Chapter 258

The man's name was Dominic Reeves. Sebastian's file contained an exhaustive background check on him—even a detailed plastic surgery report.

He'd undergone complete facial reconstruction.

Evelyn gasped when she saw his pre-surgery photo. She recognized him instantly—Victoria's personal trainer and secret lover back in Silvercrest. Dominic had shown her his social media profile before.

"That's him!" Her voice trembled with excitement. "The one who assaulted Victoria!"

The memory of that scandalous photo—Victoria being groped in public—was seared into her mind.

Sebastian cleared his throat, his brows knitting together in disapproval. "Language, Evelyn."

"But I'm right!"

She flashed him a wicked grin, teeth clenched. "Oh, this is perfect. It has to be Victoria behind this."

Sebastian's expression darkened, his eyes glinting with icy fury. "I thought she was just petty and jealous. But orchestrating something like this? I underestimated how far she'd go."

Evelyn tapped her chin. "Still... why would he get a whole new face?"

"Maybe Victoria made him disappear—literally," she quipped, smirking.

"Keep reading," Sebastian murmured, his lips curving into an indulgent smile.

She flipped the page. A casino debt contract stared back at her.

"Well, well. A gambler." Her eyebrows shot up. "Five million dollars? That's not just bad luck—that's a death sentence."

Sebastian's voice was eerily calm. "He's drowning in debt. Casinos, banks, loan sharks—they all want him dead. Changing his face was the only way out."

Everything clicked into place.

Desperate for money, Dominic had tried extorting Victoria. And why not? As the fiancée of Blackwood Industries' CEO, she was a walking ATM.

But Victoria saw an opportunity.

Sebastian's breath turned ragged. He pulled Evelyn into a crushing embrace, his arms like steel bands around her. His voice was raw. "She added one more condition."

Evelyn's pulse spiked. "Hurting me."

A humorless laugh escaped her. "Guess their communication sucked. Victoria never told him she was planning to die that day."

Suddenly, she gaped at Sebastian in awe. "But—how did you uncover all this so fast? It's only been hours. You even got his debt records."

She clutched the file tighter. "Are you magic?"

"Just lucky."

His fingers threaded through her hair, soothing. "The casino he frequented in Silvercrest? It's under Monarch Group's shadow network. A few calls, and I had everything."

Evelyn's jaw dropped.

Holy hell. The Kingsley intelligence web was terrifying—and impressive.

Meanwhile, Leonard Blackwood had buried Victoria's suicide attempt to protect Blackwood Industries' reputation.

In the study, father and son faced off in tense silence.

"Nathan," Leonard said coldly, "this ends one way: you marry Victoria immediately."

His tone brooked no argument. "Since a wedding takes time, we'll host an engagement ceremony first. The faster we control the narrative, the better."

"I'll handle her... episode."

Nathan's chest constricted, but his gaze never wavered. "I won't marry her."

Leonard's face purpled with rage. "You were the one obsessed with her! You divorced Evelyn in secret just to be with Victoria!"

His fist slammed onto the desk. "Now you've discarded your ex-wife and driven your fiancée to madness? What the hell is wrong with you? You're a disgrace to the Blackwood name!"

Nathan's lips curled into a mocking smile. His eyes—sharp as daggers—pierced through Leonard.

The air between them crackled with hostility.