Chapter 3 - The Voice Behind The Cruel Words
Dominic Serrano had spent his entire life learning one rule.
Never react before you know the truth.
It was the rule that kept him alive.
The rule that helped him build his empire.
The rule that made people respect him.
But that night, sitting across from Elena in her old apartment, Dominic realized there was one situation where that rule had failed him.
He had been so focused on protecting her from the outside world that he never noticed the enemy was standing close enough to whisper in her ear.
He looked at the unknown message on his phone again.
The photograph.
The words.
You should ask your wife why she never told you who started this.
And then the name.
The name that made his fingers tighten around the phone.
Celeste.
His own sister.
For several seconds, Dominic said nothing.
Elena noticed.
“What is it?”
He locked the screen.
“Nothing.”
She immediately knew he was lying.
That hurt him more than anger would have.
Because Elena had always known him better than anyone.
But recently, she had started believing everyone except him.
“I know that look,” she whispered.
Dominic looked at her.
“What look?”
“The one you get when you’re about to handle a problem by yourself.”
He almost smiled.
Almost.
Because even now, after everything, she still worried about him.
Not herself.
Him.
“Elena.”
She looked away.
“I don’t want you fighting with your family because of me.”
“It’s not because of you.”
“It is.”
“No.”
His voice became firm.
“It’s because someone hurt my wife.”
The word wife made her eyes move back to him.
For a moment, she looked like the Elena he knew.
The woman who used to laugh without checking if anyone was watching.
The woman who would dance around the kitchen while cooking.
The woman who believed she was loved.
Then the sadness returned.
“They didn’t lie about everything.”
Dominic frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Elena swallowed.
“It means maybe they were right about some things.”
He stared at her.
“Like what?”
She hesitated.
Then she said quietly:
“Like the fact that people notice things.”
Dominic didn’t understand.
“Elena.”
“I know how people look at me.”
Her voice became smaller.
“I know what happens when I walk into a room with you.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You’re powerful. You’re wealthy. Everyone knows your name. And I’m just…”
She stopped.
Dominic waited.
“Just what?”
She looked down.
“Just the woman people wonder how you chose.”
Those words destroyed something inside him.
Because he finally understood.
The cruelty wasn’t only in what they said.
It was in what they made her question.
They didn’t need to convince Elena that Dominic didn’t love her.
They only needed to convince her that she wasn’t worthy of that love.
Dominic sat beside her.
“When I first saw you,” he said softly, “do you know what I thought?”
Elena shook her head.
“I thought you were the only person in the room who wasn’t trying to impress me.”
She looked at him.
“You were wearing an old sweater. Your hair was messy. You spilled coffee on your own notebook and apologized to the notebook.”
A tiny smile appeared.
“I remember that.”
“I remember everything.”
His hand held hers.
“You think I chose you because I didn’t see who you were?”
He paused.
“I chose you because I saw exactly who you were.”
Elena’s eyes filled.
But before she could answer, Dominic’s phone rang.
This time, it was not a message.
It was his security director.
Dominic answered immediately.
“What happened?”
A tense voice replied.
“Sir, we checked the showroom cameras.”
“And?”
“There’s something you need to see.”
Dominic stood.
“Send it.”
A few seconds later, a video appeared.
Security footage from the fashion showroom.
The timestamp was from three weeks earlier.
Elena was standing near the mirror.
Wearing the first designer gown.
She looked nervous.
Then Celeste entered.
The video had no sound.
But Dominic could see everything.
Celeste walked around Elena.
She looked her up and down.
Then she touched the dress.
A few minutes later, Elena’s expression changed.
Her shoulders lowered.
Her confidence disappeared.
Dominic watched the screen without blinking.
Then the security director spoke.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“We enhanced the audio.”
A file appeared.
Dominic pressed play.
For the first few seconds, there was only silence.
Then Celeste’s voice came through.
“You need to understand something, Elena.”
Dominic froze.
The recording continued.
“Dominic loves you because he’s too close to see reality.”
Elena’s voice was faint.
“What reality?”
Celeste laughed softly.
“The reality everyone else sees.”
A pause.
Then:
“You walk into rooms beside him and people wonder why.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
The recording continued.
“You’re sweet. You’re kind. But kindness doesn’t change appearances.”
Elena’s voice trembled.
“Why are you saying this?”
“Because I’m trying to help you.”
“No.”
The younger version of Elena sounded hurt.
“You’re trying to make me feel bad.”
Celeste laughed.
“You’re proving my point by being emotional.”
The video ended.
The room became silent.
Elena covered her mouth.
She had never heard the recording.
Never heard how cruel it sounded from the outside.
Dominic looked at her.
“I’m sorry.”
She shook her head.
“You didn’t say those things.”
“But I let you stand there alone.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
His voice cracked slightly.
“I should have seen it.”
Elena looked at him.
“Dominic, you can’t protect me from every person in the world.”
“No.”
He looked at the frozen image of Celeste on the phone.
“But I should have protected you from my own family.”
The next morning, Dominic returned to the Serrano estate.
Not because he wanted a confrontation.
Because he wanted answers.
Celeste was already waiting in the dining room.
She knew.
The moment she saw his face, she knew.
“Dominic.”
He placed the printed screenshots on the table.
The room went silent.
Celeste looked at them.
Then back at him.
“You went through security footage?”
“I looked for the truth.”
Her expression changed.
“You’re really doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Choosing her over your family.”
Dominic stared at her.
“That sentence tells me everything.”
Celeste stood.
“You don’t understand.”
“No.”
His voice was cold.
“You don’t understand.”
She laughed nervously.
“I was protecting you.”
“By humiliating my wife?”
“I was trying to make her stronger.”
“No.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“You were trying to make her smaller.”
Celeste looked away.
For the first time, she had no answer.
Then another voice came from the doorway.
His mother.
“Dominic.”
He turned.
She looked uncomfortable.
Not surprised.
Uncomfortable.
And that was worse.
Because it meant she knew.
“How long?” Dominic asked.
His mother said nothing.
“How long did you know?”
Silence.
Then:
“Since the beginning.”
Dominic felt his chest tighten.
“Since the beginning of what?”
His mother looked at the papers.
“Since Elena started changing.”
A cold feeling moved through him.
“What does that mean?”
She hesitated.
Then whispered:
“She wasn’t the only one who thought she didn’t belong.”
Dominic stared.
“Who else?”
His mother looked toward the hallway.
And slowly said a name.
A name Elena had never mentioned.
A name that changed everything.
“Ask your father’s old assistant.”
Dominic frowned.
“My father’s assistant died years ago.”
His mother’s face went pale.
“No.”
She whispered.
“He didn’t.”
Dominic stepped forward.
“What are you talking about?”
Before she could answer, every light in the house suddenly went out.
The room fell dark.
Then Dominic’s phone vibrated.
One new message.
No number.
No name.
Just a photo.
A photo taken moments earlier.
Inside the house.
Dominic looked at the image.
May you like
And his blood ran cold.
Because in the background of the photo stood someone who should have been impossible to see.
