Chapter 254

Dominic Blackwood set his wine glass down with a sharp clink at Jonathan Prescott's words.

The alcohol had flushed his cheeks slightly. "Consider it done, Jonathan. My team will handle the paperwork overnight. You'll have the signed approval by morning." His fingers tapped the stem of his glass. "Just remember our agreement regarding your daughter."

The more Jonathan studied Dominic, the more impressed he became. Their conversation revealed a razor-sharp intellect beneath that polished exterior - exactly the kind of son-in-law he'd envisioned for Lillian.

The shift from "Mr. Blackwood" to "Dominic" hadn't gone unnoticed. Every guest recognized the unspoken matchmaking at play.

Envious glances followed Dominic across the room. In mere minutes, he'd secured development rights to the billion-dollar coastal project. None could deny he'd earned it - not with that combination of striking looks and business acumen.

"Congratulations, Mr. Blackwood!" A balding executive raised his glass. "This resort will catapult T Corporation into new stratospheres."

"A visionary deal," another chimed in, adjusting his tie. "Your profit margins are the envy of the industry."

Dominic's lips curved in a practiced smile as he toasted Jonathan. "This project will benefit the entire city." Noticeably absent was any mention of Lillian Prescott.

The evening had been a masterclass in strategic deception. What surprised him was Jonathan's blatant push to pair him with Lillian - a woman he knew only through tabloid headlines and underwhelming box office numbers.

Only one woman held his heart: Evelyn Sinclair. Pretentious starlets like Lillian Prescott couldn't compare.

Years of corporate warfare had honed his instincts. That first glance at Lillian's calculating eyes revealed everything. He'd keep that viper at arm's length.

Unaware of his thoughts, Lillian gazed at him with doe-eyed admiration. With Dominic's endorsement, the spokesperson role was practically hers. Initial motivations didn't matter - proximity would breed affection.

Midnight found Evelyn in the living room, curled beneath a blanket with a novel. The amber lamp light softened her delicate features as she turned the page.

The story unfolded a forbidden love between half-siblings. "This isn't a love story," the heroine Bonnie declared on the first page, "but a story about love."

By the final chapter, Evelyn's lashes were damp. The male lead Lewis chose poison over separation, whispering, "I love you, Bonnie. Not for being good or wicked - simply for being you."

The tragedy lingered. If she and Dominic shared blood, would their love damn them? Her fingers tightened around the book.

Her solace came in two forms - Alexander and Isabella, sleeping soundly upstairs. Yet Allison's claims demanded verification. A DNA test would silence the whispers.

Love was said to be a sickness. Was that why her chest ached?

Suddenly, warmth enveloped her. Dominic's usual icy demeanor had melted into concern. "My melancholy mother," he murmured, brushing a tear from her cheek.

Evelyn's tears might resemble Byron's "violet dropping dew," but Dominic cherished her smiles more - each one like petals blessed by angels.

She studied his tired face - the rumpled shirt, the whiskey scent, the hair falling across his forehead. Even exhausted, his tenderness warmed her.

Her fingers worked loose his tie as she whispered fears into his shoulder: of shattered peace, of separation, of their children suffering.

Dominic cradled her cold hands, pressing kisses to her eyelids. "Let me carry the weight, darling. Your only task is loving our children. The storms won't touch you."

Their intertwined hands formed a study in contrasts - her alabaster skin against his sun-kissed bronze. In his grasp, her world regained its light.