Chapter 160

"Why are you hiding here?" Dominic's voice cut through the quiet of the parking lot, laced with irritation.

The boy in the black cap didn't flinch. If his driver hadn’t spotted him in time, the car would have backed right into him.

The vice principal quickly stepped forward. "Mr. Blackwood, this boy just enrolled last week. He... doesn’t interact well with strangers."

Every student at Willowbrook Academy had some form of cognitive difference—children and adults alike.

Dominic’s expression softened slightly. He remembered now. The boy was neurodivergent, like Sophia.

Henry shoved his notebook into his backpack with deliberate slowness. Swinging it over one shoulder, he stood up with an air of defiance.

As he passed Dominic, his foot came down hard on the man’s polished leather shoes.

Dominic’s jaw tightened.

That was intentional.

"I’m so sorry, Mr. Blackwood! He didn’t mean it!" The vice principal dropped to his knees, frantically wiping the scuff mark with a tissue.

Henry turned back just enough to smirk at him.

Dominic studied the boy’s face, but the cap shadowed his features. Still, there was something unsettlingly familiar about him.

That smirk confirmed it—this kid was trouble.

Definitely on purpose.

Fine. Nothing about this place was normal anyway.

He wasn’t about to hold a grudge against a child with special needs.

Clara arrived at Mooncrest Manor just past five, fresh from picking Lily up from preschool.

She’d warned Lily they had a special guest waiting at home.

Lily had nodded solemnly, prepared.

But nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Sophia.

The woman was breathtaking.

Her dress was like something out of a storybook, her hair styled in soft, intricate braids.

And her face—she looked like a princess.

"Hi, Miss!" Lily chirped, skipping toward her.

"Hi, Sis," Sophia whispered shyly.

Something in her posture relaxed at the sight of Lily.

A girl her own age—or so she believed.

She hadn’t spoken a word until now.

Lily clapped both hands over her mouth, eyes wide.

"Lily, remember what I told you? She’s our guest, and she’s unwell. She thinks she’s younger than you," Clara explained gently.

Lily’s eyes sparkled with fascination. "Oh... Can I pretend she’s my little sister? Can we play?"

Clara glanced at Evelyn, who gave a small nod.

With a delighted squeal, Lily grabbed Sophia’s hand and tugged her toward the bedroom.

Clara approached Evelyn, who hadn’t moved from the sofa since arriving home.

"Evelyn, should I go get Henry from school?" Clara prompted.

Evelyn blinked, as if surfacing from deep thought. "No, I’ll go. Is Lily back yet?"

Clara sighed. "She’s in her room. You should stay. You’re distracted, and I don’t trust you behind the wheel right now. There’s food on the table if you’re hungry."

Without waiting for a reply, Clara left.

Evelyn pressed her fingers to her temples, then pushed herself up.

The cold water from the bathroom sink helped, if only a little.

She moved to the children’s room and eased the door open.

"Sis, her eyes move!" Sophia held up a doll, grinning.

"And she talks! Pull her hand—listen!" Lily demonstrated.

Sophia tugged the doll’s arm.

A tinny voice chirped from its speaker.