Chapter 480

Dominic stood frozen for a heartbeat before pressing the intercom. "Nathan, get in here."

A moment later, his assistant appeared at the door.

"Who sent this magazine?" Dominic demanded, his voice sharp as ice.

Nathan hesitated. "Thornfield Industries delivered twenty copies. I instructed the secretaries to distribute them to department heads."

"Have you read it?" Dominic's jaw tightened.

"Not yet. I planned to buy one after work."

"Take mine."

Nathan stepped forward cautiously, sensing the storm brewing in his boss's expression.

The cover photo of Evelyn was breathtaking—that wasn't the issue.

It had to be the interview.

"Should I take it now, sir?"

"Get it out of my sight." Dominic's voice was dangerously quiet.

Nathan grabbed the magazine and retreated.

As soon as he was back in his office, he flipped to Evelyn's interview.

His stomach dropped.

Evelyn Thorne's Dream Man? Eric Montclair.

Nathan immediately dialed Michael Sterling.

"Margaret Thorne's been pushing the 'boss babe' narrative hard," Michael explained. "Evelyn agreed to the interview for company exposure. What's the problem?"

"You seriously used Eric Montclair for hype?" Nathan hissed.

"Wasn't our call. The magazine needed sales. Besides, Eric called Evelyn his goddess first."

Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Dominic just saw this. He's livid. Why the hell did you send copies to us?"

Michael chuckled. "That was the VP's idea. We sent them to major clients—though honestly, we don’t need to impress you."

Nathan hung up, exhaling sharply. He grabbed the magazine and knocked on Dominic's door again.

"Sir, I spoke with Michael. The interview was a counter to Margaret's PR. The magazine exaggerated for entertainment. Thornfield needed the buzz."

Dominic was silent for a long moment.

Then, stiffly: "Give it back."

Nathan handed it over, hiding a smirk.

Dominic flipped to the interview, scanning the text.

When asked if Eric was her ideal man, Evelyn had answered: "I suppose so. I admire him greatly."

Simple. Direct. Impossible to twist.

Dominic's shoulders relaxed slightly. His gaze lingered on Evelyn's photo—a candid shot taken abroad.

Sunlight haloed her like a crown.

Her smile was radiant, her eyes sparkling with quiet mischief.

His pulse kicked up.

At noon, Margaret returned home to find Zoe waiting.

"Evelyn's baby is fine," Zoe announced bitterly.

Margaret scoffed. "When she went back to work, I assumed she'd lost it."

"We have to get rid of that child," Zoe snapped. "Once it's born, Dominic will raise it. He'll keep protecting her until then."

Margaret's nails dug into her palms. "Why does he care so much about his ex-wife? Evelyn would sell her soul for money. Carrying some man's bastard—her father would've died of shame!"

Zoe flinched. The words hit too close to home.

After all, she’d do the same for Dominic in a heartbeat.

And she wasn’t the only one.