Chapter 166

Nathan desperately wanted to call Evelyn for confirmation, but fear held him back.

She had divorced their CEO. Would she even answer his call now?

"Lucas, have you contacted Mr. Blackwood yet?" Nathan asked hesitantly.

Lucas let out a bitter sigh. "If that woman Sophia hadn't disappeared, he'd probably keep this secret forever. It's clearly something he wants buried. Do you really think prying will improve his mood?"

Nathan frowned. "Well, Sophia still hasn't been found. I imagine his temper's worse than ever."

Meanwhile, Henry Thorne sat in Willowbrook Academy when the news broke about Dominic's massive reward for information on Sophia's whereabouts. Conflicting emotions churned within him.

"What exactly is Dominic's connection to Sophia?" he muttered to himself.

His fingers flew across the keyboard as he searched for "Sophia" in the browser.

The results yielded nothing substantial.

'Sophia' was just a first name. What was her full identity?

Henry's hacking skills granted him access to Willowbrook's database, but even there, only the single name 'Sophia' appeared.

Did she not have a last name?

Or was this deliberate protection from her powerful family?

Just who were her relatives?

Frustrated by the dead end, Henry redirected his investigation toward Dominic.

After compiling information on the Blackwood family tree, his brow furrowed.

No Sophia existed among the Blackwoods.

Dominic only had one older brother.

This left only one plausible explanation for Dominic's relationship with Sophia.

A romantic entanglement!

If Julian Whitmore was scum, then Dominic was the emperor of all scumbags!

How could he possibly be involved with a psychologically vulnerable woman?

Elsewhere, Bianca had tracked down Zoe Montgomery.

Zoe currently resided in Mooncrest Manor, a lavish estate Dominic had arranged for her, complete with round-the-clock staff and security.

When Bianca arrived, the opulent villa and army of servants twisted a knife in her heart.

"Dr. Montgomery, could we speak privately?" Bianca requested.

Zoe nodded indifferently.

With Sophia missing, Zoe found herself with unexpected free time.

They strolled through the manicured neighborhood, shadowed at a discreet distance by bodyguards.

"Dr. Montgomery, do you know what Sophia means to Dominic?" Bianca's bloodshot eyes betrayed her sleepless night. The questions had tormented her since sobering up.

Zoe shook her head. "Miss Chamberlain, I didn't ask, and he didn't volunteer that information."

"Could you ask him? I've been by his side for years and never heard of this woman. It's... unsettling!" Bianca's voice grew increasingly agitated.

Zoe studied her calmly. "Miss Chamberlain, that's his private affair. I won't pry, and if you're so curious, you should ask him directly."

"I already did! He refused to tell me anything."

"If he won't tell you, why would he tell me? We've only met twice," Zoe replied logically. "Didn't he just finalize his divorce yesterday? At least we know he and Sophia weren't married."

Bianca scoffed, "Obviously they weren't married. Can you imagine him wedding someone... like that? But he spent a billion dollars searching for her! It's incomprehensible."

"If you're jealous, perhaps you should find ways to make him spend on you instead."

Bianca's face contorted. "That's not what I meant! I don't want his money. I just want—" She bit her tongue before admitting she craved Dominic's love.

Zoe interrupted smoothly, "A man's willingness to spend money is the truest measure of his affection."

The words struck Bianca like lightning.

"I've already lost. First to Evelyn, now to some... some mentally challenged woman! What does that say about me?" Bianca whispered bitterly.

"How very noble of you," Zoe remarked dryly.

"Don't mock me! I'm humiliated enough—defeated by Evelyn Thorne, then upstaged by a... And now I'm questioning everything about myself."

Zoe observed Bianca's unraveling with detached interest. Suddenly, Evelyn Thorne seemed far more intriguing than she'd initially assumed.