Chapter 24

DOMINIC

My mind was nowhere near the dimly lit restaurant where I sat across from Vanessa. Physically, I was here—trapped in this charade—but mentally, I was back home with Faith and my newborn son. I could almost hear his soft cries, feel the warmth of his tiny body against mine. Were they okay? Was Faith resting? Did my son miss the sound of my voice already?

The thought of missing even a single moment of his early days tightened a knot in my chest. And for what? To humor this manipulative woman in some twisted exchange for an SD card. Raina was going to owe me for this. Big time.

“Dominic, are you even listening to me?”

Her voice dragged me from my thoughts, cutting through the haze like nails on a chalkboard. I blinked, focusing on her overly done makeup and the way she twirled her hair like we were at some high school prom.

“No,” I said bluntly, not bothering to hide my irritation.

Vanessa’s painted smile faltered for a split second before sh