Born to Rule, Destined to Destroy Novel 12

Chapter 12
Dominic’s shout of “Sierra” wasn’t solitary—racers pivoted, astonishment and curiosity igniting their faces. Could Sierra, the enigma of the tracks, veiled in legend, be among them? The thought staggered the air, a ripple of disbelief threading through.
Valeria bristled under the weight of their stares, unease tightening her brow. She turned to slip away, but Dominic’s grip clamped her arm. “Let go,” she snapped, voice a honed edge, wincing as she tugged free—until another hand seized Dominic’s wrist, wrenching it with a force that drew a yelp.
Javier loomed between them, a bulwark of stern resolve. “Decorum in public,” he intoned, his voice a low, unyielding rumble.
Dominic clutched his wrist, frustration flaring. “Uncle Javier, she’s my wife—what’s wrong with holding her?”
“Huh!” Valeria’s scoff cut sharp, dripping scorn. “Not for long.” She spun, strides brisk toward the parking lot, her back a wall of dismissal, never glancing back.
Dominic lurched to follow, but Javier’s piercing stare rooted him. Defeat shadowed his face as Javier matched Valeria’s pace, their figures receding together. Adriana’s alarm flared—Dominic’s gaze lingered too long, a crack in her hold.
She descended from the stands, voice soft as a balm. “Dominic, it’s just a race—losing isn’t everything.”
Her words grazed his storm without soothing it. “Why’re you here? I said stay in the stands,” he snapped, eyes tracing Valeria’s path, mind reeling—the Butterfly Drift, Sierra’s fiery speeches replaying, colliding with the Valeria he’d scorned. How could his idol be her? What else lurked unknown?
Adriana’s hands twisted, lip caught between teeth. “I was worried—I didn’t think. Don’t be mad.” His softening flicker emboldened her. “Commissioner Barnett really shielded Valeria—they’ve just met, yet seem so close. How?”
Dominic’s brow furrowed, voice taut. “She called him yesterday, claiming Egret access—maybe that’s why he stepped in.”
“I see,” Adriana whispered, anxiety threading her tone. “With him hunting Egret, what if he learns she’s bluffing? You’re still married—could this drag you down too?”
Her words jolted him, a cold spike piercing his reverie. No one toyed with Javier unscathed—Sierra or not, Valeria’s deception would ignite his wrath. His power could crush her, and the Barnetts with her, divorce be damned. Dominic’s mind raced—he needed a sharper severance, a shield against the fallout.
Adriana hadn’t mapped it as he did,