Chapter 281

The next morning, Nathan Cross dragged himself into the office, his head pounding from last night's drinking session.

Dominic Blackwood took one look at him and raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you?"

"Lucas Grant tricked me into drinking," Nathan groaned, rubbing his temples. "I barely got any answers out of him before I blacked out. But I did notice something—he has a scar on his head."

Dominic's gaze sharpened. "How noticeable is it?"

"Very. It looks like he's had a craniotomy." Nathan had been half-conscious when Lucas carried him back to the hotel, but even in his drunken haze, he’d spotted the jagged line hidden beneath Lucas’s golden hair.

When he woke up that morning, he found himself sharing a bed with Lucas again. Surprisingly, he hadn’t lashed out this time. Instead, while Lucas was still asleep, he carefully parted his hair and snapped a photo of the scar. The surgical marks were unmistakable.

"Look." Nathan showed Dominic the picture. "This isn’t just any scar. It’s from major surgery."

Dominic studied the image, his expression unreadable. "A craniotomy is serious. Next time, don’t drink—just ask him directly. Now go home and rest."

Nathan nodded, though his head still throbbed. "Mr. Blackwood… are you investigating Lucas because you suspect Evelyn?"

Dominic’s eyes flickered. "Don’t you think she’s acting strange?"

"Of course!" Nathan frowned. "She clearly loves you, so why the divorce? I get that she’s jealous of Sophia, but can’t she be more understanding? I’m disappointed in her."

Dominic sighed. They weren’t even talking about the same thing.

"Go home. And next time you’re hungover, don’t come in." Dominic turned his leather chair away, signaling the end of the conversation.

The truth was, Evelyn hadn’t known about Sophia’s condition when she filed for divorce. He couldn’t blame her. If anyone was at fault, it was him.

Later that afternoon, Dominic received a call from Zoe Montgomery.

"Dominic, my father’s back in town. Are you free tonight? He wants to have dinner with you."

Dominic checked his watch. "Fine."

"Oh, and… I mentioned my parents are divorced, right? My dad’s bringing his new girlfriend. I hope that’s okay?" Zoe sounded hesitant.

Dominic replied flatly, "It’s fine."

He had no interest in Zoe—or her father’s love life.

An hour later, Dominic sat across from Zoe’s father and his new companion. The moment he saw her, his mind went blank. His sharp gaze locked onto the woman beside Richard Montgomery.

"Mr. Blackwood, do I look familiar?" Margaret Thorne smiled sweetly. "We were connected once, though we never actually met. Funny how fate works, isn’t it?"

Dominic’s expression darkened instantly. The air grew thick with tension.

Then, his phone rang. Without a word, he answered and strode out of the restaurant.