Chapter 319

"Finally decided to wake up?" Dominic's mocking voice came through the phone.

Evelyn flopped back onto the hotel bed, rubbing her throbbing temples. "You're the one who called and woke me. What do you want?"

"I saw you leaving Mooncrest Manor at 10:30 last night," Dominic said, his tone sharp. "Where exactly were you going that late?"

Evelyn kicked Michael's leg where he sat at the foot of the bed, shooting him a warning glare before answering.

"Michael got completely wasted last night. The bar called me to come settle his tab. By the time I got there, he was in no state to go home - I didn't want him waking the kids, so we got a room here." She paused, then added sarcastically, "Why? Interested in joining his bar hopping adventures? Should I have him invite you next time?"

Dominic's frown deepened.

This wasn't the answer he'd expected.

"Anything else?" Evelyn yawned dramatically. "Michael kept me up all night. I'm exhausted. If that's all, I'm hanging up."

Just before ending the call, she suddenly added, "Oh, by the way - did you find Sophia?"

That final question shattered Dominic's remaining suspicions.

Evelyn couldn't have been the one who took Sophia to the hospital.

She'd been at a bar last night!

And then stayed in a hotel with Michael until now!

"I found her," Dominic said curtly before hanging up.

The moment the call ended, Evelyn dropped her act. She tossed the phone back to Michael.

"Why did you lie?" Michael asked, bewildered. "And Sophia went missing again?!"

Evelyn pulled the covers up, closing her eyes with an indifferent expression. "Yes. She's surprisingly good at picking hiding spots. Had to choose my wardrobe of all places. If she'd hidden in yours or Mom's closet, she'd be dead by now."

When Evelyn found Sophia last night, the girl had been deathly pale with shallow breathing. Any later and it would have been too late.

Though mentally disabled, Sophia had incredible luck - both times she disappeared, she'd ended up at Evelyn's house.

"Holy shit! You didn't operate on her again, did you?" Michael pieced it together. "Letting Zoe Montgomery take credit again?"

Evelyn's eyes snapped open.

"Credit? More like a ticking time bomb. If she hadn't been near death when I found her, I would've handed her straight to Dominic. If I didn't treat her, he'd assume I did something to her."

"Admit it," Michael saw right through her. "You couldn't let Zoe operate on Sophia. You've felt guilty ever since calling her an idiot before. This was your chance to make amends."

Evelyn stayed silent.

Michael's intuition was annoyingly sharp.

"You don't want to get tangled with Dominic Blackwood again, so you're stuck doing good deeds in secret!"

Evelyn scowled. "Shut up and let me sleep. I'm exhausted!"

"Fine, sleep all you want. You'll need it before the next disaster hits when you wake up," Michael teased.

Evelyn refused to take the bait.

"Then get out! Do you have some weird sleeping fetish?"

"Hey! You didn't bring your phone or wallet. What about checking out later—"

"Go pay at reception now. I'm worried about the kids. Go check on them."

"Already called Henry. He said they skipped school today because they didn't feel like going."

Evelyn's expression darkened.

She took a deep breath before waving Michael off. "Then go watch them. They're probably hungry by now."

"Please, they know how to order takeout. Any progress on finding a bodyguard?"

Suddenly wide awake, Evelyn threw off the covers and tied her messy hair into a ponytail.

"Haven't decided yet. Worried about reliability, but also about the kids' safety. They're always running off."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Want me to ask Nathan for recommendations?"

Evelyn looked at him in horror. "Do you think my children have death wishes? Why don't you just ask Dominic to be their bodyguard while you're at it?"