Chapter 210

The private hospital suite was filled with tension.

A towering figure stormed out, followed by the enraged bellow of an elderly man.

"Dominic, you ungrateful wretch!" Reginald Blackwood slammed his fist on the bedside table.

Though Dominic heard his grandfather's fury, his steady footsteps never faltered as he walked away.

The marriage between Maxwell Lockwood and Evelyn Sinclair would have been insignificant if not for Lillian Prescott, the rising starlet who dragged it into the spotlight.

When news outlets published Maxwell and Evelyn's marriage certificate, Dominic - the man who'd shared Evelyn's bed - saw red.

Outside the hospital, fallen leaves swirled along the pavement, mirroring the autumn melancholy. A sleek Bentley waited curbside. Sebastian emerged to open the rear door when he spotted his boss.

Once inside, Sebastian navigated through traffic while updating his phone-scrolling employer. "The PR team's handling it. The news should be buried within the hour."

Silence. Sebastian knew better than to press further - no man could stomach seeing the woman he loved legally bound to another.

Now the entire world knew Maxwell Lockwood and Evelyn Sinclair were lawfully wedded.

The circumstances didn't matter.

Sebastian's phone buzzed with a message from a media contact:

[Damage controlled. Please assure Mr. Blackwood.]

Meanwhile, back in the hospital...

Beatrice Lockwood arrived with Margaret and Julian in tow.

Reginald's headache worsened at the sight of them.

"Where's Dominic?" Beatrice demanded when she didn't see her son.

The old man had arranged with his physician to exaggerate his condition, but the morning intern ruined everything. "Your vitals are excellent, sir. Better than most your age," the clueless doctor had announced. Reginald was mid-bribe attempt when Dominic - fresh from rushing back from the countryside - overheard.

Now the patriarch sat in mortified silence.

"Father, you saw the news. If you don't rein Dominic in, this scandal will destroy him!" Beatrice knew only the family head could control her son.

Reginald massaged his temples. "Discharge me first. Then we'll talk."

Margaret quickly restrained him. "Father, you're not well enough!"

Julian joined in. "Grandfather, Dominic wouldn't want you leaving prematurely."

Reginald thought bitterly, If Dominic were here, I couldn't face him after this charade.

Beatrice pressed on. "Father, Dominic is—"

"Enough!" Reginald feigned a coughing fit. "Dominic will... handle this... appropriately."

"Stop agitating him!" Margaret scolded. "Must you worsen his condition?"

Across town, at an exclusive A City lounge...

Sophia Montgomery was a regular here.

The establishment belonged to Maxwell, accessible only to vetted patrons. The bouncer recognized Sophia's special connection to the owner and waved her through.

Upstairs, Maxwell was just dressing when she entered.

"Let me help." Sophia approached, her manicured fingers fastening his shirt buttons while tracing his sculpted chest.

"State your business. I'm not in the mood."

He wasn't desperate enough to bed a woman who'd just blackmailed him.

Reading his disinterest, Sophia pouted. "I'm unemployed now. Menial jobs don't suit me." She batted her lashes. "Help me break into showbiz. Consider it payment for all those nights together... or because I'm Evelyn's sister."

Maxwell sipped his water, frowning. "How?"

"Get me an acting role. Any role." Her eyes gleamed. "You pulled strings for Lillian Prescott. Surely you can manage something smaller for me?"

She'd done her research - a five-year sentence for his crime suggested powerful connections.

"I'm not asking for Lillian's treatment," she purred, pressing against him. "Just a stepping stone..."

Meanwhile, in the countryside...

A coworker gasped while scrolling her phone during work. "What the—? All related searches are blocked!"

Brows furrowed, Evelyn picked up her own phone.

Every search for names connected to the scandal returned zero results - or warnings about violating terms.

The office chatter died instantly.

Even searching "Evelyn Sinclair" triggered a firewall alert.