Chapter 434

Evelyn didn't see Dominic's message right away. After reading Eric Montclair's tweet, exhaustion overtook her and she collapsed into bed.

Early pregnancy brought waves of nausea and overwhelming fatigue. For the past two days, sleep had come easier than usual.

Normally when insomnia struck, she relied on melatonin tablets. But that night, her head barely touched the pillow before darkness claimed her. She slept straight through until 5 AM.

Only the urgent need to use the bathroom pulled her from slumber.

Reaching for her phone to check the time, Dominic's message flashed on her screen. Her breath caught. Clutching the device, she hurried to the ensuite bathroom.

Dominic's text read: [Were you looking for me yesterday?]

Yesterday? Evelyn wracked her brain. She hadn't attempted to contact him at all!

Wait.

She checked the timestamp - 10:30 PM last night. A shiver raced down her spine, banishing all remnants of sleep.

Returning to bed, she stared at his message, fingers hovering over the keyboard. Should she tell him about the pregnancy? He was still recovering - the news might agitate him.

But lying to Dominic Blackwood was nearly impossible. The man had an uncanny ability to detect falsehoods.

After an internal battle, she typed: [I walked past your office yesterday and thought I'd drop by.]

The moment she hit send, sleep became impossible. Evelyn clutched her phone, wide-eyed at the ceiling.

Her pulse hammered against her ribs. One simple message shouldn't cause this reaction.

Why did other men leave her composed, yet Dominic could unravel her with a single text?

Her phone was on silent. Surely he'd be asleep now and wouldn't reply. She stared blankly at the dark room, phone burning in her palm.

When her eyes grew dry, she checked the time again - and froze.

A reply.

Instantaneous. At 5 AM.

Dominic never slept with his phone. Which meant... he'd been awake all night.

Evelyn sat bolt upright, reading his response: [Drop by? For what? Don't tell me you actually wanted to see me!]

That exclamation point felt like a slap. She could practically see his furious expression as he typed it. Evelyn pressed a hand to her forehead.

How to respond?

Though well-rested, his message left her flustered.

Her fingers moved: [Have you been up all night?]

A weak attempt to change the subject. But the message only fueled Dominic's anger.

After sending his initial text, he'd waited all night for her reply. He'd tried powering off his phone, forcing himself to sleep - all futile efforts.