Chapter 91

Dominic Blackwood hurried from his office to the neighborhood where Evelyn Sinclair and her grandfather lived.

The sleek Range Rover came to a stop at the gated entrance. The moment he stepped out, one of his sharp-eyed subordinates approached.

"Mr. Blackwood, the situation has been contained. The individuals involved have been detained, and the vehicle has been towed away."

"Good." Dominic's response was curt as he strode toward the shaken old man.

Behind him, his subordinate hesitated, unsure whether to follow.

The police had already taken the two scar-faced men away. The traffic department had cleared the wrecked car from the scene. But the crowd from the neighborhood still buzzed with excitement, surrounding the elderly man.

Dominic reached him, helping him up with a firm grip. "Grandpa, it's all taken care of."

"I'm so sorry for the trouble... I couldn't reach Evelyn, so those people called you instead..." The old man wheezed, guilt weighing heavily on him. He hated being a burden.

"Don't apologize. It's fine." Dominic's tone softened slightly. His priority now was getting the old man home safely.

He gave a brief nod to the two neighborhood women who had assisted earlier, then picked up the birdcage. With one hand steadying the old man and the other holding the cage, he guided him upstairs.

Behind them, the women whispered in admiration.

"Look at that son-in-law! Handsome, drives a luxury car, and handled everything before he even got here. That family must have done something incredible in a past life!"

Meanwhile, Evelyn had been at work all afternoon, her phone silent. She had no idea what had happened to her grandfather.

At the end of the day, she called him.

Before he could speak, she asked cheerfully, "Grandpa, what do you want for dinner? It's been ages since we had fish. Should I fry some for you?"

Instead of his usual warm reply, another voice answered—deep, aged, and unfamiliar.

"Evelyn, it's me—your other grandpa. Dominic's grandfather."

She froze mid-step on the busy downtown sidewalk.

How was her grandfather with Dominic's family?

A car honked sharply.

"Sorry!" She waved apologetically at the driver, then hurried toward the subway station, gripping her phone. "Where is my grandpa—?"

"Come for dinner tonight. Dominic's still at the office. You two can return together. That's settled—I'm hanging up now!" Old Master Blackwood sounded pleased as he ended the call.

Evelyn stopped again, completely baffled.

Just then, a black Range Rover pulled up beside her.

She turned and met Dominic's cold, unreadable gaze through the window. A lump formed in her throat.

"Get in." His voice was flat.

She didn’t move. "Why is my grandfather at your place?"

Silence.

"Answer me!"

He said nothing.

"Don’t think you can manipulate me like this. I don’t care if he stays with you forever." She refused to back down.

Dominic always had a way of controlling her. But this time, she wouldn’t let him.

"Fine. I’ll take care of him for the rest of his life, then." His voice was icy as he rolled up the window. The car sped off, leaving her standing there, stunned.

Forty minutes later, exhausted, Evelyn arrived home.

The moment she stepped inside, her phone rang.

Her grandfather’s voice was stern. "Evelyn, what’s gotten into you? Why didn’t you leave with Dominic after work? What kind of game are you playing? I’m ordering you to come over right now!"

"Grandpa!" She had no idea what Dominic had told him, but it clearly painted her as the unreasonable one.

"If you don’t come, I’ll take a taxi back to the small town. I’ll pack up and leave tonight." The threat was clear before he hung up.

At Blackwood Manor, the staff bustled about preparing dinner.

The two elderly men sat in the garden, engrossed in a chess game.

Old Master Blackwood chuckled. "Young people these days aren’t like us. Dominic is responsible, but those two just can’t seem to get along. He says he doesn’t know what he did wrong..."

"It’s Evelyn’s fault," Old Man Sinclair declared, moving a chess piece. "She’s usually sensible, but young love has its bumps. When she gets here, I’ll set her straight."

"No need for that. We should mediate, not scold. Don’t be too hard on my future granddaughter-in-law." Old Master Blackwood sounded genuinely concerned.

Old Man Sinclair relaxed.

At least the Blackwoods accepted Evelyn.

When he had arrived earlier, the shock of "Nathan" becoming "Dominic" had nearly given him a heart attack.

But after hearing the full story, he understood.

Nathan had cheated, betrayed her, even gotten another woman pregnant. That scum would never touch his granddaughter again.

Dominic, though—he was different.

A corporate chairman, young and accomplished. He’d followed Evelyn to that small town, even slept in his car for her.

No man would endure that unless he truly cared.

Nearby, Dominic stood with a cigarette in hand, discussing work on the phone. Behind him, the twins glared at their father, still furious about the horror movie incident.

Old Man Sinclair smiled. His granddaughter had found a man of substance.

When Evelyn finally arrived at the manor, the twins rushed to her before she even stepped inside, clinging to her legs like magnets.

Dominic crushed his cigarette, his expression darkening. "Let her go. Who said you could hug her?"

Evelyn ignored him, bending down to comfort the children.

"Why are you crying?" She noticed Isabella’s tears.

The little girl buried her face in Evelyn’s shoulder, sobbing.

Alexander stood stiffly beside them. "Daddy lost his mind. He took us to see Life without checking what it was. Isabella had nightmares. She’s still scared."

Evelyn’s heart ached. She kissed Isabella’s cheek, holding her close.

The little girl cried harder, clinging to her neck. "Aunt Evelyn, I don’t want Daddy anymore."