Chapter 90: Unreveling The Truth

Elijah couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The cold, empty room they stood in felt like the final piece of a puzzle that had been slowly assembling in the dark corners of his mind. Dominic's cryptic words echoed in his ears, and for the first time, Elijah found himself questioning everything.

Was this really who Dominic was? The man he had come to care for, the man who had shown him affection, anger, and everything in between? Or was this just a facade—one that Dominic had built to protect himself from a world that had already taken so much from him?

He glanced at Dominic, still standing before him, his posture rigid, his eyes focused ahead, as though preparing for something. The hardened expression on his face was the same as the one Elijah had seen when he first met him—a man made of steel, unshakable and unmovable.

But now, it was different. There was an edge to it, something more dangerous, like a man who was finally ready to embrace the inevitable.

"What's going on, Dominic?" Elijah asked, his voice unsteady but determined. "Why bring me here? What do you want me to see?"

Dominic turned toward him slowly, his eyes scanning Elijah's face. The soft vulnerability that had briefly flickered earlier was now gone, replaced with that familiar coldness.

"You're not ready to understand," Dominic said, his voice low and firm. "But you will be soon. When you do, you'll understand why I did what I did."

Elijah frowned, his mind racing. The urgency in Dominic's voice, the way his words seemed to hold weight, it was all too much. This wasn't just about him anymore; it was about something bigger, something that had been building for years.

"What happened here, Dominic?" Elijah asked, stepping closer to him. "What's the truth? You've been hiding it from me, and I'm not blind anymore. I need to know."

Dominic's jaw tightened, and for a moment, there was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, like he was about to say something but stopped himself.

"There's a lot I haven't told you," Dominic admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "Things that I thought you didn't need to know. Things that I thought I could protect you from."

Elijah's heart raced as he waited for Dominic to continue. The uncertainty in the air felt suffocating, like they were standing on the edge of a precipice, and the truth was waiting to pull them both down into the abyss.

"Why now?" Elijah asked. "Why bring me here? What's changed?"

Dominic didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned his back to Elijah and moved toward the table in the center of the room. There were papers scattered across it—blueprints, maps, documents that Elijah didn't understand. It all seemed so… organized, so methodical.

"Everything," Dominic said finally, his voice thick with emotion. "Everything I've done, every choice I've made, it's all been leading to this. And now, it's too late to back out. I've already committed, and there's no turning back."

Elijah's chest tightened at the words. He didn't understand what Dominic was talking about, but he could feel the weight of them, the gravity of the situation. Something big was happening, something that Dominic had been preparing for—and Elijah was right in the middle of it, whether he liked it or not.

"You're not the only one who's been hurt," Dominic added, his voice hardening once again. "I've lost everything. Family. Friends. People I cared about. And I've made enemies because of it. But it's all part of the game, Elijah. It always has been."

Elijah stepped forward, his voice softer now, but no less insistent. "What game, Dominic? What are you talking about?"

Dominic didn't respond at first. Instead, he reached for one of the documents on the table, unfolding it slowly before turning to face Elijah once again.

"Matteo," he said, his voice filled with quiet fury. "He's been planning this for years. Using me, manipulating me. Trying to tear everything down that I've built. He's not just a rival; he's a part of something bigger. A part of a network I didn't even realize existed."

The name hit Elijah like a punch to the gut. Matteo Romano. The name he had heard in passing, the name that had been tied to Dominic's past, the man who had been lurking in the shadows, always one step ahead.

Elijah's mind raced as he tried to process everything Dominic was saying. The pieces were starting to fall into place, but it was still unclear. Matteo was a threat. He always had been, but now, it seemed like the stakes were even higher.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Elijah demanded, his frustration mounting. "Why keep me in the dark about this?"

Dominic's eyes softened, a hint of regret flashing across his face. "Because I didn't want you to be part of this. I didn't want to drag you into this world, Elijah. You don't deserve any of this."

Elijah's heart clenched at the vulnerability in Dominic's voice. He had always known that Dominic carried a heavy burden, but now, the weight of that burden was finally starting to make sense.

"You've been fighting this alone," Elijah said quietly. "And now, you're pushing me away, like you always do. But you don't have to do this alone. I'm here. I want to be here."

Dominic's gaze flickered to him, and for a moment, Elijah saw something in his eyes that he had never seen before—something raw and desperate, like Dominic was reaching out, even though he was terrified of what it meant.

"I can't protect you, Elijah," Dominic murmured, his voice low and shaky. "Not from this. Not from him."

Elijah stepped closer, his voice firm but full of conviction. "You're not protecting me by keeping me away. You're just isolating yourself. And I'm not going anywhere, Dominic. I'm not going to let you fight this alone."

For a long moment, they stood in silence, the weight of everything hanging between them. Finally, Dominic nodded, a single, reluctant movement.

"Alright," he said quietly. "But this isn't over. Not by a long shot."

Elijah took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the words settling into his chest. They were about to step into a world of danger, a world where survival wasn't guaranteed, and where every decision had a cost.

But as long as they were together, Elijah knew one thing for certain: he wasn't going to let Dominic face it alone.

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