Chapter 5 DANGEROUS SMILE

I shift in my seat, doing everything I can not to stare at him. He walks over to his mother with that lazy, confident stride that always draws attention. If my thoughts had a speaker, the whole room would hear how loudly I’m screaming at my brain not to look at him.

“I’ve told you to stop acting like I’m the only son you’ve got, Mum. You practically have Nicholas to worry about,” he says, and the jab is so obvious it hangs in the air like smoke.

Nick shoots him a sharp look, but he doesn’t break eye contact. The tension between them is so tight I swear the table could flip any moment.

Mrs. Santos frowns and smacks his arm hard. “I know your games, Dominic. Stop teasing your brother. And besides, you’re the only son of mine who gives me constant headache.”

She looks at me, then back at him. “Your brother is getting married soon. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll become a Reverend Father.”

Dominic scoffs and Nick rolls his eyes. I sit there pretending I’m invisible. At least, until all of these is over.

I pray he doesn’t notice or look at me. Whatever at all.

“Can we stop talking about me?” Dominic cuts in. “Aren’t we going to eat? I’m starving.”

“I am too!” Sam announces before anyone else can speak.

Mrs. Santos looks like she wants to argue, but she breathes out and lets it go. “Fine. For Grace’s sake, we’ll discuss this later. And don’t think you’re escaping it, Dominic. Understood?”

“Alright,” he says, wearing that smug, infuriating smile again.

Everyone starts walking to the dining room. Before I can follow, Nick gently catches my arm carefully, like he’s afraid I might break or misunderstand everything I just saw.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, babe,” he says softly. “I hope it didn’t bother you.”

I shake my head. “I’m fine. But… do you two always talk like that?”

He releases a long breath, the kind that sounds heavy with words that are better left unsaid. “Dominic has always been that way. I usually let it pass, but now that you’re here? I won’t make him feel he could talk to me anyway and get away with it. Not anymore.”

Before I can answer, his mum yells my name.

“Grace!”

Nick smirks. “Looks like she likes you already.”

I laugh lightly and try to walk off, but Nick pulls me back again, this time firmer. His hand slides around my waist, drawing me closer to himself. Then he kisses me, deeply and hungrily, right there in the hallway of his parents’ house.

I pull away fast, my eyes widening. Giving him that look that says ‘Seriously?’.

He licks his bottom lip slowly, like he’s trying to calm himself. “You have no idea how hard it’s been not imagining you on my lap already.”

“Nick,” I whisper sharply, “this is your parents’ house. Behave.”

“Grace!” his mother yells again.

I don’t give him a second look. I sprint straight to the dining room, trying to cool the heat on my skin.

By the time I reach the dining room, everything is already set—the plates, the cutlery, the soft glow from the chandelier. Mrs. Santos doesn’t even let me sit beside Nick.

“I don’t trust that boy to let you enjoy your meal,” she announces, waving me away from the chair next to him.

Her “solution” places me right beside Dominic… and directly across from her. I try to slide into a different seat quietly, hoping no one will notice, but of course she notices. She catches me by the wrist and guides me straight back before my butt can touch the wrong chair.

“I want you right next to me, darling,” she says with a bright smile.

Great. Exactly where I didn’t want to be, next to the one man with the most dangerous smile in this house.

The meal isn’t boring. Far from it. Sam and Dominic talk nonstop, tossing hints and inside jokes back and forth like a private game. And half of their “adventures” sound like trouble waiting to happen.

Nick grows uncomfortable at some point, especially whenever Dominic brings up their old stories, but his mother doesn’t pick up the tension. She keeps talking to me like we’ve known each other for years. Dominic, on the other hand, doesn’t care if she decides to tell me he used to wear cartoon boxers as a kid, he laughs at everything, absolutely unbothered.

Finally, dinner ends. Dominic excuses himself to take a call, and a staff member gently assists Mrs. Wilson to get her evening vitamins.

I finally get the chance to tell Nick I’m ready to leave, until Sam slides in out of nowhere and hooks her arm through his. She clings to him like she’s claiming him, like she wants me to watch.

My jaw tightens.

What’s her problem? This is literally the first day I’m seeing her.

She leans in and whispers something to Nick. He nods, obviously distracted, then stands and circles the table, heading straight toward me.

He stops right in front of me, smiling like Sam wasn’t wrapped all over his arm a second ago.

Usually, he doesn’t allow people to touch him that way. I've seen it a few times when we go out, and maybe Sam's exception because they're practically family but I still feel jealous.

And I'm dealing with his ass later.

“Ready to go?” he asks, his warm breathe brushing the skin on my cheek.

I nod, even though my eyes keeps darting to Sam. She’s still standing behind him, still smiling at me like she owns the entire moment.

