On the third day after Lauren disappeared, Dominic was losing his damn mind.[]
He’d torn that hospital apart and used every connection Sterling Corp had to flip the entire Manhattan city upside down.]]
But she’d vanished like she never existed. Not a single trace.
“Find her!”
He kicked over the desk and chairs, screaming through gritted teeth: “I don’t care if you have to dig up the whole city–bring her back to me!”
“I want her to tell me to my face why the hell she thinks she can just leave!“]
His assistant was shaking, standing there for a few seconds before finally handing him some papers:]
“We couldn’t find any trace of Miss Montgomery, but we did find something else. You… should probably see this yourself. It’s about your mother.“]
It was an old file about his mom’s suicide all those years ago.]
Dominic would never forget rushing to his mom’s broken body and looking up to see Lauren’s dad on that rooftop.]
From that moment on, he was dead certain that Lauren’s father had killed his mother.[]
But now.
There was a clear photo in that file.
It showed his mom being pushed off the building.]
He recognized that face–it was Sophia’s mom.[]
The same face he’d seen a million times when Sophia took him to visit her mom’s grave.[]
Back then Sophia would cry in his arms, talking about how her mom died in a car ident.[]
Since her mom and his mom died on the same day, he felt like they shared the same pain. That’s why he felt so sorry for her.[]
Dominic stood there frozen<b>, </b>his hands shaking as he flipped through page after page.[]
The file was crystal clear.]
Sophia’s mom had tried to break up his parents‘ marriage. When his mom found out, they <b>got </b>into a huge fight that ended with Sophia’s mom identally pushing his mom off the building.]
As for Sophia’s mom, she panicked and ran after <b>the </b>murder, got into a car <b>ident</b><b>, </b>and died at the hospital.
And Lauren’s dad? He’d been trying to help his friend–Dominic’s mom–the whole <b>time</b>. But he was just toote…]
Chapter <b>6 </b>
“This is insane…“]
Dominic’s hands were shaking like crazy.]]
He let out this brokenugh, his voice so rough it sounded like his throat was
tearing apart.]
Next second, he threw those papers on the floor and stumbled out of his office.]]
Meanwhile, Sophia had no clue what was happening.<b>] </b>
She was still at the spa, getting a facial while her assistant gossiped about “Lauren finally being gone.”
Sophia was in a great mood, evenughing with her eyes closed:[]
4
“Good riddance. I can finally rx. Once we’re sure she’s nevering back, I’ll im my ce as the Montgomery daughter and take everything that’s left.”
“I’ve been setting this up for years. Everyone knows I’m the Montgomery bastard. Who’s gonna suspect I don’t even know who my real dad is?”
BANG!
The door got kicked in.]
Everyone in the spa freaked out.]]
Dominic stormed in looking ready to kill.]
He grabbed Sophia’s wrist and yanked her up:[]
“You knew all along!“]
Sophia went white, struggling in panic:[]
“Knew what? Dominic, <b>I </b>don’t know anything! You’re hurting me!“]]
“The truth about what really happened!”
Sophia’s head snapped up.]
?????
AN
She never expected Dominic to show up like this, let alone that he’d figure out what actually happened back then!]
Her panic gave her awaypletely. Dominic felt like his heart was being ripped apart because of regret.]
His eyes were bloodshot, totally losing it:]
“You knew she wasn’t the one who killed my mother, didn’t you?!“]
“You knew it was YOUR MOM–it was YOU–who pushed my mother off that building, right?! <b>She </b>didn’t kill herself, you guys murdered her!”
Dominic’s <b>voice </b>waspletely raw, every word tearing at <b>his </b>own throat.[]
“What the hell did you think I was to you?!”
He threw Sophia to the ground in one rough motion.]]
“You lied to me for three whole years-“]]
“I gave you all my trust, all my pity… I even pushed the woman I loved most into hell with my own hands!“]
Sophia hit the floor hard, her face ghost–white. She’d never seen Dominic this terrifying – like he’d gonepletely insane, or finally woken up from some kind of trance.]]
“No, Dominic, listen to me… I… I didn’t mean to. My mom really just slipped up back then, she didn’t do it on purpose, we were both so young…“]
.
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2
Her voice was shaking as she tried to grab his trouser leg.
Shut up!”
Dominicpletely lost it.]
His whole world was falling apart.
And Sophia was still trying to get away with that fake, pathetic act.
“You knew from the beginning that me hating Lauren was all a mistake!”
“But you kept pushing me to torture her, humiliate her, because you knew–she’d take it. Because she had to keep her promise to her dad, because she loved me, so she wouldn’t fight back…“]
Sophia was curled up on the floor, crying and trying to throw herself into his arms.
“I just loved you too much… I was scared you wouldn’t love me, scared you’d go back to her, scared you’d realize she was the one who really loved you, so I…“)
“So you made up all those lies and made me worship my mother’s killer? Made Lauren pay for your family’s blood debt with her life<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“You’re sick, Sophia.”
Every word was like ice, the light in his eyes almostpletely dead.
“You remember how you talked me into making Lauren sell herself to that guy, right?“]
“Sophia.”
“That’s exactly what you deserve<b>.</b><b>“</b>}
Sophia totally panicked.]
She crawled toward Dominic on her hands and knees, trying to grab onto his clothes.[]
But he’d already kicked the door open and walked out without looking back…]