My heart filled 123

Chapter 123

His words stung, but my anger refused to relent. “You don’t get to make that decision!” I yelled, my voice trembling. “You don’t get to take away from me and act like you know what’s best!”

“I had

to make a choice, and I made it. Deal with it.” Dominic uttered delibrately, his tone firm and steady.

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children

The

fell silent, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. My chest heaved as I struggled to contain the mixture of anger and heartbreak threatening to consume me.

I wanted t

scream, to yell, to tell him he was wrong. But deep down, I knew he was right. Tears streamed down my face as I took a shaky step back, my anger giving way to a crushing despair.

Faith stepped into the room then, her voice soft but firm. “Enough,” she said, her gaze darting between the two of us. “This arguing isn’t helping anyone. Grandma needs peace and quiet, and so do the r

of us.”

Dominic let out a deep sigh, the weight of everything evident in the slump of his shoulders. “Raina,” he began, his tone softer now, less sharp. “With Grandpa gone… I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to you or the kids. You’re all I have left.”

His

rds made i

chest tighten, a pang of guilt cutting through my anger. I looked away, unable to hold his gaze as the realization sank in.

“We don’t even know how the poison got to Grandpa,” he continued, his voice steady but heavy. “Or what it even was. We have no idea who’s behind this or how far they’re willing to go. Until we do, I need to make sure everyone is safe, and that includes the kids.”

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. “I get that,” I murmured, my voice shaky. “But… why Alex? You know how I feel about him.”

Dominic met my eyes, his expression unwavering. “Because as much as you hate him, he’s the safest option we have right now. You wouldn’t want Nathan–or whoever is behind this–getting anywhere near them when things get messy, would you?”

His words stung, but I knew he was right. As much as I despised Alex for everything he’d done, there was no denying that he would do whatever it took to protect Liam and Ava.

I exhaled slowly, my anger ebbing away, leaving behind only exhaustion and sadness. “Fine,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. “You’re right.”

Dominic gave a small nod, relief flickering in his eyes. “Good,” he said. “Now we need to focus on what’s next.”

“What now?” I asked, my tone resigned.

“We need to handle the funeral first,” he explained, his tone shifting back to its usual businesslike demeanor. “And the press. Once word gets out that Grandpa’s gone, the company’s going to be in chaos for a while. They’re going to want answers about you taking over as head of the family.”

I blinked, the weight of his words settling over me. “Head of the family,” I echoed, the title feeling foreign and heavy on my tongue. Dominic stepped closer, his voice firm but reassuring. “You’ll have me by your side, Raina. I’ll protect you, guide you, whatever you need. But to step up now. For the family, for the company, for Grandpa’s legacy.”

I nodded slowly, my mind racing with everything that needed to be done. “And Nathan?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“After the funeral,” Dominic said firmly. “We deal with him after the funeral. One thing at a time.”

Dominic turned to leave, but before he could disappear up the stairs, I called out, “Dom, wait.”

He stopped mid–step and turned back to face me, his expression calm but clearly weighed down by everything that had happened.