Chapter 326

The morning light filtered through the hospital windows as Dominic Blackwood arrived at the intensive care unit.

After consuming the herbal broth prepared by Mrs. Whitaker the previous evening, Sophia Blackwood's thoughts had grown foggy.

Exhaustion overtook her, pulling her into a deep slumber.

When she awoke after a restless night, her eyes held no spark of life.

That changed the moment Dominic appeared.

"How are you feeling today, Sophia? Any headaches?" His familiar, soothing voice brought color back to her pale face.

"Why hasn't Evelyn come to see me, Dominic?" she asked, her voice trembling with disappointment.

Dominic's brow furrowed slightly, the warmth in his gaze fading. "She won't be visiting. You need to stop thinking about her or those children, Sophia."

Her distress deepened visibly.

"None of you believe me... Evelyn spoke to me. She asked me so many questions..."

Dominic's heart clenched at his sister's sickly appearance.

"It's not about belief. Maybe she did speak to you, but only in your dreams."

"Really?" Sophia stared at Dominic as if in a trance.

Could it all have been just a dream?

"I often dream of our childhood too," Dominic explained patiently. "But when I wake, I return to reality. No matter how vivid the memories feel, they're just dreams. None of it is real."

Sophia lowered her gaze, absorbing his words with visible difficulty.

Dominic left the hospital at precisely 10 a.m., heading straight to Blackwood Group headquarters.

With Mrs. Whitaker attending to Sophia, he had no concerns.

Though subdued today, Sophia's mood was far more conducive to recovery than yesterday's emotional turmoil.

Mrs. Whitaker had mentioned Zoe Montgomery prescribing sedatives.

Perhaps the medication was responsible for this change.

Speaking of Zoe...

When Evelyn had told him last night to build a life with Zoe, rage had kept him awake until dawn.

But after calming down, his perspective had shifted slightly.

As Dominic entered his office, Nathan Cross followed closely behind.

"Thornfield Industries is in trouble, sir. Have you seen the morning news?" Nathan inquired.

"Not interested," Dominic replied coldly.

Having learned about Dominic's argument with Evelyn from Michael Sterling, Nathan wasn't surprised by his boss's reaction.

"Thornfield issued a statement this morning recalling all Tempest Series drones," Nathan said carefully, watching Dominic's expression. "Michael called earlier, asking if we'd like to return our purchased inventory."

Dominic powered on his computer, raising an eyebrow indifferently. "Do you know why Michael contacted you instead?"

Nathan knew the reason but feigned ignorance.

"Evelyn blocked my number," Dominic said with a bitter laugh. "Since she can't reach me directly, she used Michael as intermediary."

Nathan was speechless.

He hadn't anticipated this development!

Arguments were one thing, but blocking numbers seemed unnecessarily childish!

"What would you like to do?" Nathan studied Dominic's cold smile, trying to decipher his thoughts. "Should we return everything and let them absorb the loss?"

Dominic's expression hardened.

"The financial hit won't hurt her. We're keeping everything. Let her stew over it."

Nathan was stunned.

His boss's thought processes were becoming increasingly difficult to follow.

Did he want Evelyn to suffer, or was he protecting her from financial loss?

Exiting the office, Nathan immediately called Michael Sterling.

"Well? What did Dominic Blackwood say?" Michael asked anxiously.

Nathan adjusted his glasses. "Tell Evelyn to unblock my boss's number immediately! He's furious about this."

Michael rubbed his temples. "And if she does, he won't return the products?"

"Exactly," Nathan confirmed.

Michael pushed open Evelyn's office door only to find it empty.

Evelyn had arrived at dawn to handle the growing crisis.