Chapter 198
The moment Dominic's car vanished from the courtyard, the workers lost all desire to sleep.
Their boss had appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly, like a fleeting shadow.
Yet an inexplicable tension hung in the air.
It felt like an unannounced inspection—one where they had failed to meet expectations.
Julian couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. "What's the deal between our boss and that cousin of his with the Cayenne?"
His colleagues exchanged glances before shaking their heads.
"How would we know?" one of the women answered. "Dominic keeps his personal life locked down tight. Even the paparazzi can't dig up anything."
The only glimpse they'd ever gotten was a single photo in a high-end magazine—Dominic taking his twins out for breakfast at dawn.
Half the women in the office had bought that issue. They sighed over how their boss wasn't just devastatingly handsome and successful, but also a devoted single father.
The same female colleague kept that photo on her desk, glancing at it whenever she needed motivation to work harder—and maybe, just maybe, find a man like him someday.
Julian frowned, wide awake now. He grabbed his jacket. "Anyone want to help me look for Evelyn? We came here as a team. What if she wandered off alone and got into trouble?"
If something happened to her, explaining it to upper management would be a nightmare.
This town might seem quaint, but danger lurked everywhere.
The female colleague volunteered immediately. "I'll go. She mentioned where her old house was when we passed it earlier. I can take you there."
The others nodded. "Be careful."
As the Range Rover's taillights faded into the distance, the two set off with flashlights in hand.
Meanwhile, at the old house, Evelyn froze as Dominic materialized before her.
He had left the city without telling anyone—not Reginald, not even her.
"What are you doing here...?" she blurted.
Dominic stepped into the overgrown courtyard, his presence cutting through the darkness like a blade.
"It's late. Why aren't you asleep?"
His polished shoes crushed the wild grass underfoot, each step radiating quiet dominance.
He was like a forbidden drug—irresistible yet lethal.
When he stopped in front of her, Evelyn's gaze dropped, her pulse erratic. "How's your grandfather?"
"Stable." His eyes never left her.
They'd planned to come here together, but he'd stood her up. Only later did she learn Reginald had been hospitalized after a heart attack.
Dominic hadn't explained the cause, but Evelyn could guess—Beatrice had likely told him about finding them together that morning.
Reginald tolerated her presence, but that didn't mean he condoned his grandson sneaking out of another man's wife's bedroom at dawn.
"Does your grandfather know you're here?" she asked, desperate to fill the heavy silence.
The only sounds were crickets and her own unsteady breathing.
Dominic studied her for a long moment before lighting a cigarette without answering.
Evelyn's attention snagged on his fingers—long, deft, impossibly masculine.
He noticed her staring but said nothing, deliberately bringing the cigarette to his lips.
Her gaze followed the movement, colliding with his when she looked up. Heat flooded her cheeks.
The air between them thickened.
"You drove three hours," she stammered. "Have you eaten? I could—"
She turned to leave, but his hand caught her wrist.
In one fluid motion, he spun her around and pulled her against him.
Evelyn's heart hammered. Every inch of him overwhelmed her—the sharp angles of his face, the scent of tobacco and something uniquely him.
His arm locked around her waist. "It was a long drive. I'm starving."
"I'll... take you to get food..."
His grip tightened. Suddenly, he turned her, crushing his mouth to hers.
"Only one thing can satisfy my hunger tonight," he growled against her lips.