak. Was he really that delusional? Did he think so little of Olivia that he couldn’t imagine anyone else wanting her? He must have known someone bid and won her last night so why did his ego convince him it was staged? “I told you to stop the first time,” I said, pointing a finger at him, forcing my voice to stay even while my anger rose. “I told you this would happen if you didn’t listen. But you chose to ignore me.” His face darkened. “You have no right to interfere in my marriage,” he shot back. “You’re the one who introduced Olivia to me. That’s where it ends. You’re not her brother, and I’m sure as hell not taking orders from you!” “You’ve spent your whole life copying me,” I said coolly. “Funny how you never copied the way I treat a wife.” He froze, confusion flickering across his face. “What the hell are you talking about?” I leaned forward, my eyes locking with his. “Do you think I’m ignorant?” I asked, my voice lowering. “I know why you married Olivia. You did it to spite me because you thought I wanted her. You’ve chased everything I’ve ever had.” Dominic scoffed, but the flash of guilt in his eyes betrayed him. I knew those words had struck a nerve. Memory tugged me back to the beginning. I could still see the day I introduced Olivia to him as clearly as if it happened yesterday. I’d hired her as one of my top models, brought her into my world, never imagining Dominic would see her as anything more than a passing acquaintance. But then I left for Paris. Three weeks later, when I returned, Dominic was already courting her. I swallowed hard, the weight of that regret pressing against my chest like it always did. I blamed myself for not taking her to Paris with me. I blamed myself for introducing her to Dominic. Truth is, I blamed myself for a lot of things. And for the next two years, I watched her love my best friend, and it made my skin burn. I watched her give up everything for Dominic, and my heart ached with deep pain. But that wasn’t what hurt the most. What hurt was the distance, the way she slowly crept away from me until it felt like we were strangers. The way she avoided my gaze like it was crime to look at me. I knew she did it because of her love and loyalty for Dominic. But that hurt even more. Dominic scoffed, snapping me out of my thoughts. “You must be insane,” he cursed with a sneer. “You really think I copy you or I’m jealous of you? Really? You’ve overestimated yourself, Dante. That’s absurd.” I chuckled softly, shaking my head. “No, Dominic, you’re the one who overestimated yourself,” I said quietly. “Adlese became popular after your wedding with Olivia. She’s the one who gave you the spotlight you’re basking in today. You think you’re the reason she became who she is, but the truth is, it was always Olivia Monroe who had the power. What were you two years ago before you met her? I’ll tell you. Nothing.” His face twisted in anger, but I wasn’t done speaking. “Just because you made her quit everything doesn’t mean she’s no longer Olivia Monroe,” I continued, leaning forward. “If you doubt me, take a look at the number of men who bid on her last night. They want her, Dominic. They still want her.” I paused, letting the words sink in. “But now? Now you’re going to lose her. And when you do, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.” “Lose her to who? Who’s going to take her from me?” He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. “She’s never going to leave me.” My jaw tightened, teeth grinding together. I didn’t respond right away, because deep down, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know if Olivia still loved this arrogant bastard. The uncertainty gnawed at me, but I’d be damned before admitting it to him. He stepped closer, planting both palms flat on my desk. “I get that you care about her,” he said coldly, “but you’d better keep your nose out of my marriage.” My eyes flashed. “An open marriage keeps no one out.” His glare sharpened, but he didn’t say another word. With resentment etched across his face, he turned and stormed out of the office. I clenched my fist, my shoulders tightened, jaw grinding so hard that my molars ached. Dragging a hand through my hair, I slammed it down on the desk. Papers flew, scattering across the wood and on the floor. I sank into my seat, pulling Olivia’s wedding ring from my pocket. My eyes locked onto the glint of the metal. It felt cold in my hands and my fingers curled around it tightly. How could Dominic be so blind? How could he treat her like this? I scrolled through my phone, seeing again that Olivia still hadn’t responded to my message. How could she leave me hanging? Her words replayed in my head, “It was a mistake.” Last night wasn’t a mistake. At least, not to me. Anger boiled in my chest. I closed the screen abruptly and dialed Jonathan, the man I’d trusted to keep tabs on Olivia for the past two years. The phone rang, and my grip tightened until my knuckles turned white. My hand shook slightly as I pressed it to my ear, teeth gritted at every shrill ring. When Jonathan finally picked up, I didn’t give him a chance to speak. “Has Olivia been out today?” I demanded. “No, sir,” Jonathan replied quickly. “She’s been home all day.” That was all I needed to hear. I hung up and stared at the phone for a long moment, my chest rising and falling sharply. I’d tried to respect her space, to let her choose for herself, but it was obvious now that Olivia wasn’t going to make the first move. And I wasn’t going to wait any longer. I would take her from Dominic, whether she wanted it or not. The thought of watching her stay with a man who didn’t deserve her made my blood boil.