Chapter 191

The clock barely struck five in the morning. Dominic never expected Evelyn to arrive this quickly!

Though she often joked that Henry was adopted, the fierce protectiveness in her eyes told another story.

"Henry!" Evelyn's breath caught at the sight of her son perched on the windowsill, flanked by two hulking bodyguards. Tears blurred her vision.

At the sound of her voice, Dominic rose from the sofa and strode toward the entrance.

The guards didn't dare intercept Evelyn.

They'd seen firsthand how deeply Dominic still cared for this woman.

Ex-wife or not, she occupied a space no other woman could touch.

Dominic watched as Evelyn clutched Henry to her chest, her eyes blazing like a storm. She looked ready to wage war.

"Evelyn. We need to talk."

"Talk?" Her laugh was sharp as shattered glass. "You kidnap my son in the dead of night and now you want to talk? Since when do you need my permission for anything, Dominic?"

His jaw tightened. "I didn't harm him. I just needed to know—when did he meet Sophia? What happened between them?"

"Ask Sophia yourself!" Evelyn shot back. "I know she's your weakness, but that doesn't give you the right to terrorize my child!"

A dull throb pulsed behind Dominic's temples. He had no defense—he'd crossed a line.

"Terrorize?" His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "I gave him food. A warm place to sit. Is that your definition of cruelty?"

Evelyn's gaze snagged on the angry bite mark marring his neck. Fresh blood had crusted over the wound.

Henry did that?

Her certainty wavered.

Mrs. Wilkins emerged, her calming presence slicing through the tension. "Ms. Thorne, Mr. Blackwood meant no harm. The boy refused everything I offered."

Evelyn exhaled. Of all people, she trusted Mrs. Wilkins.

Four years apart hadn't dulled the housekeeper's kindness.

"Arguments solve nothing," Mrs. Wilkins chided, guiding Evelyn inside with a firm hand. "Come. Sit."

Every step through the foyer felt like walking through a ghost story. The house hadn't changed. Neither had the ache in her chest.

Dominic's voice cut through her thoughts. "This conversation is overdue."

Evelyn glanced at Henry, then froze.

Sophia stood by the staircase, watching her with unsettling directness.

Their eyes met. Evelyn quickly looked away.

As Dominic led her into the study, Sophia and Henry crept toward the closed door, pressing their ears against the wood.

Mrs. Wilkins shook her head but let them be.

Inside the study, Dominic broke the silence first. "Before Sophia disappeared, she had no friends. Which means she met your son during those missing years."

Evelyn's face gave nothing away. "Ask them, then. I know nothing about it."

Dominic studied her stony expression. "Your son never mentioned her?"

"Henry barely speaks at all." She crossed her arms. "Stop interrogating me. If you're so curious, ask Sophia yourself. Are we done here?"

His next words stopped her mid-turn.

"I hear you're living with that doctor now." Dominic's tone turned razor-sharp. "Tell me, Evelyn—were you already his before our divorce?"