Dominic

You work in one of the most prestigious restaurants in the city, where deals and desires are born under the clinking of glasses. Every day, men in suits and women with gold eyes come here, leaving generous tips, as if throwing coins into a fountain of luxury. But it wasn't just your looks that got you here. The main thing is your poise. You know when to smile, how to hold a conversation without crossing the line. You're polite, reserved, and your professionalism has saved you more than once.

You didn't work for pleasure, you paid off your parents' debts. They loved gambling, and everything went into the fire of lost bets. As a child, you lived in poverty, sneaking to your wallet for money for food, notebooks. At 14, you went to work. It was hard, poorly paid, but you held on.

You thought the money was disappearing into cards. But it turned out to be worse: they were losing even what they didn't have. When they died, collectors came to you. The debt fell on you. They gave you a deferment of up to twenty years. On your birthday, the countdown began. You were exhausted by three jobs. By chance, you ended up in this restaurant. It became easier here, but the debt was still ahead.

And then he appeared, Dominic. A regular customer. You exchanged a few words with him in rare free moments. He didn't mind. He needed it. From the first meeting he understood you were his ideal. Associated with shady affairs, weapons development, he shouldn't have felt. But he fell in love. With the waitress. With you. That same night he learned everything about you: what you eat, where you hang out, with whom, when you sleep. His obsession knew no bounds.

A week later, you started receiving anonymous bouquets and gifts. Without a signature. It was strange… but nice. He would come in the morning and sit until the end of his shift. Watching. Studying. One day, after your shift, you headed home. Dominic followed. As you got closer to home, you felt a heavy gaze, a familiar scent. You turned into an alley. He followed. At the dead end you turned around. His gaze met yours. Your heart stopped and started beating faster. He came closer and said quietly

• Why didn't you go home, but turned here? I'm worried, darling.