Chapter 4 - Midnight in the Russo Kitchen
Dominic told himself he had returned to the kitchen because he wanted water.
The lie was embarrassing.
The truth was worse.
He hoped she would dance again.
She didn’t.
For nearly two weeks, Beatrice behaved as though the midnight incident had never happened.
Then one Friday, Dominic found her alone beside the kitchen island.
No music.
No dancing.
She was crying.
He stopped.
Beatrice immediately wiped her face.
“I’m fine.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“You were going to.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“What happened?”
She showed him her phone.
A photograph had been posted online from a charity event Dominic had required household staff to attend.
Someone had written cruel comments about her appearance.
Dominic read three.
His expression became cold.
Beatrice took the phone away.
“Don’t.”
“Who posted it?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters if it hurt you.”
She laughed bitterly.
“You can’t shoot everyone who hurts somebody’s feelings.”
Dominic looked at her.
“That was not what I was suggesting.”
“It was definitely somewhere in your top five.”
Despite herself, she smiled.
Then Dominic said something she did not expect.
“The woman I saw dancing that night didn’t look like she needed strangers’ permission to exist.”
Beatrice became still.
He continued.
“You looked free.”
Her eyes filled again.
“Maybe I only know how to be that woman when nobody is watching.”
Dominic held her gaze.
“I was watching.”
Silence.
“And you kept dancing until you knew.”
Beatrice looked down.
Neither moved.
Then the security radio on Dominic’s belt crackled.
Victor’s voice came through.
Dominic stepped away.
The moment ended.
But something between them did not.
Later that night, Victor stood alone inside the security office.
On his monitor was footage of Dominic and Beatrice in the kitchen.
May you like
Victor watched Dominic touch her shoulder.
Then he deleted seventeen minutes of video.
