Chapter 213

Zoe Montgomery's entire frame froze as an icy chill raced down her spine.

Julian Whitmore turned to face her, his lips curling into a teasing smirk. "I had no idea you were so... vigorous in bed, Dr. Montgomery. You nearly drained me completely..."

Zoe finally focused on Julian's features clearly.

This wasn't their first encounter.

When she'd burned her hand months ago, Julian had been the one driving Eleanor Blackwood to visit her.

Between the alcohol haze from last night and the dim candlelight, she'd mistaken him for Dominic!

How could this have happened?

Dominic Blackwood had been the one to invite her here last night!

What was Julian doing in his place?!

"How did you get here? Why you?!" Zoe grabbed a pillow and began battering Julian's face repeatedly.

Julian shielded his head, protesting, "Dr. Montgomery! Stop! I'm just as confused! I received a text from Evelyn Thorne last night telling me to come to Room V809! The moment I entered, you practically attacked me... I tried to pull away several times but you clung tighter... Then you started undressing me! What man could resist that?!"

Zoe hurled the pillow to the floor before bursting into tears.

"Please don't cry! I know this situation reeks of conspiracy, but I'm telling the truth! I can show you the message! I wasn't trying to trick you intentionally! Let's just treat last night as a bad dream! I swear I won't tell my uncle - he'd skin me alive if he found out. I'm not suicidal!"

Julian dropped to his knees before Zoe, making frantic promises.

Through tear-blurred vision, Zoe thrust out her hand. "Show me the damn text!"

She needed to understand how this nightmare unfolded.

Julian scrambled for his phone, but after frantic scrolling, his face paled. "What the...? It's gone! The message from last night disappeared! I know I didn't delete it!"

Zoe seized another pillow and smashed it over Julian's head.

Julian looked utterly devastated.

"Wait! Let me explain! My phone was hacked recently! This must be the hacker's doing!"

"So you're claiming some hacker impersonated Evelyn Thorne to lure you here? And that same hacker sent me a message pretending to be your uncle?!" Zoe scoffed bitterly.

She refused to believe Dominic's message had been fake.

Yet... why hadn't he shown up?

Taking a shuddering breath, Zoe grabbed her phone and checked her messages.

Her blood ran cold.

"Your uncle's message is gone too? Looks like you got hacked as well!" Julian's eyes widened with realization. "Last night was an elaborate trap set for both of us!"

"Who would do this?! Who could possibly—"

Zoe felt hysteria rising.

If Dominic discovered she'd slept with his nephew, he'd never look at her again!

"I don't know... This hacker's too skilled. I can't trace anything," Julian admitted, handing her tissues. "But it definitely wasn't my uncle. He still needs you to treat Sophia. He wouldn't sabotage you like this."

Zoe dabbed at her eyes roughly. "Are there surveillance cameras here? Could our... activities have been recorded?"

Julian scanned the luxurious suite. "This is the Oceanview Grand... They wouldn't... Right? I'll sue them into oblivion if they did!"

"Get someone to sweep this room for cameras immediately!" Zoe commanded.

"Y-yes, right away," Julian stammered.

Meanwhile, Dominic Blackwood personally escorted Sophia to Willowbrook Academy that morning.

After seeing her to class, he headed toward Henry Thorne's classroom.

Following yesterday's meeting with Evelyn, Dominic and Lucas Grant had concluded the hacker targeting both Willowbrook Academy and Blackwood Group had to be someone close to Evelyn.

Someone she deeply cared about.

Why else would she have treated them to lunch?

The list of suspects narrowed down to Clara Thorne and the children.

Dominic had once seen Henry with a laptop.

While common sense said a four-year-old couldn't possibly be the hacker challenging him, sometimes the impossible proved true.

Dominic entered the classroom and approached the small boy in a baseball cap. "Henry Thorne, hand me your backpack."