Chapter twenty
1298 Words
Dominic’s POV
The BM project had been managed by me for over half a year, and just as it was about to kick off, a staggering three billion disappeared without a trace.
Although the Blackwood family's financial strength meant that this amount wouldn't cripple us, three billion was still no small sum. I needed to track down the missing funds as soon as possible.
That night, I notified Ethan brooks to pack his bags and prepare to leave immediately.
Ethan instinctively asked, "Dominic, should we send someone to keep an eye on Vivian?"
My handsome face turned icy. "If she wants to act foolishly, then let her."
Lately, she had repeatedly tested my limits, and I had lost all patience.
"Dominic, maybe Vivian is just trying to see how important she is to you."
I scoffed, "She's miscalculated. Even if I cared for a dog, it wouldn't be her!"
When we got married, I had made my stance clear. She just needed to play her role as Mrs. Blackwood and not indulge in unrealistic fantasies. I never expected her to be so greedy.
That night, Ethan and I boarded a flight back to paris.
Vivian’s POV
When I woke up, Jimmy was already gone, leaving behind a note: "Mommy, I went with Aunt Alice. Don’t forget to have breakfast."
I turned to see two sandwiches on the dining table, each adorned with a ketchup drawing of a cool self-portrait—clearly the work of Jimmy.
Though only five years old, my son was already capable of taking care of himself.
I felt a sudden realization that he had quietly grown up in ways I hadn’t noticed.
From now on, I would never miss out on his growth again.
After breakfast, I notified James Scott to head to the airport.
James clearly had a wild night at the bar; he reeked of smoke and alcohol, with a lipstick stain on his collar and bleary eyes, embodying the image of a carefree rich kid.
I wrinkled my nose in disdain.
"You’d better find a hotel to freshen up before you meet Lia kelvin."
James shrugged nonchalantly. "My Lia doesn’t care about that. No matter how I look, she loves me just the same."
I said seriously, "James, Lia kelvin is a good woman. Don’t take her for granted."
"Don’t worry. Even if I treat Lia badly a hundred times, she’ll still look at me like I’m her first love. That’s charm for you."
"Some people, once they’ve given up, no amount of effort will bring them back. After all, late love is worth less than grass."
James lazily glanced at me. "Vivian, I’m not as cold-hearted as Dominic Blackwood, and Lia isn’t as foolishly devoted as you."
I smiled bitterly. I knew I was being foolish, choosing to chase after someone who didn’t love me, turning the past three years into a joke.
Seeing my expression, James felt a twinge of regret for bringing up my pain. He patted my shoulder reassuringly. "It’s okay, Vivian. Once you’re away from that jerk Dominic Blackwood, I’ll take you flying. You’ll have all the attention you want, every night."
I laughed and rolled my eyes.
Upon arriving at the airport, I felt as if someone was watching me from behind. When I turned around suddenly, there was no one there.
After watching me leave with James, Jimmy finally walked out of the café with Alice.
Unable to hold back, Alice asked, "Jimmy, if you’re going to miss Mommy so much, why not say goodbye in person?"
Jimmy sniffled. "I’m afraid Mommy will cry."
Every time he parted ways with me, it was always painful for him, but he didn't want me to bear that agony, so he silently said goodbye each time.
Alice gently rubbed Jimmy's little head. "Our Jimmy has grown up."
Jimmy watched the airplane take off, silently promising himself that he would obediently go back to france with Alice. After all, I had promised him that once I finished my work, I would come find him. Even if I was busy, he could always take the initiative to seek me out.
From now on, no one was allowed to separate him from Mommy.
"Aunt Alice, let's go."
As soon as my plane landed, I sent a message to Dominic Blackwood: "See you at the civil affairs bureau in half an hour."
Dominic’s POV
At that moment, I was in a meeting at my company. Last night, I had tracked down the hacker responsible for stealing three billion from the project funds, confirming that they were in France.
Three billion was no small amount. The Italians side quickly filed a case and contacted the authorities in France, preparing to launch a manhunt. With the project in BM at stake, I activated the company’s emergency funds to ensure everything went smoothly.
When I saw Vivian's message, a layer of frost covered my handsome face. I couldn't figure out what this woman was thinking—was she joking with me, or was she really choosing to chase after that playboy, James Scott?
"Ethan brooks, get the car ready."
No matter what, I had to go and see what kind of trick this woman was up to.
As soon as Vivian stepped off the plane, she headed straight for the civil affairs bureau. Seeing couples walking in hand in hand, her heart ached slightly.
In the past, she had dreamed of a love story with me. Even though she knew I had feelings for someone else, she still held onto a glimmer of hope, believing that if she loved me wholeheartedly, one day I would turn around and notice her.
Even if I just played along, I had never truly cared about her. James Scott had told her she was like an ostrich, burying her head in the fantasies she had woven, unaware that it was a barren desert all along. She couldn't warm my heart, nor could she save herself.
This time, she chose to rise above it all and chase her own dreams.
When I arrived at the civil affairs bureau, it was already eleven o'clock. I immediately spotted a woman in a flowing sea-green dress.
They entered the service hall in silence, with almost no exchange during the entire process.
The paperwork went smoothly, and in less than half an hour, we both held a red booklet in our hands.
As we stepped out of the hall, Vivian couldn't help but feel a bit resentful. She scoffed, "Congratulations, Mr. Blackwood, on regaining your single status. Looks like you’re finally going to be with Scarlett."
I scoffed, "Vivian Carter, just don’t come crawling back to beg me."
"Nah, Dominic, don’t worry. I’d rather starve on the streets than beg you. But for the sake of our three years of marriage, I do have one piece of advice for you."
"Oh?"
"Don’t even think about coming back one day."
I looked at her with a half-smile, "Whoever goes back is a dog!"
Vivian let out a sigh of relief, "Then I can relax."
She took a few steps out, then suddenly turned back and said, "Dominic, dogs don’t eat grass; they only eat crap."
With a dark expression, I got into the car, and the atmosphere inside dropped sharply.
Ethan brooks, terrified, dared not breathe too loudly and timidly asked, "Mr Dominic, should we head back to the office?"
I suddenly asked a seemingly random question, "Does she think I’m the kind of dog that would go back?"
Ethan sensed that I was in a foul mood and carefully chose his words, "Women often have their little moods. Who knows, maybe Miss Vivian will come back to beg you in a few days."
"Ha, once they leave, they shouldn’t expect to come back!"
- Writer
