Chapter 206

At 5 a.m., Dominic's phone buzzed with an incoming text.

He didn’t wake up until two hours later, blinking at the message from Nathan.

(Sir, according to Lucas, he's an expert hacker.)

(He's gay.)

(I'd like to take the day off, Sir.)

Dominic's brow furrowed as he read the three messages.

How had Nathan uncovered so much critical information in just one night?

Lucas wasn’t the type to reveal personal details easily.

He wouldn’t just spill secrets to a stranger without reason.

Suspicion gnawing at him, Dominic dialed Nathan’s number.

"Nathan, how did you get all that from Lucas?"

A brief silence stretched before Nathan answered, exhaustion lacing his voice. "We were drinking last night. He told me after a few rounds."

"That’s it?"

"Yeah. And I drank too much. Need the day off."

"Fine. Rest up."

Nathan’s eyes burned red when the call ended.

No one would believe what had happened to him.

And he had no intention of ever speaking about it.

The humiliation was too much.

At eight in the morning, Evelyn was preparing to take the kids to school at Mooncrest Manor.

"Didn’t Uncle Lucas come home last night, Mommy?" Lily asked, adjusting her backpack with a curious tilt of her head. "I checked his room—he wasn’t there!"

Evelyn had called Lucas at 11 p.m. the previous night.

He’d claimed he was out drinking.

When she tried again at midnight, he hadn’t answered.

"Probably stayed at a hotel," Evelyn said dismissively. "Don’t worry. He’ll be fine."

Lucas had always enjoyed his nightlife—staying out wasn’t unusual for him.

"Oh. Are you and Uncle Lucas getting married?" Lily pressed, eyes wide with mischief. "I wouldn’t mind if you did."

Evelyn stifled a mix of amusement and irritation.

"Mommy would never marry Uncle Lucas. Stop imagining things."

"But Henry and I really like him!"

"I know you do, and we’ll always be friends," Evelyn said, ushering them toward the door—only to freeze at the sight of the sleek Rolls-Royce parked outside.

Dominic stood beside it, his piercing gaze locked onto Evelyn and the children.

Their expressions darkened instantly.

Why was he here at eight in the morning?

When had he arrived?

What did he want?

Evelyn’s pulse spiked, her feet suddenly leaden.

From inside, Clara noticed their hesitation and stepped out.

"What’s wrong, Evelyn?" she called, crossing the yard.

The moment she spotted Dominic, her face flushed with rage.

Evelyn lunged forward, catching her mother’s arm before she could charge.

"Take the kids to school, Mom!"

Panic tightened her grip as Clara seethed.

"I forgot to tell you—he showed up last night too. What’s he doing lurking around like this?" Clara hissed, trembling with fury.