Chapter 4

Cynthia walked into Almon's room, her face completely blank. She carefully spooned the bitter medicine into her uncle's mouth, wiped his chin, and waited until his breathing deepened into a drug-induced sleep.

She placed the empty bowl on the nightstand and quietly pulled the door shut behind her.

The moment she stepped into the hallway, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

Cynthia flinched, her body tensing for a fight, but it was just Celia. Her cousin was pacing erratically near the corner, twisting the fabric of her expensive nightgown into knots.

"Cynthia," Celia whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She looked terrified, but a stubborn light burned in her eyes. Celia was vain, but she wasn't a monster. She couldn't stomach stealing a life-saving credit.

Before Cynthia could say a word, Eleonora's booming voice called out from the living room, summoning Celia back for more wedding details. Celia grabbed Cynthia's arm, her grip trembling, and dragged her along into the bright lights of the main living room. Dominic stood there, his icy, piercing gaze locking onto Celia the moment she entered. The sheer weight of his dead, calculating stare broke whatever fragile courage the spoiled girl had left. Celia began to hyperventilate. She pointed a violently shaking finger at Cynthia, her voice cracking in pure terror. "The bracelet... I lent it to Cynthia last week. She was the one wearing it on the train. Not me!"

You could hear a pin drop on the thick Persian rug.

Inger's face turned a mottled, ugly purple. She stared at her daughter as if Celia had just stabbed her in the chest.

Eleonora's smile froze. She slowly turned her head, her gaze landing on Cynthia's faded sweater and worn-out sneakers.

Dominic didn't move, but his eyes locked onto Cynthia. His gaze was like a physical weight. He stared at the cold, sharp line of her jaw. He looked at her eyes-calm, defiant, entirely unbothered.

The memory of the train rushed back. The blur cleared. It was her.

But instead of gratitude, a dark, toxic paranoia flooded Dominic's brain. His mind raced, connecting dots that didn't exist.

A setup. It had to be. The sister claims the credit first, lowering his guard, making the family look foolish. Then the real savior steps out from the shadows, playing the reluctant hero. It was a brilliant, disgusting trap to secure her place in his life.

Dominic took a slow step forward. He looked down at Cynthia, his lip curling into a sneer of absolute revulsion.

Eleonora recovered quickly. She didn't care about the switch. She cared about the prophecy. She threw her arms open and walked toward Cynthia with a beaming smile. "It was you! Oh, my dear child!"

Cynthia saw the hostility radiating from Dominic. She took a deliberate half-step back, smoothly avoiding Eleonora's embrace.

"It was basic first aid," Cynthia said, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. "I don't want a reward. And I certainly don't want an engagement."

Inger snapped out of her shock. She couldn't let this feral girl take the ultimate prize. "She's a nobody!" Inger shrieked, pointing at Cynthia. "She just crawled back from the Appalachian mountains! She didn't even finish high school! She is a feral, uneducated orphan!"

Dominic's eyes darkened even further. A high school dropout from the mountains. The perfect profile of a desperate gold digger looking for a billionaire meal ticket. His disgust deepened into pure hatred.

Eleonora waved her hand dismissively, silencing Inger. "I don't care if she was raised by wolves. God chose her." She turned to the room, her voice booming. "The Church family's proposal is now directed to Cynthia Bowers!"

Cynthia opened her mouth to tell the old woman she was out of her mind.

Dominic cut her off. "Leo. Clear the room."

His voice was a whip crack. He glared at Cynthia, his eyes burning with contempt. "Since you want to play games, let's talk about your price in private."

Without waiting for an answer, Dominic turned and strode toward the heavy oak doors of the adjacent drawing room.

Cynthia's jaw tightened. She needed to kill this delusion before it ruined her life. She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling once, and followed him into the room.