Chapter 493

"Dominic, did you already take Sophia to her medical appointment? We were supposed to go together." Zoe Montgomery's voice trembled with barely concealed frustration as she stood outside the Blackwood mansion, having just been informed by Mrs. Wilkins that Dominic had left hours earlier with his sister.

Dominic's gaze swept across the crowded hospital entrance before responding in a measured tone. "The results came back stable."

"That's... good news." Zoe forced enthusiasm into her voice. "I've been drafting a third treatment protocol for Sophia. With this new approach, we could potentially schedule another surgery before winter."

"Can you guarantee this procedure would fully restore her cognitive functions?" Dominic's question cut through the phone line like ice.

Zoe's breath hitched. No reputable physician would ever make such an absolute promise.

"I can't say with complete certainty, but the preliminary research suggests—"

"Then we're done here." Dominic's voice dropped to a dangerous calm.

"Contact me again only when you have definitive proof of success." The finality in his words struck Zoe like a physical blow.

"Dominic!" Her voice cracked. "Are you... abandoning Sophia's treatment? Or have you found someone more qualified?" The unspoken fear that he'd discovered her deception about the previous surgeries made her palms sweat.

Yet if he knew the truth, why would he have called her about Sophia's condition just last night?

"This isn't about qualifications." Dominic's voice lost all warmth. "Zoe, the funds I provided could have secured your future. Instead, you chose to invest in Thornfield Industries."

Evelyn Thorne's resentment toward him wasn't solely about his past choices to protect his secrets. The presence of Zoe and Margaret between them had been equally destructive.

A sleepless night at Sophia's bedside had given Dominic painful clarity. The more he reflected, the more he understood Evelyn's suffering. While he couldn't undo the past, he refused to repeat the same mistakes.

Zoe's quiet sobs filled the silence. "I didn't realize... how deeply you still cared for Evelyn Thorne."

"You knew." Dominic's brutal honesty shattered her pretense.

Zoe hadn't anticipated such merciless directness.

"There's no reason for further contact, Zoe."

The clinical detachment in Dominic's tone made it crueler than any outburst. Zoe attempted a bitter laugh, but no sound emerged.

Just days ago, she'd boasted to Margaret about extracting another hundred fifty-five million from Dominic. Was this karma for her greed? Or was she simply reaping what Dominic had sown by never offering even basic affection?

The call disconnected with finality.

Zoe collapsed against her steering wheel, hot tears scalding her cheeks. Dominic no longer needed her. She had nothing left. The drive home passed in a numb haze.

She only realized her mistake when she found herself standing outside Margaret and her father's penthouse.

"Zoe? What's happened?" Margaret's sharp eyes took in her stepdaughter's disheveled appearance with calculated interest.

"It's over." Zoe's voice broke. "Dominic has chosen Evelyn Thorne's side completely!"

Margaret's expression darkened. "If you don't act now, that pregnancy will destroy any remaining chance you have."

Zoe's tear-filled eyes met Margaret's. "He's cutting ties with me because of her! He'd rather halt Sophia's treatment than continue working with me!"

Margaret handed her a tissue with surprising gentleness. "Stop crying. I have a solution, but I'll need your cooperation."

This time, Zoe didn't ask for details. "Anything. Just make Evelyn Thorne suffer."