Chapter 4 - The Shadow in the MirrorThe next morning, the professional barrier was thicker than ever. Dominic was cold, formal, and entirely consumed by corporate matters. But Natalie couldn't shake the memory of how easily he had broken through her defenses.
While reviewing blueprints in her studio downtown later that week, a shadow fell across her drafting table.
She looked up, expecting her assistant, Erin. Instead, standing in her doorway was a tall, immaculately dressed woman with icy blonde hair and sharp, venomous eyes. Shelby.
"I see you’ve traded your dignity for a lucrative contract," Shelby sneered, stepping into the studio uninvited.
Natalie calmly capped her fountain pen. "Can I help you, Shelby? Or do you make a habit of wandering into places where you haven't been invited?"
Shelby’s face twisted with pure malice. "You think you’ve won something because Dominic looked at you twice at Cedar Haven? Let me educate you on the man you’re playing with. Men like Dominic Vale don't fall in love. They collect things. And when they get bored, they destroy them."
"If you have design notes for Mr. Vale, take them to his office," Natalie replied coldly, standing up to match her height. "Otherwise, get out of my studio before I call security."
Shelby laughed, a sharp, ugly sound. "You think security will protect you from what’s coming? Keep digging into his private life, Natalie. Keep drawing up those blueprints. You’ll find out soon enough whose blood soaked the foundation of that estate."
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With a dramatic sweep of her designer coat, Shelby turned and stormed out.
Natalie’s hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from a sudden, cold realization: Dominic’s world wasn't just dangerous in whispers; it had real, living enemies, and she had just painted a massive target on her back.
