Chapter 128

"I need to excuse myself for a moment." Dominic finished his glass of merlot, placed the crystal stemware down with deliberate grace.

He offered a polite nod to the assembled guests before turning on his heel with practiced elegance.

The dinner party thrived in the climate-controlled grand hall, a stark contrast to the chilly evening outside where frost already kissed the windows.

Sebastian noticed his employer ascending the staircase and immediately shepherded the twins toward the same direction.

"Uncle Sebastian, why are we going up?" Alexander asked without looking up from his handheld console, tiny fingers still mashing buttons. His wide innocent eyes blinked curiously.

"To find your father." The assistant kept his explanation deliberately vague.

Once upstairs, Sebastian had the children sit on plush chairs near the landing while they slipped on their shoes. "Wait here. Your father stepped away briefly."

Alexander nodded obediently.

He'd wait however long it took for Daddy to return.

"But Uncle Sebastian, I don't want to leave yet." Isabella pouted, mistakenly assuming their departure was imminent.

"You can discuss staying longer with your father when he returns." Sebastian offered a temporary compromise.

Soon the twins became engrossed in their game again.

Sebastian's gaze swept the empty upper corridor of the Lockwood estate.

He couldn't be certain which room his employer had entered.

Perhaps it truly was just a bathroom visit.

Yet Sebastian trusted his instincts implicitly. Earlier, Dominic had been stealing repeated glances toward the upper floors before excusing himself. Something about his behavior felt... intentional.

Just then, Yvette Prescott appeared at the stairwell.

"Ms. Prescott, that's far enough." Sebastian extended an arm to block her path.

"Good dogs know when to get out of their master's way." Yvette sneered with undisguised contempt.

Downstairs, she'd been making overtures toward Dominic's children until Sebastian deliberately removed them from her reach. Humiliated in front of the other guests, she'd vented to her overseas friends via text.

One particularly vicious friend suggested treating the assistant like the hired help he was - a mere servant to be ignored.

Sebastian remained unmoved. "Then consider me a very bad dog, Ms. Prescott."

Yvette glared at this human obstacle. Through gritted teeth she hissed, "Do you have any idea who you're speaking to? My father's company is finalizing a major deal with Blackwood Enterprises! When I marry into this family, you'll regret this insolence!"

"I'm simply performing my duties, Ms. Prescott." His tone remained impeccably professional even as his stance stayed firm.

Yvette's eyes darted toward the upstairs bathroom, her foot tapping impatiently.

This was her moment.

Her overseas friend - a self-proclaimed seduction expert - had laid out the perfect plan: Feign drunkenness, "accidentally" stumble into the bathroom, and let nature take its course. If Dominic resisted, she could claim intoxication. If he succumbed... well, that solved everything.

Her menstrual cycle provided the perfect alibi. A few well-timed winces, some strategically placed blood, and she could claim virginity loss. Dominic would have no choice but to take responsibility.

If only this infuriating assistant would move!

Sebastian observed the scheming glint in her eyes. "Angering Mr. Blackwood would render any... alliances meaningless, Ms. Prescott."

Upstairs in the guest suite...

Evelyn's consciousness returned in slow, painful increments. Her eyelids felt leaden, her eyeballs burning as if scorched by fever. Her parched lips stuck together.

Fragmented memories of the roadside incident surfaced gradually.

As full awareness returned, she tensed - where was she? Hospital? Home?

With great effort, she fluttered her dark lashes open, immediately sensing an intense gaze upon her. That familiar scorching presence made her breath hitch even before her vision cleared.

Their eyes met in mutual shock.

Evelyn's surprise came from finding Dominic at her bedside. Why was he here?

Then realization struck - Maxwell and Dominic were cousins. If she'd fainted, Maxwell might have brought her here. That made logical sense.

But Dominic's expression...

Only ten percent surprise. The remaining ninety percent was something far more complex, his gaze so intensely inscrutable it made her skin prickle.

When Evelyn broke eye contact first, she noticed her ears burning, the pale skin turning rosy.

Dominic continued his blatant appraisal, his stare bordering on predatory.

As Evelyn attempted to sit up, the screen of Dominic's phone caught her attention. Before she woke, he'd been searching something online.

The search results glared back at her: "Had unprotected sex multiple times with girlfriend who didn't take morning-after pill. Pregnancy chances?"

Evelyn's fingers curled into fists. Of all the things...

Then she noticed the follow-up question below, and her pulse skyrocketed.

The physician's response appeared beneath: "High probability of conception. Emergency contraception strongly recommended."

Dominic's gaze traveled from her clenched hands to her flushed cheeks. His mocking drawl cut through the silence. "My, my Evelyn. Quite the busy little social climber, aren't you? From my bed to Maxwell's in record time. I clearly underestimated your... talents."

Evelyn scrambled upright despite the dizzying headrush, teeth gritted against the vertigo.

She wouldn't explain. Wouldn't tell him Maxwell had accosted her on the street, that she'd tried to refuse, that the fainting spell wasn't some ploy.

Because this was what she wanted, wasn't it?

For Dominic to think her wanton. Unworthy.

So be it.