Chapter 299

Dominic swiftly removed his coat and wrapped it around Evelyn's trembling shoulders.

"Leave!" Evelyn's eyes brimmed with tears, yet her tone remained icy and commanding. "How could you entrust our children to a stranger!"

Her mother was gone. She had sworn nothing would harm her babies. If anything happened to them, she wouldn't survive the pain.

Dominic studied her grief-stricken face, his thoughts in turmoil.

"I'm going now! Stop crying!" Dominic brushed the tears from her cheeks with trembling fingers. "I won't bring him around again! Please, don't cry!" He spoke hurriedly before turning on his heel and rushing away.

Meanwhile, across town at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Dominic pushed open the hospital room door. Zoe lay in bed, and upon seeing him, immediately conjured perfect tears.

Eleanor swept to the doorway and pulled him inside.

"Dominic, how could you both be so reckless? The baby's nearly full-term and neither of you noticed?" Though Eleanor's words carried reproach, her expression shone with delight. "The doctor just examined Zoe. Both mother and son are perfectly healthy."

Mother and son? Zoe was carrying a boy? How absurd!

"Dominic, I'm sorry! I had no idea I was pregnant." Zoe's voice quivered as she addressed his stony expression. "My cycles have always been irregular due to my condition. When stressed, I might go six months without menstruating. Unlike most women, I can't rely on missed periods as a sign. I never imagined..."

"Terminate it." His voice cut through the room like winter wind.

Those two words nearly stopped Zoe's heart. Eleanor swayed on her feet.

"Absolutely not!" Eleanor steadied herself against the nurse's station. "Zoe's condition makes conception nearly impossible! At her age, with the pregnancy this advanced, termination could kill her! What about Sophia's treatment? Dominic, think rationally!"

Dominic's face darkened at his mother's words. Zoe was essential for Sophia's therapy. She couldn't be risked.

He stepped back, his chest constricting with anguish. His pride, his autonomy, his very will had been trampled. Every decision he'd made had led to this nightmare.

What choice did he have but to endure?

What alternative remained but submission?

He stormed from the room. Zoe's tears flowed silently now.

"Don't cry, dear. I won't let him harm you." Eleanor pressed a tissue into Zoe's hand. "This child secures your future. As long as I live, your place in the Blackwood family is assured!"

Zoe's voice cracked. "He despises me. He's never wanted children. Even if I deliver this baby—"

"Nonsense!" Eleanor interrupted. "Any man would love his own child. Dominic's reluctance stems from concern about birth defects and the suffering they cause. That's all."

Zoe blinked away fresh tears. "But wouldn't tests reveal any abnormalities? If there were problems, I'd never—"

Eleanor hesitated before responding carefully. "Just know this—if your child is healthy, Dominic will accept it."

Zoe nodded slowly. "I understand."

By morning, news of Zoe's pregnancy had spread through Ravenswood's elite circles like wildfire.

Evelyn stood in the funeral home's chapel when the gossip reached her.

"That woman's clever—securing her future with Dominic's child. Even if they never marry, she's set for life!"

"Can you blame her? The man's gorgeous and richer than sin! Getting chosen to carry his baby? Modern-day fairytale material!"

Clutching her mother's urn, Evelyn walked steadily toward the exit, each step measured and deliberate.