Chapter 140

OLIVER’S POV The hallway was hushed, painted in soft gold from the antique sconces that lined the walls, the shadows deepening with every second I spent alone with him. The stillness was almost deafening after the chaotic noise of the auction and the banter between Dominic and Derek. I should have been angry. I should have been storming away. But I wasn’t. Instead, I stood there… letting the silence settle between us like dust on old memories. Dominic was quiet too, his eyes fixed on me as if trying to read the thoughts I was keeping buried. “You said you needed to talk,” I said softly, hugging myself. Dominic let out a breath and looked away for a moment, gathering his words. “I know I messed things up earlier with Derek, and I think I am always going to mess when it comes to you. And the auction… that wasn’t just about competing. It was about everything I’ve kept buried. Watching you walk in with someone else, even after everything that’s happened between us… it did something to me.