Chapter 36

Evelyn's legs had gone numb from crouching on the cold tiles for so long when she finally heard the sound.

Dominic's deep voice carried through the bathroom door, rough with post-release satisfaction. "You can come in now."

Biting her lower lip, Evelyn swallowed her embarrassment and pushed herself up, opening the door once more.

Dominic's gaze was unreadable when their eyes met.

She couldn't hold his intense stare for more than a second before looking away.

The man looked impossibly put together. His tailored suit was flawless, every button perfectly aligned. Not a single strand of his dark hair was out of place.

It was as if the heated moments before had never happened - as if she'd imagined the whole thing.

When she moved to enter, his muscular frame blocked the doorway.

His intoxicating masculine scent surrounded her, making her pulse race.

"Let me through," Evelyn murmured, staring at the floor.

Dominic's jaw tightened. He stepped aside, his shoulder brushing hers as he passed.

Evelyn took a shaky breath and entered the bathroom.

Before closing the door, she glimpsed Dominic approaching Alexander from behind. The boy barely glanced up from his homework, completely absorbed in his task.

Both father and son seemed to have mastered the art of emotional detachment.

First they'd invaded her home. Now they'd commandeered her hospital room - the child studying while the adult... took care of himself...

Evelyn shook her head, refusing to dwell on that thought.

She was at her breaking point.

After putting away her undergarments, she leaned against the tiled wall, furious with herself. The humiliation burned through her.

She kept making a fool of herself.

By day, he was the untouchable CEO of a corporate empire. She was just another faceless employee, not even working directly under him.

Yet behind closed doors, they shared moments like this. The cognitive dissonance made her head spin.

Everything Dominic did screamed that he wanted her.

Evelyn massaged her temples with a heavy sigh.

Just then, she heard small footsteps approaching.

"Miss Evelyn, your phone's ringing! It's your dad..." Alexander's sweet voice came through the door. "I... I accidentally answered it. He said he's your father."

She opened the door to accept the phone from the boy.

Dominic stood by the window, impeccably dressed in his three-piece suit. He was examining the empty fruit basket before moving to the equally bare refrigerator.

"Dad?" Evelyn closed the bathroom door for privacy.

Alexander pouted thoughtfully before returning to his homework.

Robert got straight to the point. "Evelyn, I'm begging you this one time! Drop the charges against Sophia!"

"Is that really why you called?" Evelyn's hand trembled around the phone. The disappointment cut deep, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. "It's not personal. The law is the law. Who am I to change that?"

Robert's tone turned harsh. "If it's not personal, why is Sophia still in custody? I heard another girl named Penelope got released because she had connections. They tried to get Sophia out too, but the police said the victim needs to withdraw the complaint!"

Evelyn wanted to explain that she hadn't even called the police. She hadn't seen any officers or given any statements.

But now she was profoundly grateful to whoever had made that call.

Her father's coldness made her pause before responding hoarsely, "Am I not your biological daughter? Sophia drugged me. Do you have any idea what could have happened if I hadn't escaped? She tried this same despicable trick overseas too! She only stopped abroad because she got scared, but now that we're back home, she's at it again. She's the one who needs to learn a lesson, not me. What did I do wrong?"

Silence.

"I can't remember the last time we had a real father-daughter talk. These past five years abroad changed everything between us. How did we get here? I don't understand..."

Her throat tightened. "What shocks me more is that after everything, my own father cares more about Sophia's arrest than his daughter's wellbeing."

"Sophia hadn't even been detained a full day before you came rushing here with Victoria to plead her case. I was so happy to see you at first... until I realized the truth."

"You've been in the city this whole time. You never traveled for work. Yet you avoided seeing your own daughter for over a year, even changed your number... Who would believe something so absurd?" Her voice broke.

In the room, Dominic placed headphones over his son's ears.

The boy worked faster with music, though his father had always said headphones were bad for children. So why allow them now?

Dominic frowned toward the bathroom.

Evelyn forced her voice steady. "I used to blame Victoria - thought she'd manipulated you into cutting ties with me. But now I see the truth..."

"I've always wanted your marriage to be happy, as long as Victoria truly loved you..."

She hung up.

Sliding down the wall, she buried her face in her knees, muffling her sobs.

Outside, Dominic reached for the door handle. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but remembering the fragile state of their relationship, he withdrew his hand.

She wouldn't want his comfort.

Turning to his son, he removed one headphone. "Finish your work. Then we'll take Miss Evelyn shopping."

The boy's face lit up with excitement.

When Evelyn emerged fifteen minutes later, both males were dressed to go out.

Relief washed over her, though she maintained polite composure. "Leaving? Let me see you out."

Her emotions were in tatters. She desperately needed solitude.