Beatrix’s POV

Ever since Dominic got involved with that nobody Gemma, he vanished from my life completely. No calls, no texts, nothing. Then he had the audacity to actually start parading her around the territories like she was some kind of mafia princess. The whole situation was beyond ridiculous.

I had been there for him whenever he needed me. We had been sleeping together for months, and I did everything possible to make him see me as more than just another conquest. But every time I brought up taking things further, he would shut me down cold. Always the same excuse about keeping things casual and never wanting commitment with anyone in this life.

Then this random girl appears out of thin air and suddenly he is escorting her through Thorne family establishments like she is some kind of prized asset. I refused to let this happen. Dominic belonged to me, and I would fight for what was mine. If that pathetic Yara could trap Don Caleb with a fake pregnancy, surely I could find a way to secure Dominic permanently.

Getting pregnant would have been ideal, but Dominic was annoyingly cautious about protection. Even when he was completely wasted after territory raids, he never slipped up on that front. I needed a different strategy.

Meeting his father at the Social Union had been pure luck. Marcus Frost was absolutely disgusting - still the same sleazy womanizer he had always been, even after his exile from the family. His relationship with Dominic remained as toxic as ever, but that made him the perfect ally. Dominic’s mother and sister treated me like garbage whenever our paths crossed at family gatherings, making their feelings crystal clear.

When Marcus claimed that Gemma had been flirting with him, I knew he was lying through his teeth. I understood exactly what kind of predator he was and how he operated. He would pursue women relentlessly until they either gave in or he forced the issue. His approach was crude and aggressive, more about physical dominance than actual seduction. The man was a complete pig playing alpha male games even in exile.

But I could work with his depravity.

I knew he would eventually corner her somewhere in the underground establishments, and when he did, I would be ready. The photograph I captured was absolutely perfect. Anyone with functioning eyes could see what was really happening - Gemma pressed against the wall, fists clenched in resistance, face turned away in disgust while Marcus forced himself on her neck.

However, Dominic was blinded by his hatred for his exiled father. With the right spin and his explosive Capo temper, he would see exactly what I wanted him to see. He would be devastated and furious, and I would be right there to pick up the pieces. I planned to become indispensable, never giving him a moment alone to think clearly about family business or personal matters.

The plan worked flawlessly.

Dominic believed every word of my carefully crafted story. Every time I showed up at his door, he pulled me into his arms like a drowning man grabbing a life preserver. He even started calling me first, which had never happened before. Yesterday had been the ultimate victory - he had never brought me to his private safe house before, but when I appeared unexpectedly, his resistance crumbled completely.

The cherry on top was when Gemma walked in and found me wearing nothing but his shirt. She even heard him call me sexy right to my face. He asked me to leave afterward, but that was just for show. It was only a matter of time before he came crawling back for more comfort.

Game over. I was absolutely certain that Gemma would be ancient history within days, and Dominic would finally be mine completely.

I was enjoying a leisurely breakfast and savoring my inevitable triumph when Marcus called. He wanted to meet for lunch at his hotel to discuss something important about the family situation, so I agreed immediately.

"Beatrix, sweetheart! Thank you for making time to see me." Marcus stood and kissed both my cheeks in greeting, the gesture feeling oddly formal for an exiled family member.

"Mr. Frost, the pleasure is entirely mine." I settled into my chair, practically vibrating with excitement about our successful manipulation.

"Darling, I wanted to check on your progress with my son." His interest in helping me seemed genuine enough, though I suspected he had his own agenda regarding the Thorne family.

"Everything is going perfectly, Mr. Frost. Dominic is completely falling for me. We have been spending tons of time together at his territory operations."

"Wonderful news, Beatrix. Actually, I saw Dominic yesterday and gave him another gentle push in your direction." His smile made me giddy with anticipation. "But you need to maintain constant pressure. Do not give him any breathing room to think about other women or family loyalty."

"Absolutely, but honestly I think we can start celebrating. Yesterday I was at his safe house when that Gemma girl showed up and caught us in a very compromising position." I could not hide my smugness.

