The seed of doubt, once sown, metastasized within Dominic, feeding on the fertile ground of his pain and regret.
The time for self–deception and evasion was over. A cold, obsessive drive for the truth now possessed hirn entirely.
Evelyn was gone. That realization hung over him like a sharp blade suspended above his head, and Amber‘ seemingly
casual words became the final thread snapping his last shred of hope.
He would have the truth, no matter how damning, even if it condemned him to a personal hell of his own making
Dominic marshaled the full, formidable power of the Vance empire. This was not the indulgent inquiry of a besotted
man, but a cold, systematic dissection ordered with absolute ruthlessness.
From the very moment he first met her, to all recent incidents, nothing was spared.
His assistant’s efficiency was remarkable. Within just two days, stacks of icy, detailed investigation reports piled up in
Dominic’s study like snowdrifts.
Each report struck him like a resounding slap, shattering his once–proud insight and obliterating the last shred of
self–deceptive fantasy.
The parachute equipment had indeed been tampered with.
The report included a blurred yet recognizable still from the helicopter’s internal surveillance footage, showing that
while Dominic and Evelyn were both distracted by the meteor outside, Amber had quickly approached the corner where
the parachute bag was stored, performing a brief, suspicious action on one of the packs.
The tech team had dismantled Evelyn’s parachute after obtaining it.
The analysis clearly indicated that the deployment cord had been deliberately tangled with a fine thread, preventing it
from opening fully.
And the hospital stabbing incident was no accident either.
The so–called ‘madman‘ with the knife was soon found. Under intense interrogation, he confessed that he had been paid
a large sum by an unknown woman to stage an “attack” targeting a specific ward.
The instructions had been clear–make it look real, but under no circumstances injure the primary target.
The blade only found its mark in Evelyn because Dominic had shoved her so violently into its path. The intended focus
of the charade was Amber herself.
Contact was via an untraceable, voice–disguised line, with instructions to implicate Evelyn if apprehended–a contingency that proved unnecessary when the investigation never materialized.
Yet the financial trail clearly led to a secret overseas account under Amber’s name.
Even the scandalous photos at the birthday banquet were entirely Amber’s own scheme.
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Investigators traced the poorly run Photoshop studio; the trembling studio head handed over the original chat records
and transaction logs.
Amber herself had provided the selfies and the instructions for manipulation.
She deliberately used these forged photos at the banquet to frame Evelyn, and some of the photos weren’t even fake!
Even their seemingly romantic “hero–saving–the–beauty” first encounter had been carefully orchestrated by Amber. The troublemaking thugs harassing Evelyn had all been hired by her.
She had been targeting Dominic all along, studied his preferences, and mimicked Evelyn’s initial pure demeanor–all to
climb onto the Vance family’s money tree.
All her innocence.” “kindness,” and “fragility” had been meticulously fabricated!
Dominic turned the pages, his hands shaking so badly the paper crackled.
He crushed the edges in his fits, the veins at his temples throbbing, the whites of his eyes flooding with a corrosive
crimson.
A tidal wave of rage and the brutal realization of being deceived instantly crushed all rationality within him.
“Bring her to me!”
Within half an hour, Amber was “invited” to the estate study by two black–suited bodyguards.
She appeared oblivious to the impending disaster, wearing her usual pitiful, innocent expression, with a trace of
annoyance. “Dominic, what’s the matter? It’s so urgent, my spa session isn’t even done yet…”
Her words were cut short as a thick dossier of photographs and documents was hurled into her face.
The impact was sharp, the paper edges slicing a fine line across her cheekbone as evidence fluttered around her.
Amber screamed. Looking down at the evidence scattered on the floor, all color drained from her face.
“Dominic… what… what is this? Who is slandering me?!” She tried one last struggle, stepping forward to grab Dominic’s
wrist.
Dominic stepped out from behind the desk like an avenging spirit emerging from hell, exuding a suffocating aura.
He reached out and clamped her chin with such force it seemed capable of crushing bone.
“Slander? The word was a sneer, each syllable dripping with a venomous chill. “Did you tamper with the parachute?”
The man at the hospital, did you bribe him?”
“Those disgusting photos, did you make them yourself to frame Evelyn?!”
“And approaching me… from the beginning, it was all for the Vance family’s money and status, wasn’t it?!”
With every question, his grip tightened. Amber cried in pain, her makeup ruined, unable to maintain her pitiful façade,
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only endless terror remained.
“No… no. Dominic, listen to me! These were all Evelyn’s schemes to frame….
“Frame? Dominic flung her aside as if touching filthy garbage.
Amber stumbled and fell to the ground, utterly humiliated.
“Evelyn is dead, and you dare soil her memory with your lies?” Dominic glared down at her with undisguised disgust.
“You were never more than a pale imitation, a shadow I tolerated for a fleeting resemblance. Did you truly believe it was
you I wanted?”
“Everything I gave you before, shares, jewelry, everything… is revoked, effective immediately!”
He pressed the intercom and ordered coldly. “Notify the legal and finance departments. Freeze all assets gifted to Amber
by the Vance family, Calculate the cash value. She has three days to repay every expense with interest. Not a cent less!”
Amber was struck as if by lightning. She struggled toward Dominic. “No! You can’t do this! Those were gifts from you! I… I
loved you too much! I didn’t even know Evelyn was dead! Maybe she, before she died…”
“Shut up!” Dominic raised his hand and struck her hard across the face. “And I will make sure your entire story, every
deceitful act, is exposed to all partners and media.”
“Amber, I will ruin your reputation completely! Get out of this city and never let me see you again! Or…”
He didn’t finish, but the murderous intent in his gaze made Amber feel as if she’d plunged into an ice tomb.
She went completely limp, without even the strength to cry out.
The two bodyguards moved in, their faces impassive. They hauled a broken, sobbing Amber from the study as if
disposing of refuse.
The study door slammed shut.
Dominic stood alone amidst the chaos, chest heaving violently. His anger had not abated from this farce.
He had taken his revenge and expelled that poisonous woman.
But… then what? Evelyn will never come back.
The ‘forever he had vowed now stretched before him as an endless, empty sentence.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
