Chapter 175

The woman cradled a small child in one arm while guiding another by the hand.

Dominic's breath hitched.

The surveillance footage was grainy, obscuring Evelyn's features.

A gnawing suspicion took root—what if this woman wasn't Evelyn at all?

Why would she have two children with her?

Evelyn had no children.

He replayed the clip three more times.

Each viewing deepened his unease, stripping away any remnants of sleep.

After saving the footage, he snapped the laptop shut.

Jumping to conclusions now would be reckless.

When dawn broke, he'd confront Evelyn directly.

At six sharp, Sophia stirred awake.

She slid off the hospital bed, padding barefoot to the cot where Dominic slept.

Her fingers tugged at his sleeve. "Brother... Brother..."

Dominic's eyes flew open, bloodshot from exhaustion.

"Let's go home," Sophia pleaded, her voice carrying the petulance of a child unwilling to stay another minute in the sterile room.

He rose instantly.

An hour of fitful sleep left him leaden, but Sophia's post-surgery temperament was unpredictable.

Her improved cognition was evident when she didn't fight him about leaving—a small mercy.

Thirty minutes later, Sophia gaped at Mooncrest Manor's wrought-iron gates. "Where are we?"

"My home." Dominic studied her reaction. "Would you like to live here with me?"

Normally, she'd have clung to the familiarity of Willowbrook Academy.

This time, she nodded.

The surgery's success was undeniable. Though her mannerisms remained childlike, her comprehension had clearly progressed beyond that of a toddler.

Watching her, Dominic's thoughts drifted to Zoe Montgomery.

He owed that woman more than gratitude.

Evelyn didn't rouse until ten.

The twins had already left for school.

Clara set a plate of pancakes before her as she entered the kitchen. "Sleep well, darling?"

"Like the dead." Evelyn smiled, reaching for the maple syrup. "I'll be at Thornfield Industries all day. Don't wait dinner."

"Lily and I can collect Henry after ballet." Clara squeezed her shoulder. "Your father would be proud, seeing you revive his company."

Evelyn's throat tightened. "I hope so."

The Thornfield boardroom hummed with tension as Evelyn distributed product manuals.

"My father dreamed of autonomous vehicles," she began, "but I believe some controls should remain human. Therefore, we're pivoting to semi-autonomous systems."

Her phone lit up with a call from Dominic Blackwood.

She excused herself, stepping into the hallway.

His accusation crackled through the receiver: "Why were you at St. Elizabeth Medical Center with two children?"