Chapter 656

Dominic Powell stood like a demon emerging from the depths of hell, his aura radiating pure menace.

Vanessa Hart lifted her head, crimson trails of blood seeping from her temple into her eyes.

Yet she didn't flinch. Relief washed over her instead.

The danger had passed. At least for now, the baby in her womb remained unharmed.

Dominic recognized that look in Vanessa's eyes. With a violent jerk, he threw her onto the cold concrete floor.

Vanessa instinctively cradled her belly, tears of pain gathering at the corners of her eyes.

The man was utterly deranged!

What kind of monster would treat a pregnant woman this way?

Then Dominic produced a baseball bat from nowhere.

He tested its weight in his hands with casual swings. "Wonder what would happen," he mused, "if I brought this down on you?"

Genuine terror gripped Vanessa now.

As Dominic advanced step by deliberate step, she scrambled backward, hands protectively covering her abdomen.

The unyielding wall behind her offered no escape.

"Dominic, please," she begged, voice trembling. "Let me go."

"If I spare you, who will spare her?" Dominic's grin widened at Vanessa's distress.

His cruel laughter echoed as he took in her pallid, fear-stricken face.

Vanessa's entire body shook uncontrollably.

When Dominic raised the bat high, aiming for her stomach, she squeezed her eyes shut in hopeless resignation. Sweat mingled with blood as it trickled down her forehead.

Death seemed imminent.

Then an unexpected voice cut through the tension. "Dominic, stop this madness!"

Sebastian Powell.

His arm hung in a sling, likely from a fracture.

Recently thrown from a horse, the beast had trampled his chest brutally.

Though discharged, his complexion still bore signs of lingering illness.

Seeing another human presence, Vanessa clutched at this lifeline desperately.

"Mr. Powell! Your brother's lost his mind! He's trying to kill my baby with that bat!"

Though merely business acquaintances from past dealings, Sebastian helped Vanessa up. "Mrs. Caldwell, you're safe now. I'll get you out."

Sebastian hadn't come alone - his personal security detail stood ready.

Dominic's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Interfering, brother? Stealing my plaything?"

"Do you even comprehend who she is?" Sebastian hissed. "Indulge your whims elsewhere, but don't drag the Powell name through this!"

His logic was sound.

Behind Vanessa stood the formidable Hayes and Caldwell families.

The Caldwells alone ranked among Cresthaven's elite.

Harm to Vanessa's unborn child would bring the Powells catastrophic consequences.

Dominic scoffed. "Since when do I fear them?"

"Father would disown you for this!"

Under the pretense of familial concern, Sebastian ordered his men to escort Vanessa away.

Dominic suddenly leveled the bat at Sebastian's good arm. "Always meddling, aren't you? That horse clearly didn't kick hard enough."

Sebastian met the threat with a thin smile. "Should I thank you for that near-miss? The hoof barely grazed my heart."

Their gazes locked in silent, venomous standoff.

Sebastian grasped the bat's tip and pushed it aside gently. "This belongs on a field, not aimed at people. Don't you agree?"

Dominic's laugh was chilling. "I've never played baseball. To me, this is no different than a gun - both exist to end lives."

"Then I'll teach you myself," Sebastian countered smoothly, "once my arm heals."

Nathaniel Powell watched this exchange, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Mr. Powell, they're gone..." he ventured timidly.

"I have eyes, Nathaniel," Dominic snapped.

Vanessa had taken quite the fall tonight. Between the physical trauma and psychological terror, she'd likely think twice before crossing Evelyn again.

Dominic's prediction proved accurate.

Though medical scans confirmed her baby's safety, Vanessa checked into the hospital immediately.

She placed a call to Eleanor Caldwell.

"Eleanor, it's Vanessa..."

After hearing the night's events, Eleanor arranged for Vanessa's hospitalization.

"How could Ethan abandon you like this?" Eleanor scolded while instructing Grace to summon her brother.

"Find that irresponsible boy! Out carousing while his wife needs him!"

Grace pouted. Fresh from university break, she'd hoped for relaxation, not family drama.

"If he won't come, let him stay out. What good is he here anyway? Vanessa needs rest, not his useless presence!"

"Grace!" Eleanor snapped.

Reluctantly, Grace took her phone outside.

"Dominic must pay for this!" Vanessa raged from her hospital bed. "He attacked me without provocation!"

She conveniently omitted the drugging incident, painting Dominic as the sole aggressor.

Eleanor's expression darkened. Dominic's notorious behavior was well-known in their circles.

"If he harmed you unprovoked, we'll demand answers!" Though disliking Vanessa, Eleanor couldn't tolerate an insult to Ethan's wife - especially while pregnant. "I'll have his mother rein him in!"

The thought of Dominic facing maternal discipline soothed Vanessa somewhat.

Returning, Grace overheard their plotting. "Mother," she said pointedly, "I doubt we're getting the full story. People don't attack pregnant women without cause." Her gaze bored into Vanessa. "She must've provoked Dominic and can't admit it."