Page 5 of The Don's Hidden Heir

I pat his head. He has the same onyx dark hair as Dominic. The same almost dark, brown eyes and tan skin. Lucas reminds me so much of Dominic, and often times, I wonder if the reason I haven’t moved on from Dominic in all of these years is because of Lucas. Because he keeps Dominic center front in my mind.

The resemblance between them is striking and is always bubbling up memories of my past I’ve tried to bury.

Huffing out a sigh, I take Lucas’s hand in mine. “I miss him.”

Someone once said ‘time heals everything’, but even after seven years, my feelings for Dominic are still as fresh as new. The stab in my heart from the night I left him still bleeds.

“Is that why you don’t want to have a boyfriend?” Lucas asks, scrunching his brows. He’s too smart for a seven year old. “Do you not want to have a boyfriend because of me?”

“My sweet boy.” Cupping his chubby cheeks, I give them a gentle squeeze. “Of course not. Mummy just hasn’t found the right one.”

Lucas raises his brows. He’s such a curious kid. “How do you know when you meet the right one?”

I think back to the first night I met Dominic. “Hmmm,” I hum, reminiscing over the way just looking at Dominic for the first time, took my breath away. I tap his chest. “You feel it here, then you know.”

His giggles are innocent and contagious. “Did you feel that way when you first met my daddy?”

A smile blooms on my face. “Yes.” Even now, my heart flutters as I think of him.

My phone rings before Lucas can ask anymore questions. Moira’s name flashes on my screen when I pick my phone up.

I wonder why she’s calling.

“Hey, babe!” I answer. The pop music blaring in the background tells me she’s in a bar. Moira is very outgoing, a contrast to my introverted nature. I wonder how we’ve managed to be best friends for all these years.

There’s a mix of excitement and panic in her voice. “Guess what?”

My eyes meet with Lucas’s. I don’t trust Moira enough to take her calls around him. She’s very naughty and unpredictable sometimes, so I move away to the kitchen and grab a stool by the island. “You know I’m not good at guesses. What is it?”

“Take a deep breath first,” she warns.

My stomach clenches as my anticipation builds. “Whatever it is, it better be worth the torture you’re putting me through.”

“Believe me, it is.” She pauses, and I’m close to ripping out all of my hair. “I’m at a club downtown and you won’t believe who just came in.”

I sighed.God, I’m going to send a soul to you soon.“Who?”

She breathes him name like fire. “Dominic Romano.”

Chapter Two

Elena

“Which Dominic Romano?” I ask, laughing as if Moira has just made some sick joke.

I know it’s not a joke. Moira might be crazy, but she’s not the type to make things up, even for fun.

But I guess I want it to not be him so bad it’s easier to live in denial for a few minutes than accept he is back to New York. If I pretend it’s not the Dominic Romano I know, then it won’t be him. Right?

Fuck.

“It’s that Dominic Romano, Elena,” she says. “Your ex.”

I run my fingers over my hair, as another wave of unhappy laughter escapes from my chest. “It can’t be. Dominic is in Italy. He’s been in Italy for seven years now. It’s not…”

“It is him,” Moira breaks in before I can squeeze myself further into a tunnel of denial. “He just got back. I didn’t mean to go snooping around, but I heard him say he’s settling in New York for good.”

No. It’s not true. This can’t be happening.