CHAPTER 41: Lingering Effect

　　Victoria's POV

　　My chest felt constricted, as though an invisible weight was pressing down on me. Each breath came unevenly, and the spot where Dominic's hand had rested on my hip burned like a brand, a lingering heat that refused to fade.

　　I pressed a trembling hand to my chest, willing the erratic beat of my heart to slow. "Pull yourself together," I whispered, the words shaky and unsure, more of a plea than a command.

　　But the memory refused to leave me. Dominic's steady hands, the calm yet firm timbre of his voice, the way he shielded me from Ethan—it all played on a loop in my mind. The intensity of those moments lingered, refusing to let go.

　　I forced myself to move, one foot in front of the other, stumbling to my car. The drive home passed in a blur, the scenery outside melting into indistinguishable shapes as my thoughts spiraled. Fear and frustration warred within me, but beneath it all was something I couldn't quite name.