Evelyn's mood took a nosedive when Dominic’s expression suddenly turned stormy. But she was used to his stony face; it didn't faze her anymore.
She was curious though, “You don’t like kids, huh? I saw how much you doted on my niece Angela, thought you were a real kid person. I was even thinking about having a bunch of babies with you in the future.”
She had seen Dominic pampering Angela like the world’s best dad.
How could he not like kids?
Evelyn was puzzled.
The thought of having children was fraught with shadows and resistance for Dominic.
He once thought he’d marry Roxanne, raise Angela together, and then never have any more kids. He even considered getting a vasectomy after the wedding.
But a few days before the marriage license was signed, Dominic had an epiphany.
Holding on to a woman who felt only gratitude towards him, not love, was selfish.
He couldn't delay Roxanne’s happiness just because he was smitten with her. Harrison was the man who could truly make Roxanne happy, so he stepped aside.
Evelyn didn't understand his aversion to kids.
“Not wanting kids, but babies are so cu—”
She couldn’t finish the word “cute” as Dominic cut her off sharply, “Ladies should keep some reserve. Don’t go offering to bear children at the drop of a hat.”
“Dominic, did I overstep today? Did I say too much and upset you?” Evelyn suddenly became cautious.
Though she was a carefree and playful girl, her emotional barometer was tuned to Dominic’s moods.
His sudden seriousness, his darkened brow, it hurt her.
Dominic didn’t answer directly.
Instead, he turned away, “I’ll get you breakfast.”
After breakfast, Dominic consulted with the doctor about Evelyn's medication and took meticulous notes.
When he returned, he saw Evelyn on the phone with a company executive, her tone stern and fierce, a stark contrast to the demure woman she was around him.
A heiress from a top-tier family, the center of attention, the darling of high society.
Many men more accomplished than him couldn't win her heart.
Yet there she was, wanting nothing more than to be his lady.
The sentiment felt too heavy for Dominic to bear.
Back at the Dawson estate, after Hazel returned to Seraphim Haven, she faced her parents, Hamlin and Emily Dawson.
Last night, after seeing their grandson Kent for the first time, the elderly couple softened. Despite Hazel’s scandalous affair that sullied the Dawson name, leading them to cast her out and sever ties, the sight of Kent melted their resolve.
At breakfast, Hamlin and Emily couldn’t take their eyes off him.
Emily felt the child's terror and hugged him protectively, glaring at Hazel, “How could you, a mother, be so harsh on a four-year-old?”
Hazel never really cared for Kent. To her, he was just a pawn to manipulate Alexander.
So what if she hit him?
And now, the family was left to deal with the aftermath of Hazel’s actions, questioning how two daughters raised under the same roof could turn out so differently.
Hazel shifted her gaze from the children and Emily, casting a nonchalant look at the grim-faced Hamlin. "Dad, about last night's conversation, the matter of handing over the Dawson Group inheritance to me—have you given it any thought?"
Hamlin's face turned a shade of stormy blue with anger. "You think you're capable?"
"And why not?" Hazel sauntered over to the dining table and took a seat. "Or do you seriously plan to pin all your hopes on Nora, the cripple? How can someone who can't even walk properly manage such a vast empire?"
Emily trembled with rage. "Nora is your own sister. How can you be so cruel? She's already disabled. It's bad enough if you don't feel sorry for her, but to despise her and call her a cripple."
Hazel glared at Emily.
She had always loathed the parental favoritism. It had been present since she was a child.
Because Nora was the younger sister, Hazel always had to make way for her.
In the past, Hazel had thought herself a proper lady, always maintaining a certain façade.
But after enduring so much hardship outside the family, she was done pretending. She wanted to return to the Dawson fold and claim everything for herself. "Nora is indeed a cripple, and not just that. She's a disgrace, with her indecent photos and videos exposed for all to see. What right does she have to inherit anything from the Dawson legacy?"
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