Chapter 156

Dominic Blackwood sat in his study at Mooncrest Manor, handing a stack of files to Zoe Montgomery. The morning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across the mahogany desk.

"She's physically fragile and autistic, but otherwise healthy," Dominic stated, his fingers tapping impatiently on the armrest. "I just wish her IQ was slightly higher so she could better understand the world around her."

"Mr. Blackwood, is your sister currently enrolled at Willowbrook Academy?" Zoe asked, flipping through the medical reports.

Dominic nodded curtly. "Yes."

"I'd like to meet her first," Zoe said, closing the folder. "After our conversation, I'll conduct a comprehensive medical evaluation."

Dominic's piercing gaze met hers. "Fine."

Zoe checked her watch. "Let's go now."

"Miss Montgomery, we should discuss your fees first."

They hadn't touched on payment since Bianca Chamberlain had introduced them.

Zoe's lips curved into a confident smile. "No payment until results. If I can't help your sister, you won't owe me a cent. We'll settle the bill after she's cured."

Dominic's jaw tightened. In his experience, the most expensive services always came disguised as favors.

"I prefer transparent pricing upfront."

"And how do you manage Bianca? Doesn't her constant presence interfere with your work?"

Zoe adjusted her blazer. "I'm actually on vacation, Mr. Blackwood. Just wrapped up a major research project and taking two months off."

Dominic pulled out his checkbook. "At least let me pay a deposit."

Seeing his determination, Zoe finally relented. "Very well." She scribbled her account details on a notepad. "Do as you please."

The tension in Dominic's shoulders eased slightly.

At precisely 10:15 AM, their black sedan pulled out of the manor gates, heading toward Willowbrook Academy.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted at the special needs school.

Sophia Blackwood had vanished.

The caretaker Dominic had personally hired - a former Blackwood family nanny known for her loyalty - stood trembling in the headmaster's office.

"She never wanders off alone!" The distraught woman clutched her chest. "Something's terribly wrong!"

The moment she'd discovered Sophia missing, she'd alerted school authorities. Staff members now scoured every corner of the sprawling campus.

Security raced to review surveillance footage, only to find the system mysteriously offline.

"Maintenance was notified immediately," a flustered technician reported. "The system crashed thirty minutes ago. We've tried every reboot protocol."

The headmaster's face turned ashen. "Is the footage recoverable?"

The technician shook his head. "If it's just a glitch, the data should be intact. But this feels deliberate."

The nanny swayed on her feet. "A kidnapping? Oh God, I must call Mr. Blackwood!"

The headmaster steadied her. "Let's check with gate security first. No exit was reported, which means Miss Blackwood must still be on premises."

Relief flickered across the nanny's face.

A quick call to the front gate confirmed no one had seen Sophia leave.

What the guard failed to mention was their own twenty-minute system blackout.

As the headmaster mopped his brow, he assured the nanny, "We'll find her. She couldn't have gone far."

Outside, unnoticed by anyone, a maintenance worker slipped through a service entrance, his toolbag suspiciously heavy.