The first thing Ava felt when she woke up was the softness beneath her.
Then—the warmth. Not the kind from sunlight or heaters, but something Gentle, secure… familiar.
She blinked slowly. The room was dark, only a faint spill of silver light trailing in through the half-open windows. Her body still ached, but less than before. The pounding in her head had faded into a light hum.
She tried to recall what had happened. The last memory she could gather was of someone catching her. No—holding her. Warm arms enveloping her just before her consciousness slipped.
That feeling… she hadn't imagined it, right?
Ava stirred slightly, shifting her position. She tried to sit up, but her limbs weren't cooperating. Just as she felt herself falling back again, an arm circled around her waist and supported her gently.
Startled, her eyes snapped up—and met those eyes.
Obsidian. Deep, unreadable. Intense.
Even though she'd looked into them countless times, Ava still felt the air in her lungs evaporate. His gaze pulled her in like a tide, steady and endless.
Dominic Vale.
His strong arms guided her carefully back to rest against the bedpost. But neither of them moved further. For a fleeting moment, the world outside dimmed into silence, and all that remained was the closeness between them. Their faces were barely a breath apart. She could feel his breath mingling with hers, warm and slow.
Her body was weak, but her heart was thudding loud enough to hear.
Dominic stared down at her, as if caught in a trance. His gaze flickered down to her lips for a moment—then back to her eyes. But just as something unfamiliar passed through his expression, he stepped away.
Ava blinked, surprised at the sudden loss of warmth.
He went to the bedside table, poured warm water into a cup, and returned. Without a word, he brought it near her lips.
"I can—" she tried to lift her hand, but it flopped back, lacking strength.
Dominic sighed softly and held the cup closer.
"Just drink," he said quietly.
She obeyed, sipping slowly. The warmth slid down her throat and grounded her senses again. When she finished, he stood and walked to the chair beside the bed she hadn't even noticed earlier.
He leaned back and looked at her, but this time his gaze had changed.
Ava felt it instantly—that tension. His expression was unreadable again, but there was a flicker of emotion in his eyes that made her uneasy. Anger? Disapproval? Disappointment?
She glanced down, biting her lip. Then, hesitantly, she spoke in a soft but firm voice.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Vale. I didn't mean to trouble you like this… I didn't expect to—"
Before she could finish, she felt his hand—warm and grounding—cupping her cheek.
She froze.
Dominic looked down at her, eyes dark with something deeper than anger.
"I'm not mad at you," he said quietly. "I'm mad at myself. I should've realized you weren't okay. You were pushing yourself too hard. If I'd noticed earlier… you wouldn't have fainted."
She immediately shook her head, her voice sharp with protest. "No! It wasn't your fault at all. I just had too much on my mind. With the conference… the team… it all just piled up."
He studied her carefully. "Still. Bringing you here was my decision."
Ava gave him a small smile, weak but unwavering. "Yeah, but I'm your secretary. This is my job. I should be here."
The silence between them deepened.
Dominic slowly withdrew his hand from her cheek, resting it on his lap. The air shifted. Something unspoken hung between them like a weight neither could quite lift.
Then she frowned, glancing down at herself—and suddenly tensed.
Her eyes widened.
The outfit she was wearing… wasn't hers.
"Wait…" she whispered. "This isn't…"
Her head whipped toward him, horror blooming across her face. "Who changed my clothes?!"
Dominic, caught mid-sip of his own water, blinked.
"I did."
The color drained from Ava's face.
"Y-You what?!"
"I had no choice," he said matter-of-factly. "There were no other women with us. I couldn't leave you like that. And I don't trust anyone else here."
She stared at him in disbelief. "That… That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard!"
Dominic raised an eyebrow, smirking now. "Is it? I thought it was a perfectly reasonable, explanation."
"_"
"Oh my god," she groaned, grabbing a handful of her hair. "I swear, you're impossible!"
There was a pause. Then—
A soft chuckle.
Ava blinked up at him. Dominic was… laughing. Not loud, not mocking—just an amused, low rumble that made her chest flutter.
"Relax," he said, finally giving her a look of mischief. "It wasn't me."
She narrowed her eyes. "Then who—?"
"It was the doctor," he said, leaning back into the chair. "A female physician arrived shortly after I brought you here. She changed your clothes and gave you a light sedative to help you rest. I stepped out of the room while she handled it."
Ava froze.
"Oh."
Dominic tilted his head, clearly enjoying her stunned expression.
"You thought I—?"
"I didn't know!" she huffed, cheeks turning a brilliant shade of pink. "You could've just said it clearly in the first place!"
"I did," he said smugly.
"You lied first!"
"I only delayed the truth. Technically not lying."
She glared. "You're enjoying this way too much."
"I am."
A beat of silence. Then they both laughed softly, the tension melting between them.
Dominic's eyes softened as he looked at her again. This time, no anger. No guilt. Just something quiet and real.
"I was scared," he admitted in a low voice. "When I saw you about to fall… I didn't think. I just ran."
Ava's breath caught.
"And when I held you," he added, "it felt like the one thing I didn't want to let go of."
Her eyes widened.
Their gazes met again—and neither of them looked away.
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