"Seriously? That is fantastic! So they have definitely broken up then." Marcus raised his wine glass in a toast. "But do not get complacent, Beatrix. Keep making yourself irresistible to him. Now, can you get me Gemma’s phone number?"

"How exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"That is your problem to solve, but remember that I have been very helpful to your cause against the Thorne family interests."

"I will see what I can manage, but I cannot make any promises."

I left the hotel wondering how I would get that damn phone number. What really irritated me was trying to figure out what made this woman so universally appealing to men in our circles. She had been turning heads left and right at the Social Union. The only reason half the men there had not approached her was because everyone knew she was under Dominic’s protection. That entire group of friends had caused quite a sensation when they first appeared at family establishments, drawing way too much attention. Even my own father had been caught staring at them and commenting on how stunning they all were. Please.

Whatever. I was heading to the spa to pamper myself and look absolutely irresistible for my Capo. Tonight I would be making my next move.

"Girl, finally! You actually found time for your friends." Yara whined when we met at the spa entrance. She had always craved being the center of attention, but her pregnancy with Don Caleb was making her increasingly insufferable.

"Honey, I have my own territory to manage. You already locked down your guy, so now I need to secure mine."

"Did Dominic really dump that weird girl?" Elza jumped in immediately.

"Obviously he did, especially after what went down. Now he is right here in the palm of my hand." My confidence was absolutely unshakeable.

"Wait, what happened? I am completely out of the loop." Jade looked confused.

"Of course you are, all you care about now is Don Caleb!" I rolled my eyes dramatically. "You know Dominic’s father is in town, right?"

"Daddy mentioned that," Jade nodded.

"So a few days ago, I bumped into him at the Social Union. He told me I was his ideal daughter-in-law and offered to help me win Dominic over." I launched into my story with obvious pride. "Those losers were all there together. When Gemma went to the restroom, he followed her and signaled me. I hid nearby while he cornered her, and I got the perfect shot." I showed them the photo along with the message I had sent to Dominic.

"Um, girl, anyone can see he is forcing himself on her," Yara tried to rain on my parade.

"But Dominic did not see it that way!" I replied triumphantly. "And ever since then, we have been hooking up constantly."

"So he dumped her and now you two are officially together?" Elza pressed for details.

"If they have not broken up yet, she will definitely end things after catching me at his safe house yesterday." I told them every delicious detail while we all laughed about how clueless that pathetic group of friends was.

"Now you just need to snag Xavier, Elza. Ditch that loser already," Yara encouraged.

"Oh honey, that one is proving difficult. He is not giving me any openings at all. But I will come up with something brilliant like you two did," Elza replied, making us all giggle.

I was leaving the spa when I ran straight into Dominic’s sister. I despised her, but I had to play nice for obvious family reasons.

"Hey Nadia! How have you been?"

"It is Nadia, Beatrix," she corrected icily and stepped away from me. Such a miserable woman, even for mafia royalty.

"Come on, Nadia, we are practically family now. We should be closer." I grabbed her arm, but she yanked it away and glared at me with that signature Thorne family coldness.

"Beatrix, we are barely acquaintances, unfortunately, and that will never change," Nadia said with her usual condescending tone. "But since I am older and wiser about family business, let me give you some free advice - give up on my brother. He is actually serious about someone, and thank God it is not you."

"Oh Nadia, I think you have been misinformed. Dominic is with me now. Feel free to ask him yourself."

"Beatrix, I am running late and have better things to do than listen to your fantasies." That insufferable woman turned her back on me and walked away. I shrugged it off since she had always been a complete pain.

Time to find my man! Like Marcus suggested, I would not give Gemma any opportunity to fight back. My plan worked perfectly - I found Dominic at his usual underground bar where he conducted business with his crew. He was drinking alone and ended up taking me to a nearby motel. Unfortunately, our time together was cut short when someone texted him about urgent territory business and he said he had to leave. He got distracted and forgot to lock his phone screen. While he was in the bathroom, I quickly grabbed that boring Gemma’s number to give to Marcus later.

"God, I am on such an incredible winning streak!" I said to myself with pure satisfaction.