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CHAPTER 3

MIA POV.

His eyes never leave mine as he takes the seat opposite me. The guards hand cuff him to the table to limit his arm movements before they leave me and the man alone in the room. I feel a shiver run down my spine as we continue to lock eyes with each other. It was both captivating and intimidating but there was a tone of excitement that seemed to flow through my veins like electricity that beckons me to give in.

“Where do we begin?” Heat rushes to my cheeks as I am jolted back to the present moment. The deepness of his voice was like a gentle reprimand and curiosity, reminding me what I was here for.

"Oh, uhm yes," I stutter as I try to compose myself and take a deep breath. At least he hasn’t turned around and left the room or refused the interview in any way but it was still early.

I fumble with my files, my hands shaking slightly. "T-thank you for agreeing to see me, Mr. Romano." I say with my eyes still on my papers that I was trying to organize in front of me. "My name is Amelia Woods and I'm a forensic psychologist. I would very much like to conduct a psychological evaluation on you today." I said.

Dominic's expression turns dark and scornful, his eyes narrowing as he regards me with disdain. "A psychologist?" he repeats skeptically, his eyes roaming over the part of me that he could see and I suddenly felt very small. "What makes you think you're qualified to probe into my mind, huh? What makes you think that you will be able to understand me?” He fires his questions at me and I was sort of expecting resistance from him.

I pull out my university badge and show it to him. He merely shakes his head before a smirk pulls at the side of his lips. “Closer, little wolf.” He mocked. I lean in, annoyed by the nickname and wanting to prove my credentials to this skeptical man. Dominic glanced over my badge and just as I was about to pull my arm back to put away my credentials, his hand shoots out and grabs my wrist. A shocked yelp escaped my throat as I stared wide eyed at the seated man before me. I feel a jolt of electricity where his fingers wrapped around my wrist and when I tried to pull away, he held strong, not relinquishing his hold. A panic started to grow in the pit of my stomach and I glanced towards the closed door to where the guards were on the other side. Before I could call out, He pulls my hand closer so that my wrist was at his nose and to my surprise, he inhaled deeply. Another shiver runs down my spine. What the hell was he doing? I wondered as I stared at him in fear and shock.

He breathes in my skin again and his eyes flutter closed. A look of pure bliss crosses his face. Was he memorizing my scent? I wondered as a wave of unease wash over me. I must have made a noise because his eyes snapped open to lock with mine again. I don’t know if it was my mind playing tricks on me but his eyes seemed almost black now. “You smell like the Moonlight Bloom on a full moon in the forest.” He says and my breath hitches in my throat at his words. “And innocents…” He ads knowingly, smirking at me in a mischievous way. “I take it that you are still a virgin, no?” He asks mockingly. Suddenly angered at being reminded of my V-card, I snatch back my hand from him.

“That has absolutely nothing to do with you and if you try something like that again, Mr. Romano, then…” I started to chastise him angrily before he rudely interrupted me.

“You’ll what, little wolf?” He mocked as he stared at me. “Call the guards on me or are you going to take me on yourself?” He challenged. Embarrassment burned on my face as I glared at the man in front of me. He was absolutely infuriating and yet fascinating at the same time.

Silence stretched between us until he spoke again. This time his tone was lower and curious. "What are you doing here, little wolf? You are nothing but a sweet little virgin, playing at being a psychologist. What is the council up to this time?” He asked. Again, I felt angered and insulted as my eyes started to burn from holding back my tears. Without knowing where the courage came from, I stand up from the cold metal desk, the chair scraping the floor to elicit an ear screeching noise that bounced off the wall in the room. He didn’t even flinch.

"I've had enough of your insults, Mr. Romano. I chose my career so that I can help people. So that I can unearth the truth and bring closure and justice to those that need it. I certainly did not come here today to impress you nor did the council send me in any way." I ramble, but had to stop to take a much-needed breath. Dominic watched me with a calculating look. “This interview was my chance to prove myself but I can see that I am clearly wasting my time.” I said and started to gather my things before picking up my bag.

