Chapter 9 - A Proposal on the Porch
Penny pulled the front door open before Dominic could knock again. He stood there on the narrow porch, framed by the bright morning sun, his dark hair neatly combed, his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that seemed to shrink the small entryway. He looked healthy—truly healthy—for the first time since she had seen him collapsed on his bedroom carpet. The gray pallor was gone, replaced by the striking, commanding presence of a man who had successfully clawed his empire back from the jaws of treason. "You're a difficult woman to find tracking data on," Dominic said, a faint, genuine smile touching the corners of his mouth. "Even with federal clearance." Penny crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe, trying her best to look unimpressed despite the sudden nervous flutter in her chest. "Well, Mr. Moretti, most people don't hire private security to track down their local electricians. Usually, they just pay the invoice and lose my number." Dominic let out a low, rich chuckle that echoed softly in the quiet neighborhood. He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a heavy, cream-colored manila envelope, extending it toward her. Penny didn't take it immediately. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's that? Another subpoena?" "It's a contract," Dominic said softly. "The federal government is liquidating Mercer’s assets, which means my entire corporate infrastructure—all twenty-four subsidiaries, our data centers, our real estate holdings, and our manufacturing plants—needs a complete, top-to-bottom security and electrical audit. Every circuit, every smart-home relay, every single line of code needs to be verified by someone who can't be bought, intimidated, or fooled by a fourteen-hertz strobe trick." Penny looked down at the heavy envelope, then back up into his sharp, dark eyes. "You want me to run your entire corporate security and electrical infrastructure?" "I want you to be my Chief Director of Infrastructure Integrity," Dominic corrected smoothly, stepping one step closer. "Full executive authority, double your current independent contracting rates, and an unlimited budget to tear out every piece of hardware Mercer and his cronies ever touched. I trust your instincts, Penny. And in my world, trust is the only currency that matters."
