Chapter 97

Dominic finished his arrangements and strode back to his office.

Work was the last thing on his mind. His gaze kept drifting toward Evelyn.

At lunchtime, he caught her wrist in the hallway. His eyes burned with desperation. "We need to talk. Just five minutes."

"There's nothing left to say."

Some relationships ended so badly that friendship was impossible.

"Don't push me—" His pleading tone turned sharp.

Evelyn yanked her hand free and walked away.

Abigail left the office first, scrolling through emails as she headed to the cafeteria. She spotted Evelyn and joined her.

"If we nail this project, our value will skyrocket."

"Even mine?" Evelyn was still a rookie, but ambition burned in her chest.

"Especially yours. Talent gets rewarded here."

Reward. The word sent a jolt through Evelyn.

Her father's cancer treatment was bleeding them dry. Money didn't fall from the sky—she had to earn it.

That's why she stayed at T Corporation.

Starting over elsewhere would take too long. Every second counted.

"How's your dad?" Abigail slid her drumstick onto Evelyn's tray.

"I'm dieting," Abigail lied when Evelyn tried to refuse.

Evelyn had lost weight. Stress had hollowed her out in just days.

After summarizing her father's condition, Evelyn's mind raced. Her father had mentioned savings in Victoria's account—but getting it would be a battle.

She had to try.

Across the cafeteria, Dominic sat by the window, hidden from cameras. He pulled out his phone and booked a luxury suite.

Then hesitated.

What if the people online were scammers?

He messaged a contact in the group instead, arranging a meetup at an unfinished apartment—his and Sophia's future home.

Excitement thrummed through him.

He left work early, hailing a cab to the empty apartment.

The call came before he finished his first cigarette.

A sweet, girlish voice purred through the line. "I'm at the gate. Let me in..."

Five minutes later, they stood face-to-face in the bare living room.

"I love places like this," the woman murmured, her gaze roaming. "So... thrilling."

Dominic wasn't experienced, but he craved adventure.

Soon, the empty walls echoed with moans.

"Am I better than your wife?" she gasped.

Dominic didn't answer—just lost himself in the heat.

Meanwhile, Evelyn dialed Victoria.

The call connected—a miracle in itself.

When Evelyn explained the situation, Victoria exploded.

"That bastard should just die! I don't have a cent left—he bled me dry!"

"My father gave you 100K last month. I'm not asking for all of it—just enough to save his life. I'll pay you back."

Victoria laughed coldly. "That money's mine now. Why don't you beg your friends instead? Oh wait—you don't have any."

The line went dead.

Evelyn stood frozen outside the subway station, numb.

The city buzzed around her, full of smiling strangers. She'd once dreamed of a simple life like theirs.

Now, she was drowning.

Her phone rang again—an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Aunt Evelyn, I—" Alexander's small voice trembled. "Grandpa's coughing blood!"

Evelyn's blood turned to ice.

She didn't wait for the subway.

Hands shaking, she flagged down a cab and gave the driver the Blackwood estate address.

Inside the mansion, Alexander glared at his perfectly healthy grandfathers and hung up.

Upstairs, Dominic stepped out of the shower, oblivious to the chaos brewing below.

The cab sped through the city, carrying Evelyn toward a lie—and a confrontation she wasn't ready for.