Chapter 60 The Truth About Ning Mufan

Chapter 60 The Truth About Ning Mufan
Liora was deep in sleep when the sharp ringing of her phone suddenly pierced through the quiet of the morning.

The sound pulled her reluctantly from the comforting warmth of sleep.

She groaned softly and reached blindly toward the bedside table, her eyes barely open as she fumbled for the phone and her mind was still foggy, and for a few seconds, she couldn't even remember where she was.

Finally, her fingers found the phone and she answered without checking the caller. “Hello?”

Her voice was thick with sleep and there was barely a response before Liora's expression changed.

She suddenly sat upright and the remnants of sleep disappeared from her face as her eyes widened. “You’re kidding, right?” she gasped.

On the other end of the phone, Mara's impassioned voice immediately came through.

“Why would I be joking?”

Mara sounded almost breathless, as if she had been waiting desperately for Liora to answer.

“Everyone is about to find out the truth!”

Liora's heart skipped as she gripped the phone more tightly, trying to process what her friend had just said.

The sudden change in Mara's tone had completely shaken her awake.

The morning sun streamed through the windows of the Blackwood residence, casting a soft golden glow across the room.

The warm light fell directly across Dominic Blackwood's face and for once, there was nothing hiding his features.

His naturally sculpted features were strikingly handsome beneath the morning light and the sharp lines of his face made it even more pronounced by the gentle glow.

He sat quietly as he waited for Mr. Lawrence's report and his expression remained calm, but there was an unmistakable coldness in his eyes.

Mr. Lawrence stood nearby, going over everything that had happened. “Last night, I found someone to stir trouble for Ning Mufan in order to accelerate his leaving the country,” he reported.

He paused briefly before continuing. “But…”

His expression shifted slightly. “He went on to sleep with Sophie.”

Dominic's expression didn't change and Mr. Lawrence continued.

“Sophie's family background appears prestigious on the surface, but in reality, they're on the verge of bankruptcy. She's been selling her body in secret to pay off her debts.”

His voice remained controlled as he explained the situation. “It’s no secret in the industry that she’s a loose woman and she’s probably had her sights set on Ning Mufan for a while.”

Mr. Lawrence lowered his gaze slightly. “He won’t be able to get away with what he’s done.”

Despite everything he had just said, Mr. Lawrence couldn't help feeling an unexpected pang of sympathy for Sophie, her circumstances were unpleasant and while her choices had certainly contributed to where she was now, there was still something uncomfortable about seeing another person being pushed further into ruin but Dominic showed no such sympathy.

His expression remained cold and indifferent.

“What better way to bring someone to their knees?” he said.

There was no hesitation in his voice. “She mistreated my wife, so she had it coming.”

For Dominic, there was a line that no one was allowed to cross and Liora was on the other side of that line, anyone who hurt her would eventually pay for it.

Mr. Lawrence nodded the pride before the fall, as they called it.

Sophie had thought she could use her circumstances and her appearance to gain an advantage, but she had underestimated the consequences of crossing someone who was determined to protect what belonged to him.

Dominic said nothing more about the matter.

Instead, he reached for his mask and the thin layer of false skin was easy to slip on.

Once it settled over his face, his striking features disappeared beneath the carefully constructed appearance he had allowed the world to see.

It was nearly impossible to tell that it was fake unless someone was looking with a trained and practiced eye.

To everyone else, Dominic Blackwood would continue to look exactly as he had always appeared.

A wealthy man confined to a wheelchair and a supposedly disabled heir who needed assistance with almost everything but no one would suspect the truth.

Dominic adjusted the mask carefully before turning his attention back to Mr. Lawrence.

“By the way,” he said calmly, “until I announce my recovery, don’t let Liora find out about my wealth.”

Mr. Lawrence was momentarily stunned. Why?

It wasn't as if being rich was something shameful and If anything, most people would have considered it an advantage but Mr. Lawrence knew better than to question his employer aloud.

Dominic's thoughts drifted back to the previous night, he remembered Liora sitting beside him with her notebook, carefully calculating their daily expenses.

She had been so serious about it and the memory brought a faint warmth into Dominic's eyes.

There had been something strangely endearing about her determination, she wasn't interested in extravagance or trying to take advantage of him.

Instead, she had been worried about how they would survive together, she had been thinking about their future together.

“I’m afraid she won’t want me anymore if she finds out the truth,” he admitted.

Mr. Lawrence stared at him and for a moment, he wasn't sure he had heard correctly.

Dominic Blackwood was worried that Liora wouldn't want him because he was rich?

Mr. Lawrence almost wanted to point out that discovering her supposedly poor husband was actually wealthy would probably accomplish the exact opposite but he wisely kept his thoughts to himself.

There was no point trying to reason with a man who had already made up his mind.

When Liora finally arrived in class, she barely had time to settle down before Mara hurried over to her.

The moment Mara reached her, she caught Liora by the arm and pulled her toward the back of the room.

Liora looked at her in confusion. “Mara, what happened?”

Mara glanced around before turning her attention back to Liora and her expression was filled with concern. “Don’t be upset,” she said comfortingly.

Liora's heart tightened, she didn't know what exactly Mara had heard, but the serious expression on her friend's face immediately made her nervous.

“I’m sure Ning Mufan wouldn’t do something like that,” Mara continued.

She squeezed Liora's arm reassuringly. “There must be a misunderstanding!”

Liora stared at her, trying to understand what was happening.

If Mara was already trying to convince her that Ning Mufan hadn't done something, then whatever had happened must have been serious and judging by the way everyone around them seemed unusually attentive, Liora knew that the matter was already spreading.

Something had happened and apparently, everyone was about to know about it.