Chapter 172

The wine in her glass was still full, and her bowl was untouched.

If he hadn’t appeared, she wouldn’t have excused herself. "Enjoy your meal. I’ll take my leave."

With that, he turned on his heel and strode away, his long legs carrying him effortlessly through the crowd.

Lucas hurried after him, still clutching the wine bottles. "Dominic! Wait up!"

Sophie flashed Evelyn a grin and raised her glass. "Evelyn, you’re still unmatched."

Evelyn blinked innocently. "He was the one who wanted to leave."

Sophie laughed, clinking her glass against Evelyn’s. "Oh, please. The way he looks at you? That man is still head over heels."

"Sophie, you’ve been watching too many romance dramas. It’s rotting your brain."

"Weren’t you the one binge-watching shows last night?"

"Not romance," Evelyn countered, taking a slow sip of wine. "I have better things to do than obsess over men. My life doesn’t revolve around them."

Sophie nodded. "You’re right. Dominic clearly didn’t prioritize you."

"Enough about him. Let’s eat." Evelyn lowered her voice. "I drove here. I’ll need my driver to take me home."

"There are plenty of drivers outside," Sophie said, pouting. "Evelyn, I still haven’t seen your new place. Why won’t you let me visit? I don’t even know which mansion is yours in Mooncrest Manor."

Evelyn took another sip of wine, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Another time. My place is… a mess right now."

"But doesn’t your mother live with you? How bad could it be?"

"Uh…" Evelyn scrambled for an excuse.

Just then, Dominic received a call and swiftly made his way toward the exit.

Sophie nudged Evelyn. "Look, Dominic’s leaving."

Evelyn turned her head just in time to see his retreating figure.

He was in such a hurry… Had Sophia woken up?

Sophia Blackwood had indeed awakened.

Zoe Montgomery had called Dominic, urging him to return to the hospital immediately.

When Sophia opened her eyes in the ICU, she found herself surrounded by unfamiliar faces in an unfamiliar room.

"Sophia, I’m Dr. Montgomery. I performed your surgery," Zoe said, trying to establish trust.

She had no idea what was going through Sophia’s mind or how the operation had affected her.

Sophia stared at Zoe blankly.

She didn’t recognize this woman.

When Zoe reached for her hand, Sophia instinctively pulled away.

Moments later, Dominic arrived.

The moment Sophia saw her brother, the panic in her eyes eased slightly.

She reached for him weakly.

Dominic immediately took her delicate hand in his, his grip gentle but firm.

Seeing her discomfort, Dominic turned to Zoe. "Dr. Montgomery, she’s uneasy around strangers. Could you give us a moment?"

Zoe nodded and stepped out of the room.

Once the door slid shut, Dominic leaned closer. "Sophia, does your head hurt?"

She nodded weakly. "Big Brother… what happened to me?"

"You had brain surgery. The pain will fade in a few days." His voice was soft, his gaze even softer. "Sophia, do you remember how you left Willowbrook Academy?"

An image of Henry flashed in Sophia’s mind.

"Big Brother… you took me out with you!"

To her, Henry and Dominic were indistinguishable—the same person in her eyes.

Dominic frowned.

Was she still disoriented from the anesthesia?

"Big Brother… who was that woman? I don’t know her," Sophia murmured, her brow furrowing as she recalled Zoe’s face.

"That’s Dr. Montgomery. She’s the one who operated on you."