Lindsey’s eyes widened in shock.
Back when Carole claimed to have saved his life, Lindsey was too overwhelmed to consider the possibility.
Now, with Domenic’s confirmation, she couldn’t help but gasp.
Carole was his savior.
The kindness Carole had shown him far surpassed anything Sumner had shown Lindsey.
A similar sense of obligation washed over her, mingling with the bitterness and grief.
Despite everything, Lindsey craved the whole truth.
Domenic figured she had likely pieced it together.
She was sharp, after all.
“Since she saved my life,” he began, “I promised to fulfill a wish for her.
Anything, as long as it’s moral and legal.
”
Lindsey’s heart lurched.
It all clicked.
Carole’s frantic outburst, her fierce opposition to their marriage—it was all tied to Domenic’s promise.
She clenched her fists.
“When I returned home after being rescued,” Domenic began, his voice tight with suppressed anger.
“I found my mom’s ashes… were poured into the sewer.
”
“Who did that?” Lindsey’s eyes widened in horror.
Respect for the dead was a cornerstone belief.This belongs to .
To commit such a vicious act…
“It was Rupert.
He blamed my mom for leading my dad down a destructive path.
Back then, my dad was the heir to the Walsh Group, while my mom came from a simple background.
The vast social gap made their relationship a scandal.
But my dad wanted to be with her, more than he wanted the Walsh Group.
He was willing to throw it all away.
”
Domenic locked eyes with Lindsey, who found herself drawn into the depths of his gaze.
“After my dad’s death, my grandpa’s anger turned on my mom.
So Rupert took it upon himself to destroy my mom’s ashes.
He did it to appease my grandpa as a ploy to climb the ranks.
Hearing this from the servants, I collapsed.
In a fit of rage, I threw everything I could find at Rupert, demanding he return my mom’s ashes.
I lunged, aiming to bite him as hard as I could.
I genuinely wanted to tear him apart.
This outburst, however, became his excuse.
He had me committed to a mental hospital citing I had mental issues.
There, I endured the darkest, most helpless moments of my life.
I even contemplated suicide at the time…”
Lindsey’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Domenic had always been the epitome of calm and composure.
It was beyond her comprehension to think of the profound despair he must have faced to even contemplate ending his life.
Domenic gazed into the far-off sky.
The encompassing darkness of the night stirred up memories of the dreadful past he kept buried deep within his heart-memories he loathed to speak of.
Back to that day, the sky was overcast, and the rain poured relentlessly.
Domenic had been gagged, bound, and thrown into a car by Rupert’s men.
The vehicle sped towards the terrifying asylum in Morcastle.
It symbolized a place of utter despair, akin to a living hell.
From what Domenic could recall, on the day he was taken to that hospital, Rupert had told the hospital director with a smile, “Take good ‘care’ of him.
Do not release him until he is fully recovered.
” Rupert had insinuated, “If he never recovers, I will cover all his expenses for life.
And of course, the bonus will be very generous.
”
At just ten years old, Domenic couldn’t fully understand the deeper meanings behind their words.
He simply glared at Rupert with intense hatred, as if his fiery gaze could somehow destroy him.
After his talk with the director, Rupert approached Domenic and crouched down in front of him.
Staring at Domenic’s fierce expression, he patted his head lightly, though the gesture carried an underlying threat.
“Well, Domenic, since you are ill, you should remain here.
Don’t waste your energy struggling.
The more you fight, the more it proves how severe your illness is,” Rupert said, smiling, but the smile was filled with malice and cunning.
“I’m not sick! I’m not!” Domenic desperately tried to free himself from their grasp.
But being only a ten-year-old child, he couldn’t overpower the two adults holding him.
All he could do was glare at Rupert.
At that moment, he felt utterly powerless.
“You are indeed mentally ill,” said Rupert, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
He pinched Domenic’s cold cheek and sneered, “How can any sane person believe that someone can take the stars off the sky? It’s just a childish lie, yet you take it seriously.
I believe you are truly crazy.
”
Seeing that smile, a sense of dread washed over Domenic.
His hands clenched into tight fists, and it felt as if the blood in his veins had turned to ice.