Status Updates From Sinful Secrets

Doesn’t she understand that I’m in love with her? I might not have said that out loud to her, but it’s clear as fucking day. I let myself believe that I was okay without her all this time, but that was a lie. I never stopped loving her. I never will.

Dom about Ava

Dom- I missed her so much. Ava Sterling got under my skin when I was eighteen and I haven’t been the same since. We didn’t even sleep together, but we didn’t have to for me to know that she was the one.
I’ve tried to date since her, but I never could make any other relationships work. I’m not surprised.
They weren’t her.

I bite my lip. “I’m not a charity case.”
“No,” he agrees. “You’re not. You’re mine.”
And then he pulls me towards him, his lips crashing into mine.
Fuck, kissing Dominic is everything. His tongue explores my mouth passionately and I let myself get lost in his kiss.

First kiss since he saved her from Luca
💋

Ava- Why are you doing this? You’re going to ruin your life here. Your reputation. Your father’s hotel. Shit, Dominic! You don’t want a war with Dante Castellano! What are you doing this for?
Dom- Ava, I’m doing it for you! How do you not see that yet?
A- I don’t want you to do it for me! You’ll resent me, Dominic. You’ll give up your entire life to save me…
D- I could never resent you.

Ava- Being around Dom again is bringing up feelings that I haven’t had in years. I don’t like it. I’m good at…compartmentalizing. I can really go into my own world when I need to, my own bubble.
Dom popped that bubble before. In the best way. But when it was over, it was hard to build that bubble back around myself.
I’m afraid of it popping now.

And when it comes to Ava, I’ll the burn the entire fucking world to the ground if that means saving her.
So, if she needs to think I’m the villain right now, then I’ll let her think it. It’s fine. She’ll come around eventually. She’ll realize that everything I’m doing, I’m doing for her.
Dominic

“I bought you, Ava,” Dominic says, and I stare at him in disbelief. I grab onto the dining room chair to hold myself up, because I feel like the ground was just ripped out from underneath me.
“W-what?” I manage to get out.
“You’re not going back to Luca,” Dominic tells me. “You’re mine.”

Dom tells Ava how he got her out of the arranged marriage to Luca.

Landon- “You just made a fucking deal with the devil. You interrupted an arranged mafia marriage. What the hell do you think Dante is going to say?”
Dominic- He’s not wrong. But it doesn’t matter. I’d make a million deals with the devil if it meant saving Ava. Doesn’t he get that?

I know he’s going to give me hell for buying Ava.
God, it sounds fucked up. It is fucked up. But what choice did I have?

Dominic about Landon

“Ten mil,” Luca says, and Dom nods in agreement.
“Sold,” he says
He turns to Landon. “Landon, please have Gerald come up. I want a contract written up immediately.”
Then Dom turns to Luca. “You’ll have your money wired to you tonight.”
My head is spinning as Dominic looks at me.
“Come on, Aves,” he says, and the use of his old nick name for me makes my heart flutter. “Let's go.”

$10,000,000

“She’s not yours,” Luca retorts. “I told you, the deal has been made.”
“Fine. How much?” Dom counters, and it takes me a minute to realize he’s offering to pay Luca – for me.
“I’m not selling her to you,” Luca says.
“I’ll give you whatever you want,” Dom replies. “Name your price.”

Dom trying to break Ava’s arrangement

“She’s mine,” Luca says, like I’m a toy he doesn’t want to share. “She was promised to me.”
“What?” Dom asks incredulously. “As in an arranged marriage?”
Luca nods. “I wanted a brunette, but she’ll have to do.”
Dominic looks like he’s going to lose his mind.
No,” Dom says, looking between me and Luca. “This isn’t happening. Not on my fucking watch.”

Ava’s arrangement

I think I’m imagining things when I see Dominic Hale stroll over towards us.
“Ava?” Dom’s voice snaps me out of it, though, and I realize that I’m not imagining it. Dominic is very real, and he’s in front of me.

Ava sees Dom in the hotel suite.

I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m about to find out. Because I failed Ava once before. I won’t make that mistake again.
Dominic

He’s still bothered about not saving her years ago.
Feels guilty

Dom- I can feel my jaw clench. Luca’s hands on my girl makes me feel fucking feral, and I wonder where that thought comes from because Ava is not my girl anymore.

They used to be together.
He still feels protective toward her.
Possessive?

And then I see her and I have to do a double take, because there’s no way she’s here.
What the hell would Ava Sterling be doing here in Luca Castellano’s box suite?

Dominic is surprised to see Ava in his hotel with Luca.

I’m walking through the hotel on Luca’s arm when I start to feel fuzzy. And then it hits me – my drink was spiked.

Luca drugged Ava

“You’re going to the salon tomorrow,” Luca says. “I can’t fuck you when you’re blonde. You’ll make my dick soft.”
Ava- Fuck, he’s such a creep. I don’t know what his obsession with brunettes are, but he clearly has one. For some reason the thought of dying my hair makes me anxious, which is almost comical because the color of my hair is the least of my worries right now.

Hair color problems

I’ve never forgiven myself for not just forcing Ava to leave with me. I would’ve left everything behind for her. But I didn’t want to force her – I wanted to give her a choice. If I didn’t give her one, wouldn’t I be just as bad as her father?
I don’t agree with that sentiment anymore, though. Sometimes your choices are taken away for your own good. I just didn’t see that then.

Dominic about Ava

Dante- “Don’t mind Luca. He’ll come around. He likes brunettes, so we’ll get you into a salon soon.”

Luca doesn’t like that Ava has blonde hair.

“Ava, this is Luca,” he says. “Luca Castellano, Dante’s son. And he’s going to be your husband.”

Ava learns about her arranged marriage from her father