Chapter 8
The first outside call came to Dominic’s phone.
He ignored it.
Then the second.
Then the third.
His pocket buzzed so many times that even Natalie stopped watching Charles and started watching the suit jacket.
Dominic finally pulled the phone out.
No one could read the screen.
But everyone could read his face.
The color drained from it.
His eyes moved quickly.
Then back to Charles.
“You contacted them?”
Charles folded his hands in front of him.
“I contacted no one personally.”
That was not reassurance.
That was architecture.
Charles did not need to call everyone.
Systems moved when he authorized them.
Dominic looked at me.
“What have you done?”
My laugh came out weak and painful.
“I just had twins.”
The nurse beside me almost smiled.
Then looked down professionally.
Dominic’s hand shook slightly as another alert came in.
Natalie’s phone began vibrating next.
She looked at it, then at Dominic.
“Why is my lease company calling?”
Dominic’s eyes flashed.
“Natalie, not now.”
“Why is my doctor’s office asking about billing authorization?”
The room went silent.
Charles looked at her for the first time with full attention.
Natalie seemed to realize too late that her comfort had been tied to channels she did not understand.
Dominic turned back to Charles.
“You are overstepping.”
Charles’s voice was calm.
“You overstepped when you touched accounts tied to a woman in a hospital bed.”
“I am her husband.”
“You were.”
The past tense landed hard.
Dominic’s mouth opened.
Closed.
He looked at me.
I did not correct my grandfather.
That hurt Dominic more than the punch.
For years, he had relied on my instinct to soften things.
Explain.
Qualify.
Protect.
But my arms were full of babies.
May you like
There was no room left to carry his consequences too.
Read the full story 👉 Dominic’s phone began vibrating with consequences he could not name, and Natalie realized her comfort might have been funded through him.
