Chapter 42

Dominic's departure left Evelyn standing frozen at the doorway, her fingers gripping the frame until her knuckles turned white.

He wasn't wrong. Neither was Dr. Grant's diagnosis. But Evelyn couldn't decide if her own reactions were justified. Her traitorous body had completely undermined her defenses.

Few women could remain indifferent to a man of Dominic Blackwood's caliber.

Yet when confronted with such an extraordinary man, most women would instinctively measure themselves. They'd question their worthiness, calculate the risks.

Only someone like Penelope Worthington could possibly match his stature.

Evelyn knew her place. That's why she'd maintained such rigid boundaries. But today, when Dominic had pressed her with such relentless intensity, her body had surrendered before her mind could protest. It felt alien - this responsive flesh that didn't belong to her anymore.

"Your body speaks truths your lips deny." The phrase reeked of chauvinism, yet Evelyn couldn't deny its painful accuracy tonight.

She despised this version of herself.

Detested how easily her body yielded to his demanding touch.

Sleep proved impossible.

First came the humiliating task of changing the soiled sheets. Then her restless mind kept replaying every moment while her cramping body twisted in discomfort.

At Blackwood Manor...

Alexander perched on the second-floor landing, watching his little sister Isabella sip milk with unusual solemnity. "Slow down, Bella."

Reginald Blackwood entered from the gardens, scanning the room. "Your father hasn't returned?"

Isabella shook her head, leaving a milky mustache above her lip.

"Not at the office either." Julian Blackwood lounged on the leather sofa, phone discarded beside him. "Perhaps brother's found himself a stray."

"A stray?" The old man leaned heavily on his cane, perplexed. His eldest grandson maintained fastidious standards.

Why would Dominic keep a pet outside when the manor grounds offered ample space?

Alexander's eyes gleamed mischievously. After wiping his sister's face, he bounded to his uncle. "Does Father really have a dog now?"

He'd always wanted one!

"You children and grandfather wouldn't understand. I meant my brother may have found himself a...companion." Julian barely caught himself before using cruder language in front of the children.

One vulgar word and their grandfather would cane him senseless.

This time, the generational gap collapsed as understanding dawned on Reginald's face.

The old man sank onto the sofa, cane tapping thoughtfully against marble. Dominic wasn't getting any younger. While he had heirs, the absence of feminine companionship...

A man had needs.

Reginald recalled the Worthingtons' insistent marriage proposal earlier that day. Director Worthington demanded his daughter marry into the Blackwoods, but now his grandson might have taken a mistress.

What tangled webs.

Dawn broke clear after the rain.

Evelyn rose early, grateful for her unexpected week off. She pocketed Dr. Grant's prescription and headed out.

The department store stood conveniently near the subway station. Weekday crowds were thinner than Sunday's bustle.

Evelyn selected brown sugar first, then fresh ginger. As she reached for sanitary products, a hesitant voice called, "Evelyn...Evelyn Sinclair?"

She turned to see a woman at the opposite end of the aisle. The stranger hesitated before rushing forward with a shriek. "It is you!"

Evelyn barely had time to react before being crushed in a suffocating embrace.

When the woman finally released her, tears glistened in her eyes. "Remember me? Middle school, back row? My mother taught English - she tutored you!"

Evelyn nodded. "Cassandra Blake."

"You remember!" Cassandra's usually boyish demeanor melted into sentimental tears.

They'd shared three years of classes and clandestine cup noodles. An ordinary friendship, except for Evelyn - the perpetual bullying victim. Cassandra had been her sole ally, her teacher's daughter status offering protection.

After completing their purchases, they left together. Evelyn invited Cassandra to her apartment.

"My mother's leg condition brought us here two years ago," Cassandra explained as they walked.

Her parents' amicable divorce after her father's affair with a younger colleague was old news. Evelyn knew Cassandra had taken her mother's surname in elementary school.

"How is Mrs. Blake now?" Evelyn asked, genuinely concerned. The kind teacher had left lasting impressions.

Rumors said Mrs. Blake once privately tutored a certain elite high school student named Blackwood too...

Back then, "Senior Blackwood" existed only as a distant silhouette in Evelyn's mind - untouchable, irrelevant.

Now, meeting Dominic forced comparisons. Similar features, but the gulf between a teenage boy and a powerful man proved vast.

"Amputation," Cassandra admitted after a pause, voice heavy.

Evelyn offered comfort, but Cassandra shook it off.

At Evelyn's door, Cassandra suddenly brightened. "Mom's birthday next weekend! You must come - we're gathering old classmates."

Old classmates.

The phrase should warm hearts, but Evelyn recoiled internally. Schoolyard trauma ran deep.

Cassandra, oblivious, continued, "Mom checked the register last night - you're the only one who never attended reunions. Others come regardless of status - deliverymen to CEOs."

Evelyn's mind returned to Senior Blackwood...

If he attended this year, she might finally solve the mystery of Dominic's identity.