Before I can speak, the staff announces dessert. Mrs. Santos starts rushing towards us like she already senses I was about leaving. She holds my arm and insists we stay for dessert.

“Just a few minutes,” she pleads. “You should at least taste the house custard.”

Nick sighs and squeezes my hand to agree. “Come on. It’ll be quick.”

I force a smile, even though my shoulders are stiff, my chest tight. Nick walks ahead with Sam still glued to him, whispering and laughing at something he clearly doesn’t want to react to.

I don’t miss the way he pinches the bridge of his nose like he’s tired of her… but he still lets her stay close.

I hate that it bothers me and the worse part? He doesn't even take a hint. Is he that dense?

For a safe reason, I glance at the hallway Dominic had disappeared to earlier. He’s still there. Good. The last thing I need is more heat under my skin because of his presence.

We sit. Dessert is served. Mrs. Santos keeps complimenting me. Sam won’t stop touching Nick’s arm. Nick tries to be polite, but I see it—he’s distracted, trying to balance between the two of us.

It’s uncomfortable.

It’s annoying.

The only thing keeping me from exploding is because we're still at his parents and his mum just have this way of making my heart feel warmer. She keeps reminding me of my grandma with the way she treats me, and I start missing her.

So, I try to swallow my anger down, until… I feel someone watching me.

A slow, warm, heavy stare.

My breath catches as I spot him staring.

Dominic.

He’s standing in the doorway, phone in one hand, the other shoved casually into his pocket. His tie hangs slightly loose now, his hair a little messed up like he dragged his fingers through it during the call.

He’s looking at me.

Just me alone and he doesn't look away even though I lock eyes with him.

For a second, I forget Sam exists. I forget Nick is holding my hand under the table. The world shrinks into nothing.

My heart beats faster. Does he remember me now? No. No. That can't happen.

He lowers his eyes… then drags it up again. Almost as if he’s reading my entire reaction to seeing him.

What the hell is going through his mind?

I drop my gaze instantly, pretending to focus on the spoon in my hand. My heart pounds so loud I’m scared someone else can hear it.

Nick leans close. “You okay?”

I nod too fast and answer quickly. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

But I’m definitely not.

I can still feel Dominic’s stare burning into my skin. He doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t move. He just watches me like he’s trying to place where he’s seen me before.

Mrs. Santos finally notices him. “Dominic, what are you still doing over there?. Come sit, we’re almost done.”

He walks toward the table, but he doesn’t sit immediately. He stands behind his chair, his eyes still on me, as if he’s trying to catch me look back at him again.

I refuse to. I dare not.

But my body betrays me with every sensitive nerves. I can feel when he smirks. I don’t have to look to know, something about the room shifts, a quiet ripple of tension only I seem to feel or maybe him too.

Dessert finally ends. Thank goodness. Sam drags Nick into another conversation.

Does this girl ever rest?

A second after, Mrs. Santos walks off with a staff member. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and try to slip away to get some air.

But the moment I step out of the dining room to the hallway, someone blocks my path.

I stop instantly only to see Dominic.

He’s standing right in front of me, close enough that I inhale the faint scent of his cologne.

My throat dries. “Erm, excuse me—”

“You ran out of the hallway earlier,” he cuts in quietly, his icy-blue eyes piercing into mine. “Why?”

My heart drops to my stomach. What does he want?

“I didn’t run…” I breath. “I just wanted…” I pause. I better not talk to him unless I want to give him space to start a full blown conversation. So, inhale deeply and turn the other way round to leave but his hand grabs me.

He tilts his head slightly, studying me like a puzzle he intends to solve.

“Why do I feel like I bother you?” he murmurs. “Do I know you from somewhere?.”

Idiot. You know me and I was the girl you took her virginity and impregnated five years ago. Got it?

I want to scream at him or even knock him out.

I don't respond, instead, I try to step back, but he steps forward again, closing the distance in one slow, deliberate second.

“Y'know I caught you staring earlier,” he continues. His voice is low. Not playful… but something close to it.

God. I don’t even know what's running in his head.

“Maybe it was you staring,” I shot back hoping that caught him off guard but… No.

He just holds my gaze, and for the first time all evening, something flickers behind his eyes.

Maybe… Recognition?

Or… Memory?

Worse… Something dangerous?

The moment my back touches the wall, he slowly leans in slightly, his voice a warm breath against my ear.

“Then why,” he whispers, “can’t you look at me without shaking?”

My breath halts. But I don’t get the chance to respond before a sharp sound comes from behind us.

Nick.

He’s approaching us with that look I know so well.

His jaw clenched. His expression darkening.

And Dominic…

Dominic doesn’t step back.

He just looks right at Nick, then back at me.

And smirks.