Chapter 33: Library

- VANESSA -

It was jarring waking up in this room, and I was preparing myself for Ivan to show up at any time. But it seems that Dominik has actually convinced him to stay away. In the interim, I was running over the ways that I can undermine Ivan with his own plan. I need to stay focused.

When Dominik finally knocked, I was ready. I am ready. 

I'm a woman named Kisa Carino who has the unfortunate luck of getting pregnant with Ivan's child, but that also puts Kisa in a powerful position. Everyone who knows Ivan and thinks he's a 'god' like Dominik said is going to be testing me to see what I'm made of. I'm sure some of them are even crazy enough to want to be where I am. 

One thing I didn't expect was Dominik's reaction to this new hope and determination I have. It's like his surprise peeled back an outer layer that I didn't realize was there, and I was allowed a rare glimpse at a deeper part of him. That's the way he was looking at me in the bedroom.