Chapter 242: An old friend

Clara heaved a sigh of relief, but soon, her eyes sharpened with determination. She hurried to her cupboard and pulled out an old laptop.

It wasn’t new. In fact, it was the very laptop her mother had gifted her on her eighteenth birthday. It was the only thing she had left of Diana, which was why Clara cherished it more than anything else.

Carrying it back to the bed, she switched it on and logged into an old account she hadn’t used since her mother’s death.

Back when she was still studying, Clara had developed a habit of playing online games. It was through one of those games that she had met a friend who, like her, was among the children who had been rescued from human trafficking.

Initially, he had been the one to send her a friend request. Their conversations had started with a few casual messages before gradually becoming a daily routine. They would play games together, chat about their lives, and sometimes talk for hours.

However, one day, the boy had suddenly disappeared.

She had never heard from him again.

"Maybe he can help me find Nana," Clara murmured, staring at the screen.

She was skeptical. It had been years since they last spoke, and she wasn’t even sure whether he still used the account. For all she knew, he might have abandoned it long ago.

Still, she had promised Adrian that she would help him, and she wasn’t about to give up without trying.

Taking a deep breath, Clara opened their old chat and stared at their last conversation before typing out a message.

Back then, whenever she felt depressed or upset, she would turn to him and tell him about her troubles. Somehow, talking to him always made her feel a little better.

He had been the only genuine friend she had ever made. While others bullied and mocked her, he had never judged her or made her feel inferior.

She remembered telling him about Alex once. The boy had gone unusually quiet for a while before finally responding with a simple Hmm.

Clara had wondered whether he had even paid attention to what she had said.

He could be surprisingly indifferent at times, yet she had never hesitated to share her thoughts with him. There was something comforting about talking to someone who never made her feel like a burden.

And then, just like that, he had vanished from her life.

Clara stared at the screen, her gaze lingering on his last message. It had been years since they had spoken, and seeing their old conversation brought back memories she hadn’t thought about in a long time.

Perhaps she was placing her hopes in someone who no longer existed in her life.

But she had to try.

Not only did she want to help Adrian find Nana, but she also hoped this old connection might help her uncover a few things about Dominic, too.

With one final glance at the screen, Clara closed the laptop and carefully placed it back inside the cupboard, making sure it was hidden from Dominic’s eyes.

***

Meanwhile, inside the study, Dominic was busy teaching Toto a lesson when his phone suddenly rang.

He paused and glanced at the caller ID. Seeing Hawk’s name, he picked up a treat and handed it to Toto before gently stroking the little dog’s head.

"Good boy."

Only then did he answer the call.

"Yes, Hawk?" he said, his tone calm, though the authority in his voice remained unmistakable.

"Boss, the traces have disappeared. We can’t find anything near the Sterling mansion or around Madam’s bakery," Hawk reported.

Dominic listened without interrupting. His expression remained composed, but a flicker of coldness passed through his eyes.

"You think they’re playing us, Boss?" Hawk asked cautiously.

He and his team had been monitoring Dominic from overseas, ensuring his safety and that of the entire Sterling family. However, the moment they had detected a suspicious signal, the whole team had rushed over to protect him, only to discover that they had fallen into a trap.

Someone had deliberately misled them.

Dominic leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the armrest.

"That was their plan all along," he finally said. "They haven’t left. They’re hiding among us."

This was no coincidence. Whoever was behind these attacks had deliberately created a diversion to throw them off their trail.

But Dominic wasn’t someone who could be fooled so easily.

The people who had been targeting his life for years wouldn’t suddenly disappear without a reason. They were simply becoming more careful, erasing their traces and making it difficult for his people to track them down.

They were still out there.

And now, they were playing a game of cat and mouse with him.

"They want to play games with us? Fine." A faint, dangerous smile tugged at Dominic’s lips. "Let’s see what they have planned this time."

"But, Boss, what if they get too close and we can’t protect you in time?" Hawk asked, his concern evident. "We can’t afford to underestimate them."

"They won’t get that far."

Dominic cut him off before he could finish.

"If they wanted to kill me, they had plenty of opportunities when they first started targeting me, Hawk. They wouldn’t have waited this long if their only goal was to take my life."

Hawk fell silent, considering his words.

Dominic’s gaze darkened as he stared out of the window.

Whoever was behind all this knew him well. Perhaps a little too well.

And that was precisely what bothered him.

He had spent years trying to uncover the truth, yet the person pulling the strings remained hidden in the shadows.

Someone knew his weaknesses, understood his movements, and could anticipate his next steps.

Dominic’s fingers curled against the armrest.

He would find out who it was.

And when he did, he would make sure they regretted ever challenging him.

"Have you sent Alex back?" Dominic asked.

"Yes, Boss," Hawk replied. "But there’s a problem."

Dominic glanced down at Toto, who was wagging his tail excitedly, clearly demanding some attention. Without taking his focus away from the call, Dominic reached down and gently patted the puppy’s head.

"What is it?" he asked.

Hawk hesitated for a moment before answering. "Boss, the man refused to wake up even after we dropped him off at his place."

Dominic raised an eyebrow but remained unfazed.

Hawk and his team had been careful not to go too far with Alex, knowing the considerable difference in their strength. They had only intended to teach him a lesson, never expecting him to pass out before they could even do anything.

However, what worried them now was whether Alex would be able to handle the shock once he regained consciousness and realized what had happened to him.

"Don’t worry. He’s just traumatized," Dominic said casually. "I’m sure he’ll be awake by now."

He couldn’t be bothered to spare Alex another thought. After all, the man had brought this upon himself.

"Understood, Boss," Hawk replied, accepting his explanation.

Having received his orders, he ended the call, deciding not to worry about the matter any further.

Meanwhile, Dominic continued petting Toto, completely unaware of what was happening elsewhere.

Little did either of them know that Alex had finally regained consciousness.

But the man who had opened his eyes was no longer quite the same person who had lost consciousness earlier.

Alex sat on the couch, his body still trembling at the memory of what had happened. Despite the fear that had gripped him the entire time those men had held him, he had made sure not to let his act slip.

He had regained consciousness long before they brought him home. However, rather than opening his eyes and risking another confrontation, he had pretended to remain unconscious, hoping they would eventually leave him alone.

But amidst their conversation, one name had caught his attention.

Dominic.

At first, Alex had thought he was hallucinating. There was no way those men could have any connection to Dominic, could they?

Yet the more he thought about it, the more certain he became that he hadn’t imagined it.

His expression darkened as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"That bastard..." he muttered under his breath.

He had always known Dominic wasn’t someone to be trifled with, but he had never imagined the man possessed such terrifying connections.

For the first time, Alex felt a chill run down his spine.

If Dominic had truly been behind this, then he had made a terrible mistake by provoking him.

But rather than admit defeat, Alex clenched his fists.

"No, this can’t end like this," he whispered, his fear slowly giving way to resentment.

He would find out the truth, no matter what it took, and expose him before Clara.

He couldn’t let Clara stay with Dominic for much longer. He had to make her realize what kind of man her husband truly was.

"Clara, do you really think that man is right for you?" Alex muttered, his eyes flashing with renewed determination. "Just wait. I’ll expose him soon enough."

A glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes as a bitter smile spread across his face.

If he couldn’t have Clara, then he would make sure Dominic couldn’t have her either.

He refused to accept that Dominic could have everything he wanted while he was left with nothing but humiliation and suffering.

If he couldn’t find happiness, then neither would Dominic.

And Alex was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.