Dominic's POV

It is exactly three months since the epic take down of Richard Spencer. Word has it that his father had sold their family home and has moved down south to God knows where, I didn't bother to keep an update.

But Richard still had the spirit of fighting back, through an intelligence report of my team, he tried turning for help to Nicholas but was turned down. Maybe Nicholas is no longer in need of his service or it might be all one giant scheme, we will know in time.

I made sure that at least in New York no one would hire Richard. So the last I've heard of him is he took a one way  ticket to Boston. Good luck finding jobs because I'll make sure he is unemployable even there at least in the organised corporate sectors.

The consequences of messing with what's dear to me would forever haunt him. He will never be able to get rid of me from his life. Every hope and dream of his will be crashed, every one step he takes I'll always be two steps ahead of him jeopardizing everything.

I'll be the looming dark cloud over his head forever.

Despite the threat of Nicholas creating disruption in my life, him the potential enemy who could easily harm Arabella to get to me. I didn't let it deter me from building a good relationship with her.

We are more than good and have even grown closer than we were before. Something I always strive for and wanted since the day I met her.

I can't wait to finally propose to her, to make her my wife. My heart warms with joy just at the prospect of calling her my wife not girlfriend. Addressing her as my girlfriend seems less important, casual even as compared to how much she means to me.

I have set a date with her tomorrow and I plan on taking her to my island in Santorini, the place where we  spent time together after our first meeting. It's kinda surreal when I look back to how we met.

The best thing.

And to cement this relationship no ordinary ring would do. I have put my team to find the best and the most exclusive ring for her. And after much research my team was able to secure a rare diamond called the pink star at an auction. The moment I saw it I knew it was meant for her -  exquisite, delicate and rare just like her. I paid an exuberant  price for $70 million to be precise. Worth every penny, nothing ordinary for my love.

Unlocking the safe of my wardrobe, I picked up the dark velvet box and opened it. The diamond nestled beautifully on the platinum. I'm too fidgety to wait till tomorrow to propose to her.

I have already asked permission from her grandpa. And he gave me his blessing which was a big relief, but anxious as to how she would react because she might think it's too fast. Which is not at all for me.

Just this once I won't take no for an answer, I will do my best to convince her if she hesitates.

My nerves kick in at the prospect of things turning negative. But before the negative thoughts pull me in further the ringing of my phone distracts me.

Closing the ring box and putting it back in the safe and locking it I walked out of my walk-in closet and picked up the phone from the bedside table. It was Alex.

But before I could receive the call, it ended. Puzzled at why he would call me. I called him back.

A sobbing voice picks up the call putting me in full alert.

"Alex," my tone measured as I called out his name.

"Mr. Kuu-- King," He stammers in between sobs.

"What happened. Is Arabella fine. Is she with you?" My grip was tighter on the phone as I paced the room. A bad foreboding feeling runs through my thoughts.

His sob grows louder, making me feel more agitated and angry rather than sorry.

"Speak the fuck up." I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"She - she," he hiccups again.

"Yes," I gritted my teeth. Patience running thin.

"She is hurt," his voice is low but not low enough for me to understand his speech.

"Hurt how," every word comes out slow and hard as my heart palpitate rapidly, I shift the phone to my other ear because of how much my hand was trembling but it's of no use as the other hand trembles too.

Alex speaks but his speech is incoherent which angers me more.
He continues sobbing.

"Send me the address as to where she is right fucking now. Do it now or I'll kill you." I warned him the truth.

He barely says okay before I cut the call. I walked out of my room not bothering to put on my blazer, barking orders to Arthur to take me to queens.

Why the fuck was she in queens and where the fuck is Anita her bodyguard.

Both their phones were unreachable. I pass on the address to Sebastain and Ethan my head security. He better not have messed up because if he did I swear, it will be the end of his bloody career.

"Drive faster," I bellowed nerves take over me.

Arthur nods, he knows me well enough to not lecture me on the speed limit. Nothing can stop me from getting to Queens.

Jemi calls me," Dominic," Her voice screams through the phone.

"Is Arabella with you?" I asked wanting to hear a yes. But I know it isn't but I couldn't stop hoping.

"N--No she isn't. Alex called me and he says she is hurt I couldn't get much out of him as he kept sobbing. Oh God Dominic! I can't get her nor Anita on the phone." She babbles on and my whole body goes unnaturally cold and stiff.

