What has Lucian done?
It was a question that made Lucian—the very man who never stopped for anything—pause.
With Nolan defending Ashley as if his life depended on it, Lucian could only order Gustav to confirm everything.
According to Nolan, it was his idea to go out. It was Nolan who insisted—not Ashley. Why? Because Primo had finally asked Ashley for something, and she had been distressed, knowing she wasn’t allowed to go out.
"It’s why we tried calling you," Nolan added, now standing in Lucian’s office as they waited for confirmation from the men Gustav had sent.
Meanwhile, Lucian sat behind his desk, his eyes fixed on his phone, staring at the missed calls Nolan had made earlier that day. As for Gustav, who stood beside them, his expression was a mixture of confusion and shock.
It was as if he couldn’t believe any of it.
"Why...?" Gustav finally asked, looking at Nolan. "Nolan, why would you—"
"Because I want to trust the madam! Someone has to," Nolan exclaimed, lifting his head with determination. "Gustav, I know the madam has done many things that put Dominion in a bad position. But I also want to believe that she’s finally had a change of heart—that she’s chosen to put her energy into becoming part of Dominion instead of trying to escape it."
Nolan clenched his fists, looking straight at the stubborn and doubtful Gustav before shifting his gaze to Lucian.
"I wanted to take a leap of faith and believe her," he repeated, his voice softening. "Because if I don’t, I’ll spend my life doubting her. And I don’t want to keep doubting someone who has always been clear about her intentions since day one."
For a moment, silence filled the office, letting Nolan’s words settle.
Nolan slowly lowered his head, his voice softening. "I gave her my word that I’d explain everything. That she wouldn’t get in trouble. She trusted me, even when I could clearly see she was hesitant. But in the end... I failed her."
And if there was anyone to blame, Nolan would take it all.
"Master, if you don’t believe me, I’ll gladly submit my resignation first thing in the morning," Nolan said, drawing a deep breath as he met Lucian’s eyes. "I’ll take full accountability. However... please let the madam off. The garden is the first thing she wanted to rebuild, and seeing how determined she was... please don’t take that away from her."
Another heavy silence fell over the room as Gustav and Lucian stared at the old man, who had spent his entire life following orders without question and executing them flawlessly for Dominion.
A second later, Gustav felt his phone vibrate. He checked it, and upon seeing it was from his men, he immediately called back.
"Alright," Gustav said with a nod before stepping toward Lucian’s desk. "Master, the team has reported back. They retrieved footage and confirmed that the person she was talking to was a game reseller. He has no connection to the Di Carpios or to that man."
He paused, swallowing the tension in his throat. "They’ve sent the footage."
With that, Gustav moved to the laptop and played the retrieved recordings from multiple locations. He fast-forwarded through the clip showing Ashley and Nolan leaving the mansion, followed by road footage of their car arriving at the mall.
Ashley and Nolan stayed together almost the entire time, except when she briefly went to the restroom—no more than a minute. After that, they queued for hours. The next clip showed Ashley talking to people in her line before paying someone to hold her spot, then approaching Nolan.
Their exchange was brief before she left.
Even then, Ashley was seen simply looking around and approaching strangers, likely asking for directions. Then she approached a young man—the same youth who later found Nolan and handed him the game he was still holding.
At one point, the youth stepped away, leaving Ashley waiting on a bench.
Moments later, the CCTV footage showed Ashley being dragged away... and the youth returning with a paper bag.
That was the last footage of Ashley before she was brought back to Dominion.
But the clip continued, following the youth as he searched for Nolan in the queue until he found him and handed over the game. Then, Nolan rushed away with some of the guards with him.


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