Dominic’s POV

Last night, I drank myself into oblivion after another failed attempt to see Gemma. My plan had been straightforward: visit Caleb’s compound to see the babies and hopefully catch a glimpse of her. But fate, it seemed, had other plans. When I arrived at the heavily fortified estate, Gemma was already leaving through the side gate, slipping away in her sedan before I could even approach. I watched helplessly from behind the bulletproof windows of my armored vehicle as she drove off, leaving me standing there like a broken man, my heart shattering all over again. I couldn’t bring myself to enter the compound after that. The thought of facing Caleb’s knowing looks or the family’s protective glares was unbearable. Instead, I ordered my driver to take me back to the safe house hotel.

Once in my secured room, I followed my recent nightly ritual—drowning my sorrows in expensive whiskey. Not just a glass or two to dull the pain of losing my territory’s queen, but glass after glass until the bottle became my only companion. I drank until consciousness abandoned me completely, until the weight of being a Capo who couldn’t protect what mattered most finally crushed me.

When I came to, I found myself in an unfamiliar sterile room. Confusion swept over me as I took in the medical equipment surrounding me. IV lines connected to bags hanging beside the hospital bed told me everything I needed to know about my current predicament. Somehow, the feared Capo of the family had landed himself in a civilian hospital. But how? The last thing I remembered was being locked in my hotel room, clutching that whiskey bottle like it was my lifeline to sanity.

My entire body ached, my head pounding with the intensity of a sledgehammer. The irony wasn’t lost on me—I’d survived countless turf wars, assassination attempts, and family power struggles, only to be laid low by my own demons. I lay there staring at the sterile white ceiling, listening to the muffled sounds of hospital activity, knowing that someone would eventually come check on the infamous Dominic Frost.

Then I heard a voice that made my blood run cold with shame.

"Dominic? Darling, what happened to you?" I opened my eyes to see Willow Valance, Gemma’s mother, standing beside my bed. The woman who had once welcomed me into her modest home, who had treated a dangerous Capo like he was worthy of her daughter’s love.

"Willow! How are you?" I managed to greet her, my voice hoarse and my mind still foggy from the alcohol poisoning.

"I’m fine, darling. But look at you! What happened?" Her maternal concern made my chest tighten with guilt.

"I’m finished, Willow. I lost your daughter forever. I was a complete fool!" The raw confession poured out of me without restraint, past caring about maintaining the cold facade expected of a family lieutenant.

"Of course not, son. Gemma loves you deeply. You two will work things out," she assured me, but her words felt like salt in an open wound.

"No, Willow, she’s already moved on from me. I saw her with that doctor. She replaced me with him—she’s seeing him now." I was dangerously close to tears, past caring about how pathetic the mighty Capo looked reduced to this state.

"Professor? What doctor? I don’t know anything about this," Willow said, genuinely puzzled by my accusation.

"That one, right there!" I awkwardly pointed to the medical professional entering my private room. Just my luck—being treated by my ex-girlfriend’s new lover. The universe was truly piling on the punishment for a man who had blood on his hands but couldn’t keep the one pure thing in his life.

"Willow!" The doctor smiled warmly and embraced her like family. "What a pleasure to see you here! Don’t tell me you’re accompanying my patient?"

"No, I just have consultations with some specialists here today. Are you treating him, Zander?" Willow asked with an expression that seemed almost amused, as if she was enjoying watching me spiral.

"Actually, I just started my shift, arrived a bit late today. So, how do you know my patient?" the doctor asked with professional curiosity.

"Oh, Zander, this is Dominic Frost, Gemma’s boyfriend. I saw him here and came to say hello and check on his condition," Willow explained matter-of-factly.

I looked at Willow suspiciously. Did she just call me Gemma’s boyfriend to this doctor’s face? Was she deliberately provoking Zander? Yet Gemma clearly had feelings for the medical professional. Why would Willow make such a bold statement unless there was something I was missing? The doctor’s eyes widened in recognition, followed by a genuinely amused smile.

"Ah, so you’re the tech mogul!" he commented playfully, as if this revelation explained everything.

"Tech mogul?" I repeated, finding myself oddly pleased by the civilian nickname that masked my true role as money laundering operations chief.