I march past Dominic, making sure that he couldn’t make a grab for me and I was just about to knock on the steel door when he spoke. “Where do you think you are going, little wolf?” He asks. I turn back to face him and he was still seated in the same position as where I left him. He didn’t even bother to turn around as he spoke. “This interview is not over.” He states and there was something in his voice that demanded attention but I was still fuming inside by his insults. “I think it is.” I stated and this made him turn in his seat to look at me. “And I say it is not. If you are serious about going into this career then I suggest you sit down to continue this interview.” He says and again it felt like a command.

Wait, was he willing to go through with the interview? I wondered as I moved away from the door back to my chair. He gestures to the chair for me to sit down and I realized that he was serious. Excitement grew in my chest that he was willing to let me interview him where the others have failed. “Fine, Mr. Romano, but don’t call me little wolf again.” I said and he smirked playfully as his eyes twinkled while I sat back down. “Very well, but only if you call me Dominic.” He said as he gave me one of those piercing looks that sent shivers down my spine that wasn’t too overly unpleasant.

I take a deep breath. "Very well, let's start with a few basic questions, Mr. R… Dominic," I say, quickly correcting his name to which he smirked at knowingly. “In order to know the person who you are now, I need to find out about the person that you were.” I said and he raised an eyebrow in question.

"How was your childhood?” I asked and something dark shifted in his eyes. "My childhood was… interesting.” he answers my question with carefully chosen words. He knew this was not the answer that I wanted but I could also tell from that single answer that it was not so great. I noted it down in my notepad.

“And your parents? How was your relationship with them? Do you have any brothers or sisters?” I ask and Dominic's expression turns calculating. "My parents were occupied with other things.” He says and again I made my notes.

“And what about you, Mia?” He asks and I stop writing. “What?” I ask, taken by surprise by the reversal of the questions and the shortage of my name that were only used by my freinds. “Your parents? Any siblings?” He asks and his eyes twinkled. “A boyfriend?” He asks and images of Tony and the blond cheerleader on the couch filled my head. I clear my throat and shake my head. “Can we please keep the questions on you?” I asked and started jotting down the rest of my unfinished notes.

As I continue my questions, Dominic's answers to my questions become teasing, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He leans back in his chair, a lazy smile spreading across his face, and I can't help but feel a flutter in my chest but I also started to feel annoyed at him trying to side step my questions.

“Mr. Romano, please! Can we keep to my questions?” I say angrily and I cocked an eyebrow at me for calling him Mr. Romano again. "Oh, Mia, are you always so serious?" he asks, his voice filled with mock concern. "Aren’t you tired of being so...proper?"

Heat rush to my already hot cheeks. I was fuming inside as I tried to keep some form of semblance of being professional. "I'm just trying to do my job, Dominic. I don’t have time for anything else. Anymore." I reply, trying to calm myself down. Dominic huffs in amusement. "Ah, but that's the problem, Mia. You're too focused on your studies. You need someone that can teach you to have some fun." He said and smirked before he spoke next. “Perhaps someone that can help you take care of your innocence?” He said and that was the last straw.

“ENOUGH!” I say as I slammed my hand onto the table. His eyes sparkled with mischief as I dotted down my conclusions. When I was done writing, Dominic sat back in his chair with an amused expression. “Well, what is the results?” He asked. Straightening my shoulder, I start to read from my notepad.

"Mr. Romano exhibits provocative behavior, consistently displaying a lack of remorse for his actions and antisocial tendencies. He exerts his dominance over others for his own amusement and gain. I recommend that Mr. Romano remain imprisoned without the possibility of parole. I also recommend behavioral modification and rehabilitation." I finished reading my verdict and to my dismay, I locked eyes with a pair of amused eyes and a smile on his perfectly chiseled face. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I accuse, my voice filled with irritation. Dominic's smile widens, eyes glinting with pleasure. "Oh, Mia. You have no idea how much." He says and I stand up from my chair as I grab my notes and bag. “Well, I hope you enjoyed it because you are going to be stuck here for a very long time.” I say and march past him to the door. More determined than ever to leave this place.

Just as I was about to knock on the door, he spoke again. "I believe we will meet again soon outside." He spoke. I turned to face him and he too was turned in his chair, looking with me. His eyes held a promise that made me tremble on the inside. “Not in your life time, Dominic.” I reply, but he seemed unfazed by my answer. Quickly, I knocked on the door and a second later, it opened. Without looking back, I walk out of the room and out of the prison to freedom.

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