Chapter nineteen
1246 Words
Dominic’s POV
The moment Jimmy stepped into the bathroom, he sent a message to Vivian Carter, telling her to wait for him at the hotel; he would be there shortly.
Vivian knew her son was different. He always meant what he said.
James Smith joked, "Aren't you worried someone might kidnap your little genius?"
Vivian replied calmly, "As long as he doesn't get into trouble, I’ll be grateful. Who would dare mess with this little troublemaker?"
James couldn't help but comment, "I have to admit, Dominic Blackwood's genes are impressive. Just look at how smart and clever your son is."
Vivian couldn't deny that. Jimmy had shown intelligence beyond his peers since he was little and had an extraordinary talent for hacking. To this day, he was the youngest hacker champion on the dark web.
But Jimmy was her son alone, and she would hide him in a place where Dominic Blackwood would never find him.
I despised him, and the Blackwood family viewed her as worthless. If they knew about Jimmy's existence, they might feel pressured to bring him back to the Blackwood family, but they would never love him.
Her precious boy only needed her love.
Dominic pov
I initially thought it was just a child's prank and didn't see the need to get worked up over a little troublemaker.
However, moments later, a photo of me covered in sauce was posted online, quickly going viral and trending on social media.
"Oh my God, even the dashing Dominic has his moments of weakness. I can smell it through the screen."
"Cough, cough, cough! This picture just shattered all my fantasies about Dominic Blackwood. I feel like throwing up."
"Looks like even the idol can lose his composure, and he got it all over himself. Ugh, I think I need to find a new husband."
I was used to making headlines for my incredible business acumen, but this time, I found myself in an embarrassing and chaotic situation that left me furious. My image took a significant hit in the eyes of the public, and even my grandfather called to scold me.
"Dominic, have I ever told you that when you're out there, you represent the Blackwood family's reputation? You need to be mindful of your every word and action!"
"Grandpa, it's a misunderstanding," I protested.
"I expect you to clear up this misunderstanding quickly. After all, this incident has affected the Blackwood family's reputation and even impacted the company's stock performance."
To clear my name, I needed to find that kid. However, I searched the entire restaurant and couldn't find any trace of him. Even more bizarrely, the restaurant's and surrounding area's surveillance cameras had suddenly gone dark, as if they had been infected by a virus.
The only clue I found was a photo taken by diners, where I spotted the child wearing a cartoon mask that obscured most of his face, leaving only his eyes visible.
Marvis styles chuckled, "Interesting. This little brat really knows how to stir things up, making Dominic go to such lengths."
I replied coldly, "You think a kid could come up with such a devious trick?"
I had a nagging feeling that someone was scheming against me, pushing this little troublemaker into the spotlight.
Marvis leaned in closer, "Dominic, don't you think that kid's eyes look just like yours? Maybe you should check if you have a long-lost illegitimate child out there."
I shot back, "If he were my son, I'd strangle him myself!"
The humiliation brought on by this little rascal made me grit my teeth in anger.
I opened my laptop and took a quick look. I could trace the source of the virus that had been implanted; all I needed to do was enter the tracking code to pinpoint the kid's location.
Sure enough, when I broke through the opponent's defenses, I found that the other side was still online.
I quickly typed on my keyboard, trying to trap my opponent in order to better pinpoint their location.
Jimmy, frightened, immediately cut off the power and pressed a hand to his racing heart.
Wow, he had run into a real expert and almost fell into their trap.
Fortunately, he had prepared in advance, leaving the virus code elsewhere. Even if I locked onto his location, I might not be able to find him.
Vivian’s POV
I recognized the trending topic immediately and knew who was behind it.
However, it seemed that Dominic Blackwood hadn't identified Jimmy, which made my heart finally settle down.
"Jimmy, stay away from Dominic from now on."
Jimmy stretched out his little arms and hugged me. "Mommy, I helped you get back at him. Aren't you happy?"
Seeing the online slander against Dominic Blackwood was indeed satisfying for me, but I was more worried about Jimmy being exposed.
"Jimmy, Mommy will handle her own affairs. What you need to do is stay with Aunt Alice in france."
If I could, I wanted Dominic Blackwood to never know about Jimmy's existence.
Thinking about the separation coming the next day, Jimmy felt a bit down. "Mommy, I understand."
I kissed my son's cheek. "Jimmy, once Mommy finishes what she needs to do, we can live together."
Jimmy held me tightly. "Mommy, from now on, Jimmy will protect you and take care of you. I won't let you get hurt again."
My eyes were slightly wet as I held my son in silence in the dark of night.
My son had been taken to france right after birth, and to prevent the Blackwood family from discovering him, I could only visit every few months.
Throughout my son's growth, I had been mostly absent, but that didn’t stop him from loving me.
If a parent's love for their child is selfless, then a child's love for their parents is instinctual.
I kissed my son's soft hair and whispered, "Jimmy, I promise I will always protect you."
Jimmy pretended to be asleep, and once he was sure I had dozed off, he quietly got out of bed and turned on his computer.
A face that he couldn't shake off kept appearing in his mind. The man looked so much like him; what a strange coincidence!
Over the years, he had learned that the word "dad" was a taboo for me, so he never asked about his father.
He didn’t even know anything about my life in paris.
Using his incredible memory, Jimmy sketched out Dominic Blackwood's face. When he uploaded the image to the dark web, everything about Dominic Blackwood popped up in an instant.
He instinctively concluded that this man was his father.
But he also knew that this man didn’t love me; otherwise, why did I always soak the pillow with tears when I held him to sleep?
Frustrated, he flipped off the photo and muttered, "You dog of a man, if I don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll just keep peeing sitting down!"
Jimmy's small hands flew over the keyboard, and when he heard the sound of money being deposited, he finally lay back down satisfied next to me.
Tonight, someone was destined to be sleepless.
Dominic Blackwood was extremely frustrated. Even after clarifying the sauce incident, there were still people questioning him, and these photos were about to become a stain on his life.
What made matters worse was a call from the Blackwood family: "Mr Dominic, we have a problem! The funds for the Phase I project have gone missing!"
- Writer
