Chapter 67

The morning sun painted the sky in golden hues as Dominic, Evelyn, and their twins Alexander and Isabella stopped at a quaint café for breakfast. Evelyn fidgeted with her blazer sleeve, painfully aware of how mismatched she looked beside the impeccably dressed CEO.

"At least I wore office attire today," she thought, relieved she wouldn't need to change before work after their sunrise excursion. If anyone stared, she prayed they'd assume she was just his assistant.

The children visibly relaxed when Dominic stepped away to the restroom. Isabella smeared strawberry jam across her toast and confided, "Aunt Eve, Daddy throws tantrums worse than I do. He made me cry three times last week."

Alexander nodded solemnly. "He's emotionally constipated. We've tried interventions, but he refuses to acknowledge his issues."

Evelyn stifled a laugh, dabbing jam from Isabella's chin with a napkin.

Dominic's return shattered their camaraderie. "What's so amusing?" he demanded, jealousy lacing his voice.

Isabella stabbed her toast dramatically. "Our fun evaporated when you came back. I was telling Aunt Eve about your emotional abuse."

"Aunt Eve shouldn't marry you," the little girl continued with heartbreaking sincerity. "You'll make her cry buckets."

Evelyn nodded gravely. "Duly noted."

Dominic sipped his perfectly tempered milk, then swapped cups with Evelyn. "Yours is too hot," he murmured.

The twins exchanged bewildered glances. Since when did Daddy notice anyone's comfort? His mood swings lately were giving them whiplash.

Thirty minutes later, they departed with the children walking ahead, whispering conspiratorially. Dominic's hand settled possessively on Evelyn's waist.

"Stop," she hissed, scanning for paparazzi. Though Dominic maintained a pristine public image, one photo with her could shatter that. She couldn't bear becoming his liability.

His lips brushed her ear. "I'll stop when you're in my bed."

Evelyn's cheeks burned as she hurried toward the children. At twenty-four, she understood exactly what making her cry in bed entailed.

The drive to Dominic's uncle's estate stretched endlessly. Before dropping off the twins, his uncle called - they were already waiting in the courtyard when they arrived.

"Granduncle!" Isabella sprinted into the elderly man's arms while Alexander maintained dignified distance, avoiding hugs in the summer heat.

The uncle's gaze locked onto Evelyn with unsettling intensity. "Hello," she greeted politely.

"His secretary," Evelyn clarified when Dominic hesitated. She wasn't ready for girlfriend labels with his family. Dominic allowed the fib, though his jaw tightened.

As they departed, Evelyn mentioned, "I'm taking my father for his hospital check-up this afternoon. You can drop me downtown."

"I'll come," Dominic insisted.

"My father doesn't know about you yet." She bit her lip. Convincing her dad to accept a billionaire son-in-law would require finesse.

Dominic caressed her nape. "I'll prove not all wealthy men are monsters."

Meanwhile, at the estate, the uncle watched the twins play with orange tabbies, frowning. "That girl... she looks familiar."

His wife rolled her eyes. "Pretty secretaries are a dime a dozen."

"No," he insisted. "She resembles someone from our past. The likeness is uncanny."

"Millions share similar features," his wife countered. "That actress Miranda Yates looks more like Katherine's daughter Yvette than her own sister!"

The uncle turned away, the conversation clearly going nowhere.