Instinctively, Nina hugs Dominic's neck and hides her face in her neck. She felt so relieved in her arms, it was totally different from Samuel, the way he made her feel.
They arrived outside and Patel was waiting for them, she opened the back door and Dominic put her down and they went inside. Once inside, he pulled her onto her lap again, and she didn't protest. She was still scared, and her body was shaking.
Patel glanced in the rearview mirror and met Dominic's gaze, who still looked extremely angry. She knew that if it weren't for Nina being so scared, Dominic wouldn't have let go of Samuel.
— Do you want me to go back there, sir? — Patel asks, since he could stay in the car with Nina, and she had the ability to give Samuel a spanking that he would never forget.
— No, he received a new warning. If there is a next one, I will take care of him personally.
Patel starts the car and they leave the place.
— Where is Jared? — he asks, hugging Nina, who seemed calmer.
— He went to get the person you asked for. They are already waiting for us.
— Excellent! — he says, and then throws the jacket over Nina, protecting her.
She was listening to the entire conversation, but she felt so weakened by everything that was happening that she decided to take advantage of the moment. She needed that respite, she needed to let herself be comforted and protected.
Soon Patel stopped the car, and they got out, they were in front of a luxury hotel. A valet showed up and took the car away. Nina, Patel and Dominic entered and went straight to the elevator without going through reception.
In the elevator, Dominic hugged her waist with one arm protectively. She still hadn't turned off her protective instinct, and Nina looked at him and their eyes met. She wanted to ask where they were going, but she ended giving up, as she had the impression that everything would soon be revealed.
They arrived at a presidential suite and only Dominic and Nina entered, Patel remained outside.
Dominic released her and Nina walked, looking around, with her arms crossed, Dominic stood still with her hands in her pockets, watching her.
After thinking, she took his jacket off his shoulders and turned to him, saying:
— In a little while, I'm going to have a session in my closet with just your jackets.
It was an innocent comment, which ended up breaking the tension of the moment.
— I have many, you can take them whenever you need them.
— They are a little big for me, but they are effective in keeping me warm. — she says, and the two look at each other for a few seconds, clearly not knowing how to start the conversation.
— Let's go to the office, Nina. — Dominic says and takes the lead. She follows him and they reach the suite office.
There was only a mahogany table, a shelf on the wall with some books and decorative objects. There were some paintings on the walls, matching the decor of the suite.
Dominic sits in the armchair behind the desk and takes out some papers from the drawer and places them on top.
Nina looks, a little, confused and asks:
—What are these papers?
— This is our agreement… in fact, it is a contract.
— A contract? Why do we need a contract?
— For my protection and yours too.
She looks seriously at the papers, Dominic exuded a professional air. It didn't seem like they were starting a relationship, but rather closing a negotiation.
Hesitantly, she takes the papers and begins to read. With each line covered, things became strange, there were expressions and terms that she had never read in her life.
After reading a little, she gets up and goes to the window. She looks at the landscape below, sees the little people walking, looks up at the sky and watches the heavy clouds hover.
— You want to use me, is that it? You want to pay me to use me however you want… maybe I don't feel good about that.
Dominic gets up and walks, stopping behind her. Nina feels her body shiver at her presence.
— I don't call that using. I'm not lying and forcing you to do anything... — he feels bad about his words, because for the first time he forced someone to accept the contract. He knew that her actions, preventing her from getting a job and requisitioning her house, forced her to be there with him, at that very moment.
— You know, that day, in the meeting with Samuel, I didn't tell you the truth, because I was scared. Samuel and I had a relationship in the past, and he was married. He lied and said he had broken up, I know this because he tried so hard to hide it from me.
Nina turns to Dominic and stares at him, continuing to say.
— I was too innocent and didn't realize. I didn't know anything, he deceived me too, not just his wife. This relationship lasted a year and was enough to destroy my life. People say the weaker side always suffers more, and I am the weaker side. I went through a lot of humiliation because of him, when his mother…
—Rosália is not my mother. — Dominic says, interrupting her.
— Okay, Rosália, when Rosália and Kira found out, they attacked me physically and morally. Can you imagine what it was like for me?! I don't think anyone can imagine the trauma I went through. Anyway, on the day of the discovery, I managed to escape and ended up bumping into a man in the park. I don't remember his face, but I can say that he practically saved my life. I was so sad and upset that I wanted to throw myself in front of a car and end my life.
Dominic tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, surprising her.
Nina pauses, thoughtfully, and then continues:
— Things didn't stop there, that stranger took me to a hospital and the nurse told me he stayed there until he was sure I was okay. He is proof that there are good people in the world.
Dominic raises an eyebrow, he never saw himself as an exactly good man, his actions were in accordance with his interests and not out of kindness. He stayed in that hospital simply because as soon as he saw her, he became obsessed with her.
— When I woke up, I discovered I was pregnant, can you believe it? In addition to having gotten involved with a married man, I was pregnant with his child.
Dominic is really surprised by this revelation. He realizes that he didn't find out because he decided to leave the hospital before she woke up and didn't look for her anymore, because he couldn't accept that there was a woman who made him feel out of control. By the irony of fate, he was there, facing her, after having moved more resources than necessary for this moment to happen.
— I looked for Samuel… — Nina continued — He was inexperienced and needed help taking care of the baby. I didn't want to go back to him and be a lover, I just wanted him to take responsibility. That's when I discovered his true face.
She takes a deep breath, taking courage, they were very strong memories.
— He attacked me, cursed me, left me locked in a hotel room for three days and on the third day, he showed up there with an abortion-inducing drug. He forced me to take it and make me have an abortion. I was hospitalized for two weeks, with bleeding. Do you understand why I can't trust?
— And the child? What happened?
Nina lowers her gaze, debating whether to tell the truth.