Chapter 77. Damsel in Distress

Victoria’s POV

Dominic didn’t say a word as he carried me up the stairs. His steps were steady, his grip on me firm yet careful, but the tension in his body was unmistakable. I could feel it in the way his jaw was set, his muscles taut beneath his shirt, and in the occasional sharp breath he let out through his nose.

I, on the other hand, was doing my best to focus on anything but the burning pain in my ankle and the awkwardness of being in his arms. My ankle throbbed with every movement, a dull, insistent reminder of my clumsiness and the chaotic events of the evening.

The silence between us was heavy, almost suffocating. I could tell Dominic was brooding; it was written all over his face. His dark eyes were stormy, his lips pressed into a thin line as if he were holding back a tirade of words.

It was unsettling, seeing him like this. Dominic was always so composed, so in control. But now, there was an edge to him, a barely contained anger that crackl