"Yeah, Gemma mentioned you run some kind of technology enterprise, so I tease her by calling you the tech mogul." He continued smiling, and my confusion only deepened.

"Dominic, Zander is Ryder’s son," Willow clarified, referring to her longtime friend. "He and Gemma are like siblings who found each other later in life."

I felt as though a massive weight had been lifted from my chest. The kind of relief that came from learning your territory wasn’t under threat after all. "Like siblings?" I asked, needing absolute confirmation.

"Yes," they answered in unison, both looking at me like I was an idiot for not understanding this basic fact.

"You mean you’re not her new boyfriend?" I asked directly, abandoning all pretense of dignity.

The doctor burst into genuine laughter. "No, man, we’re friends. We joke that we’re siblings from different parents who met as adults." His smile was friendly and sincere, without any of the territorial challenge I would expect from a romantic rival.

"Boys, I have to go. Zander, take good care of him. Dominic, come visit us at home when you’re better." Willow said her goodbyes and departed, leaving me alone with my supposed rival.

"So, that was quite a drinking binge you went on, huh?" Zander teased without malice.

"Don’t even mention it," I said, managing a small smile for the first time in weeks. "So you two never had anything romantic? Not even interest?"

"Relax, Dominic. Gemma is an amazing woman, but she’s like a sister to me." He checked my IV and vital signs with professional efficiency. "Was this bender about her?"

"Definitely! I was desperate, not knowing how to win her back from you—who seemed like some kind of perfect gentleman who makes her smile the way I used to."

"Whoa, look at that jealousy!" He laughed. "But I’m not perfect, man. You actually saw me with her?"

"Yeah, once. She was smiling and relaxed with you. She feels safe around you," I admitted, recalling the restaurant scene that had tortured me for days. "And my nephew told me you’re practically perfect."

"Oh yeah, I met Vincenzo. Great kid! Very protective of his uncle."

"Vincenzo is quite a character, that’s for sure."

Zander hesitated before speaking, as if weighing his words carefully. "Look, I probably shouldn’t get involved, but we’ve got to help each other out here, so I’m going to tell you something important."

"What is it?" My full attention was on him now.

"Stop drinking and go after Gemma! That woman is suffering without you. Don’t lose her, because she’s incredible. And you two are apart purely because of stubborn pride."

Hope flickered in my chest like a flame I thought had been extinguished. "Do you really think she’ll come back to me?"

"I’m absolutely certain of it! But you need to fight for her."

"I’ll follow your advice as soon as I recover from whatever this is. By the way, how did I end up here?" I asked, genuinely curious about my rock bottom moment.

"Let me check your file." He consulted his tablet. "You arrived by ambulance with hotel security. According to the report, housekeeping found you unconscious on your room floor, and management thought it best to bring you in for evaluation."

"This is rock bottom!" I lamented, thinking about how far the mighty had fallen.

"That’s actually good!" Zander replied with conviction.

"Good?" I thought I’d misheard him.

"Great, actually," he corrected himself with a grin. "If you’ve hit rock bottom, that means now you can start climbing back up."

I looked at him, unable to argue with his logic. He was absolutely right, and his advice was exactly what I needed to hear. I was beginning to genuinely like this guy who could have been my rival.

"Damn!" I muttered under my breath.

"What is it?" he asked, confused by my sudden outburst.

"You really are perfect!" I said, and his smile widened with genuine warmth.

After discharging me with strict instructions about alcohol consumption, Zander repeated his advice about seeking out Gemma and resolving our issues like adults. I promised him I would take his words to heart. Since it was already late afternoon, I headed straight to the office, though my mind was far from the legitimate business operations that served as our family’s front.

Zoe tried explaining what had happened at several important meetings she’d covered in my absence the day before, but I couldn’t focus on territory disputes or money laundering protocols. Then, she transformed into the commanding lieutenant I remembered from months ago—before Gemma had turned my dangerous world upside down and made me human.

After snapping me back to reality with her characteristic sharp tongue, Zoe led me out of the office with a promise that made my heart race with something I hadn’t felt in months: she would help me win back the woman I loved, using every resource the family had at their disposal.