Page 8 of The Sole Suspect

Blake chuckled, but the sound lacked warmth. “Change often does. But I assure you, my vision for Millcrest includes preserving its rich heritage. Sometimes progress requires... necessary sacrifices, but?—”

The office door swung open, cutting off Blake’s words. A sudden rush of recognition hit me as a scent I knew well filled the air—the sharp aroma of pine mixed with the warm fragrance of cinnamon.

Dominic Steele strode in, his steel-gray eyes widening slightly at the sight of us. A meticulously groomed blond man in an equally perfect suit followed close behind him, tablet in hand.

“Blake, I—oh. I didn’t realize you had company.” Dominic’s voice held genuine surprise.

Blake’s smile returned full force. “Dominic! Perfect timing. Let me introduce you to Leo Sterling-Hart from Cobblers’ Corner and Penny Lee from Vintage Vogue.”

“We’ve met,” I said, my voice tight. Memories of our last encounter flooded my mind—Dominic’s hands on my skin, his lips on my neck, the heat between us...

Blake turned toward the blond man. “And this is Brian Collins, Dominic’s executive deputy.”

“A pleasure to meet you both,” Brian said, extending his hand. His smile revealed teeth so unnaturally white they seemed to glow in the office lighting. “I’ve heard about your shops in the Historical District. Fascinating properties.”

I shook his hand briefly, noting the cool, dry feeling of his palm against mine. His appearance was pristine—from his immaculate suit to his precisely styled hair.

“Mr. Harrington, I have those projection reports you requested,” Brian said, turning to Blake and offering the tablet.

“Thank you, Brian. That will be all for now,” Dominic said as Blake accepted the tablet.

Brian nodded once, his movements precise and controlled. “Of course. If you need anything else, I’ll be in the conference room finalizing the presentation.” With another practiced smile, he exited the office, closing the door softly behind him.

“Good lord,” Penny whispered in my ear, quiet enough that only I could hear. “Are those teeth even real? They’re unnaturally white. Like, scientifically impossible white.”

I suppressed a smile despite my tension. Dominic’s gaze locked with mine, his expression unreadable. “L— Mr. Sterling-Hart. Mr. Lee. This is... unexpected.”

The tension in the room ratcheted up several notches. Penny cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “We were just discussing the recent vandalism of campaign posters with Mr. Harrington.”

“Oh?” Dominic’s eyebrow arched. “And what conclusions have you drawn?”

I bristled at his tone. “We’re still gathering information.”

I lifted my chin. “Though it’s interesting that you’d involve yourself with Mr. Harrington’s business ventures, given your own company’s stake in the Historical District.”

My fingers traced the edge of the pin in my pocket as I noted how Dominic’s shoulders stiffened at my words. A muscle twitched in his jaw, and his steel-gray eyes darted to Blake for a fraction of a second—so quick I almost missed it. The scent of pine and sandalwood grew sharper, more pronounced.

“A wise businessman explores all opportunities, wouldn’t you say?” Blake cut in smoothly, his baby-blue eyes gleaming. He clapped Dominic’s shoulder again, the gesture oddly possessive. “Besides, we’re kindred spirits, right Dom?”

My skin prickled at his choice of words. Something about their dynamic struck a false note, like a piano key slightly out of tune.

Blake laughed, the sound grating on my nerves. He studied me with a pensive gaze for a moment. “Come now, Mr. Sterling-Hart. Surely you don’t thinkwe’rebehind this nonsense? Dominic and I both want what’s best for Millcrest.”

“And what exactly is that?” I challenged. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re more interested in profits than preservation.”

Dominic stepped forward, his eyes flashing. “That’s not fair, Leo. You don’t know the whole story.”

“You keep repeating that line, but you’re not bothering to fill me in on the details.” My omega instincts flared in response to his alpha presence. “In the meantime, all I see are two corporate sharks circling our town, waiting to take a bite.”

Dominic’s jaw clenched, his cool-gray eyes flashing with a mix of frustration and something deeper I couldn’t quite place. The air around us suddenly felt charged, his alpha pheromones intensified, flooding my senses and making my omega instincts prickle with awareness. His agitated scent transported me to our last disagreement, stirring up recollections I’d rather forget.

“But you already did, didn’t you?” I snapped bitterly.

I watched Dominic’s face carefully, searching for any hint of his true feelings. His jaw clenched, a muscle twitching beneath the skin, and something flickered in those steel-gray depths—anger? Hurt? It was gone before I could be sure.

Electricity seemed to spark in the space dividing us, our pheromones mingling in a heady cocktail of anger, attraction, and something deeper I couldn’t quite name. For a moment, I thought Dominic might reach for me, might try to bridge the chasm between us.

Instead, he took a step back, his expression shuttering. “If that’s what you think of me—of us—then perhaps this conversation is over.”