"I'm sure there must be some misunderstanding." I went on. The sentence sounds stupid but this thought is the only way I can contain my sanity until I get there.

"I don't know. I'm on my way are you there yet." She returns sounding less hopeful and wary. I hate it.

"I'm on my way. I'll see you there." I cut the call before I hear any negative words about what must have happened to Arabella.

"We are almost there Sir," Arthur reassures me as he sees how agitated I am.

"Well, step on it." I gritted.

After what felt like forever we finally moved into a residential neighborhood that Alex had sent the address to. It wasn't the most wholesome place, old buildings greeted us. Walls adorned with graffiti, and streets crowded with beat-up cars parked on each side of the road.

A crowd gathered in the opening of the crowded buildings halts the car.

"What the fuck," I murmur. Opening the door of the car I stepped out. Arthur quickly parks the car on the side of the road and joins me.

The same foreboding feeling hit me as I walked towards the crowd. There was dark smoke moving up the sky. I quickened my pace and pushed my way through the crowd.

The yellow crime tab stops me on my track but I bend over and walk  towards what seems to be a car being badly burned, rather like blown to smithereens. It looked like a bomb had gone off.

"Sir you need to step back," A cop calls me from my left. But I kept going forward, firefighters had already put out the fires engulfing the car. The car or whatever that's left off looked very familiar. Goosebumps race through my body, this has to be a nightmare, a bad dream I would soon wake up from.

"Sir," Arthur stops me by blocking my path with his hand.

"What," I glared at him.

He tilts his head to his right, my eyes move towards the direction he points. I see Alex sitting down in the back of an ambulance with a paramedic. My legs involuntarily take me towards him.

"Alex," I called out catching his attention.

He burst into sobs. Instead of being sympathetic towards him I got more irritated because the suspense was killing me.

I walked towards him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt making him stand on his feet completely ignoring the caution the paramedic was voicing.

"Where is she? Where is my Arabella huh," my voice is as steely as I was on his face.

He choked on a sob but tucked his lips between his teeth as I glared at him. I felt bad for him when he started to shake.

"Shh-- she," he stammers as I release my hold on the collar of his shirt.

"Sir," Arthur tabs on my shoulder. I turned to face him.

He takes a deep sigh but quickly schools his face back to stoic as he speaks up," There was a car blast and it was the car where Miss Arabella and Anita were,"

My ears ring, and a dizzying numb feeling fills my entire body.

"No," I choke out.

"I'm sorry Sir," Arthur's thick palm rests on my shoulder. I pushed it away and staggered towards the cops. My feet were light and unfeeling on the ground, it was as if I were floating.

"We need to take the victims to the morgue and call family members to identify them," I heard a cop instruct the other cop. They were discussing whatever was in the blast like it was another day another duty to handle. Too casual too cold.

I refuse to accept that the person in the car was my Arabella, she can never leave me this way. I won't allow it. This is all a giant misunderstanding and I'll soon have her in my arms and come tomorrow she will be engaged to me to be my wife.

"Officers," I called out. My voice lacked the usual strength it carried.

They turned to face me.

"Are you related to the victim?" the taller one questions me.

"No," I said too quickly and stopped on my track. Why should I say yes, That would mean I gave up too easily, accepting that my Arabella died.

"Then I request you step out of the yellow tab, this is a crime scene," he orders me out.

"Gladly," I say and walk towards the yellow tab.

"Nic," Sebastian calls out from over the yellow tab.

"What's going on," he asks as I bend over the tab and straighten to stand before him.

I stood staring at him. Yeah exactly my question " What's going on"

He strains his neck to my left and looks on. Without waiting for my reply he walks toward Alex and Arthur, I heard him cursing aloud as he spoke to them. He repeatedly punches on the side of the ambulance stopping only when Arthur pulls him away and drags him towards me.

Both of them walked past the yellow tab. Sebastian's eyes were beaming with tears, he almost choked as he called my name.

I raised my hand glaring at him," Dont fucking say it, nothing happened to her. Don't fucking say it and wipe the tears from your face you look fucking ridiculous."

"Nic," he says biting his lower lip between his teeth, hands balled into tight fists on both sides.

"She is dead?" he questions. His brows thrown together, he opens his mouth to speak but I stop him by grabbing his collar.

I spoke through gritted teeth," I said don't fucking speak, why can't you understand or listen to me huh." I kept shoving him, ignoring Arthur who was trying to pull me off of him.

