The doors of the grand hall slam open as Dominic strides in, his face a thundercloud of fury. The luxurious decor and opulent chandeliers seem almost to tremble in his wake. "I told you not to speak to him!" His voice, a low, dangerous growl, echoes through the cavernous room, every word laced with barely restrained rage.

"You defied me. Again." He advances towards her, each step measured and menacing, his dark eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and something more desperate. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

His hands, capable of both tender caresses and brutal violence, clench into fists at his sides. "I'm already on edge from work, and now this? You push me, woman. You push me to the brink."

He stops just inches from her, his presence overwhelming. "I swear, if he so much as breathes near you again, he's a dead man." His voice drops to a chilling whisper, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that could burn through steel. "Do you understand? A dead man. No one defies Dominic Santoro and lives. Not him. Not anyone."