I reached the door, stepped inside, and locked it behind me.
The sound of the lock clicking into place echoed faintly.
Outside, Dominic watched my retreating figure, his brows drawn tightly together.
For the first time in a long while, there was confusion in his eyes.
He truly didn't understand me anymore.
"Do you have to die again just to be satisfied?" he muttered under his breath.
"Is this another trick to get my attention?"
But I didn't answer.
I didn't have the strength to.
When I woke again, a frustrated sigh slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
The dose had been too small.
I was still alive.
The disappointment was dull but heavy, settling deep inside me.
Turning my head slightly, I noticed a bottle of allergy medication sitting on the nightstand. Beneath it was a small note, the paper slightly crumpled at the edges.
[Take your meds when you wake up. I'll be there in a few minutes.]
There was no signature.
But I didn't need one.
I knew that handwriting too well.
A long time ago, we used to leave notes like this for each other all the time. Back when things were different, back when his care wasn't something I had to question. Before the blood-bound alliance had turned into a cage. Before Celeste. Before the ninety-nine deaths that taught me what this family truly cost.
His reminders would be stuck to the fridge every single day.
[Wear something warm. It's cold today.]
[No ice during your period.]
[Text me if you're out late. I'll come pick you up.]
Simple words.
Small things.
But they had once meant everything.
Then one day, the fridge was replaced.
And with it, those notes disappeared.
No one ever mentioned them again.
"Still upset you didn't die?"
Dominic's voice broke through my thoughts.
He entered the room, his expression unreadable, his gaze steady but distant. He moved the way he always moved through the estate, as though every room belonged to him and every person in it existed at his discretion.
Only then did I realize that I had sighed again just moments earlier.
He walked toward me, his tone curt, controlled.
"Did you take your meds? Next time you run into something you're allergic to, don't be stupid enough to swallow it."
There was a pause.
He reached out, his hand hovering in the air for a brief second, as if he intended to touch me.
But he stopped himself.
Something in his expression shifted, hesitation creeping in. His signet ring was perfectly still on his finger.