"Why would you assume she is dead. Just because it is her car? Do you wish her dead, huh Sebastian? Do you want her dead? Tell me," I shoved him hard on his chest with my palm.

" Tell me," I screamed.

He stood there staring blankly at me, unbothered by how hard I had pushed him.

"Fuck!" I screamed again hands combing through my hair as I pulled hard at it.

"Give me the car keys," I ordered Arthur gesturing my open palm towards him.

He quickly tugs into his blazer pocket and hands it over to me.

Taking the car keys, I quickly walked towards the car and got in and drove off not knowing where my destination was. I drove mindlessly around the neighborhood.

"Fuck! fuck!" I screamed as I kept hitting the steering of the car with my palm.

No matter what everyone fucking says or the fact that Alex witness the bomb blast. I will never accept that my Arabella is dead. There is no fucking way our story will end this way. There is no fucking way.

I parked the car on the side of the road and dialed Arthur. He picks up as soon as it rings.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Have the bodies examined thoroughly for DNA testing. And fire Ethan and make sure he is unemployable. Set up a new intelligence team you may head it for now until we get a proper replacement, go through all the details on Arabella's security, and check why there was a lapse in her fucking security," I slammed my palm on the steering wheel, my body shaking in anger.

"Get in touch with Stefan from the FBI as well." I disconnected the call and sat looking ahead contemplating what to do next.

My phone rings, I saw it was Sebastian I swiped. I won't entertain anyone who talks as if she were dead.

Fuck with all the people who comes with that news. I knew in my gut that she was alive.

There is only one person who would have all the answers to this mayhem. My grib on the steering wheel grows tighter at the thought of his name. Without wasting another second sitting here I start the engine of the car and drive towards my destination.

After beating the heavy traffic through Queens and then to Manhatten I parked my car right outside Ramirez corporation.

Just as I took my steps towards the
entrance of the building. Then Sebastian's voice stopped me in my tracks. How the hell did he get here, he must have followed me.

"Nic, what are you up to," He cautiously walks towards me.

"Non of your fucking business," My voice harsher than I intended.

"Whatever you are planning on doing we can only do once we get the," He pauses swallowing hard making his Adams apple pop.

"Once we get the results from the forensic team," He finishes rubbing his mouth with his palm.

Giving him one last hard look I didn't bother speaking to him I left him standing near the entrance and walked towards the lift completely ignoring the receptionist who protested on how I can't just go up.

The hell I can't.

The moment the lift opens to the top most floor, I walk towards the office where I know he will be there. I have been here once two years back when he tried sabotaging my company.

Voices ahead distracts me, he walks out of his office talking over the phone. His gaze lands on me as he hangs up the phone.

"What brings you here Amigo," He chuckles as he casually walks towards me.

"What did you do to her. Where is she?" my voice steady as hard gaze meets his.

"You need to be more specific, who is it, she does have a name right," He chuckles again.

"Don't play games with me. I know you did something to her." I gritted my teeth pulling him by his jacket.

"I can't be a mile radius near her, didn't your airtight restraining order fix that?" He chuckles again making me see black.

"You and I both know that is not going to stop you from hurting her," his lips tightened at the corner into a smirk  and in that moment all I cared for was to punch him across his face and punch him I did.

The punch lands forcefully on his face, he staggers back. His bodyguard rushed towards us but he lifted his hand gesturing him to not interfere. His bodyguard halts on his step but eyes me intensely.

"Where is she?" I asked again walking towards him.

"How should I know," He let out a laugh rubbing the spot on his face where I punched him with his thumb.

"Where is she," I bellowed landing another punch on his face. He kept laughing as I grew more angry by the second landing blow after blow making him land on the ground. He continues laughing.

I went for another blow but Sebastian pulled me from behind," Nic, stop."

"We need to go to the morgue now," He almost whispers in my ear.

I tried pushing him away but his grip on me tightened," We can't waste time here if we need to get to the bottom of the truth. You are not thinking rationally right now, for Bella's sake let's go." The mention of her name slowly brings me back to sanity.

I nodded and gave one final glance at Nicholas. His mouth bloodied he lets out a maniac laugh as his bodyguard pulls him up from the floor.

"Amigo I hope you will not make it a habit of coming here and assaulting me every time you lose your woman." he taunts as he presses his handkerchief over his bloodied mouth.

I didn't entertain him with a reply, I turned and walked over the lift followed by Sebastian in tow to find my woman. I refuse to believe that one of the badly charred bodies from the car blast belongs to her.