Chapter 16
“And…Eric and others who were sent to prison by us two years ago have been taken out of jail” Henry added, “What?” Dominick was slightly stunned. Two years ago, in his search for Lola, Dominick had left no stone unturned in Rosewood City, eventually tracing it back to a group of people led by Eric. From what he learned, a man named Eric and his group had indeed taken Lols away. However, they did not do so during the time Dominick was abroad. Instead, it happened when Lola miscarried and left the hospital, the first time she called Dominick to tell him she had been abducted. The second abduction, which led to Lola jumping off a cliff, had nothing to do with them. During that time, Brenda, who was taking care of the Serenity Haven and had assured Dominick that Lola was fine, disappeared along with Lola. It all seemed like someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes. But no matter how Dominick investigated, aside from an anonymous video sent to the police, he couldn’t find any more clues. Two years later, Lola strangely returned, and Eric and his associates were taken away from prison. Dominick wondered if their disappearance had something to do with Lola or perhaps with the man in the white suit who had been by her side that night. “Mr. Sinclair. The housekeeper entered, speaking respectfully. “Ms. Moore is here, and Mr. Frank Sinclair has asked you to come over.” Dominick’s gaze darkened, his eyes suddenly growing cold. In the luxuriously understated hall, numerous people were seated. The walnut furniture exuded luxury and grandeur, Frank, dressed in a white suit and leather shoes, sat authoritatively and sternly at the head of the table. Samantha, in a sapphire blue gown, was seated beside him. Apart from them, there were Quentin in a suit, Laura in a gown, and Jessica accompanying them. “This diamond is too precious. I never expected Lola to compete with me in bidding for it. Dominick stepped in to secure it for me. I’m afraid I won’t take good care of it, so I decided to give it to you, Laura.”
As Dominick approached, he overheard Jessica’s words. His gaze drifted to the crown resting on the table. The reason he had bid for the diamond was not as the rumors suggested, but he hadn’t anticipated the crown was cursed. Hearing that Jessica wanted to give the crown to Laura, Dominick slightly narrowed his eyes. If Jessica was genuinely worried that she was too young to take care of the diamond, she wouldn’t have gone for the shoot in the first place. The reason she handed it off was the dread of the so- called curse. Dominick looked at the woman in the white dress sitting on the sofa. Perhaps, he thought, she wasn’t as wonderful as he had imagined. “You want to give it to me?” Laura frowned slightly upon hearing that Jessica intended to give her the crown. Originally, Frank and Samantha had serious doubts about Dominick spending 400 million dollars on the crown, and now, knowing it was because of Lola, their dislike for her intensified. The memories from two years back added fuel to their disapproval. “Didn’t they say she died jumping off a cliff? How is she still alive and back? If had known, I’d have made sure she rotted in jail!” Samantha’s words were laced with bitterness. “Grandma, Lola is my wife!” Dominick interjected, his deep, resonant voice breaking the harmony. “Wife?” Frank raised his eyes, his voice laced with a hint of mockery as he spoke calmly. “A girl abandoned on the streets, without any notable background… How could she possibly be fit to be your wife? Two years ago, I didn’t know why you. married her. Now, she shouldn’t even think about stepping foot into the Sinclair family again.” Quentin, deep in thought with a furrowed brow, suddenly interjected. “Lola’s been gone for two years and now she’s back out of the blue. It’s probably not with good intentions.” Samantha scoffed disdainfully, “She’s just a nobody, What could she possibly do to us?” The room fell into a heavy silence before Quentin looked up at Dominick Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
“Dom, whatever Lola’s reasons for returning, let’s leave the past behind us. Now that the media’s caught wind of your thing with Jessie, it’s time to make a move. Get engaged soon. Once our family are linked with the Moores by marriage, we’ll be set against any surprises.” Dominick’s lips pressed slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he fell silent, Suddenly, Laura spoke up. “Samantha, this crown is truly splendid. Jessie gave it to me, but honestly, diamonds have never really caught my interest. Your birthday’s right around the corner, and I think it’d be stunning on you.” Samantha hadn’t expected Laura to give her this 400 million n dollar crown. She was stunned, then felt increasingly pleased with Laura. Her gaze lingered on the crown, now sitting on the table, and a gentle smile graced her face. “Thank you, Laura.” Dominick glanced at Laura and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to leave, a thought seemed to strike him, and he paused, turning back to address everyone. “By the way, there’s a story about this crown!” Before Jessica could speak up to interrupt, Dominick calmly elaborated. “Rumors sayi y it’s cursed. Many kings who once possessed it ultimately met with misfortune. There’s even a passage in the Fluviora scripture that goes, “To own it is to rule the world, yet to own it is to bear the disasters it brings.” Saying this, Dominick seemed indifferent to the shocked expressions around him and strode out. The glaring sunlight outside was warm, yet his heart felt like it had been pierced, leaving behind an icy, hollow emptiness. A marriage used for gain, a family that saw her as evil and wanted her dead, a mercilessly cold house, a husband who forced her to miscarry… He knew Lola would never ever want to enter the doors of Sinclair Manor again. Dominick’s gaze settled in the distance.
Though two years had passed, he still vividly remembered that rainy night. She had been forced to kneel on the ground, her clothes stained with blood, which also soaked the ground and colored the night red. News about Ms. Lewis being identified as Lola was swiftly withdrawn from all platforms within a mere three hours. Every mention of “Ms. Lewis” and “Lola” became censored words on all websites. Following this, nearly half of the news media companies that had reported the story announced their shutdown. The rest publicly apologized, admitting that their previous statements were false.