Chapter 261: Are you cheating on madam

[Heaven International]

"Boss, you need to see this!"

Mark rushed into Dominic’s office, holding his phone in front of him with an expression that suggested he had just stumbled upon something rather interesting.

Dominic lifted his head from the documents on his desk and gave his assistant a questioning look.

"What is it now?"

"Well, I thought you might be interested in this." Mark stepped closer and placed his phone on the desk, turning the screen toward him. "Look who’s making headlines today."

Dominic glanced at the screen, only to find a news report announcing Adrian Graham’s public search for Nana, accompanied by a substantial monetary reward for anyone who could provide information leading to her whereabouts.

His eyebrows drew together as he read through the announcement.

Adrian was certainly making a bold move.

"He’s offering this much money just to find one person?" Mark exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Boss, does Mr. Graham have any idea how many people are going to show up claiming to be Nana?"

Dominic remained silent, his gaze fixed on the screen.

Mark, however, seemed to have no intention of keeping his thoughts to himself.

"I mean, think about it! Someone could put on a disguise, come up with a convincing sob story, and walk straight into his office. The moment they receive the reward, they’ll disappear before anyone realizes they’ve been fooled!"

He paused, then clicked his tongue.

"Honestly, if I had known making money was this easy, I might have considered changing careers."

Dominic slowly raised his eyes.

Mark immediately straightened.

"Hehe, Boss, I’m only joking! Of course, I would never do something so dishonest." He offered an awkward smile before adding, "Besides, Mr. Graham is clearly a kindhearted man. Not everyone would be willing to spend so much money just to find someone they’ve lost."

Dominic said nothing.

The solemn expression on his face was enough to make Mark’s smile falter.

"I was just making a joke," Mark muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "I’m sorry if I said something inappropriate."

Dominic looked away from him and returned his attention to the announcement.

"It’s fine. You have a point."

Mark blinked, surprised by the response.

"Really?"

"Anyone could take advantage of this opportunity," Dominic replied calmly. "The reward is substantial enough to attract people who have no genuine connection to Nana. Some might even go to great lengths to convince Adrian that they’ve found her."

He paused, his expression growing thoughtful.

"Finding someone whose identity and whereabouts are uncertain is difficult enough. Making the search public only adds another layer of complications."

"Exactly!" Mark immediately agreed, relieved that his boss wasn’t upset with him. "That’s what I was trying to say. What if ten different people show up tomorrow, each claiming to be Nana? Mr. Graham might need an entire team just to sort through the fakes!"

Despite himself, Dominic almost smiled at his assistant’s exaggerated concern.

However, his expression soon returned to normal.

He couldn’t deny that Adrian’s decision carried considerable risks. The announcement could attract opportunists, scammers, and people willing to fabricate evidence for the sake of the reward.

Yet, despite his reservations, Dominic didn’t believe Adrian would make such a decision without considering the possible consequences.

He knew Adrian well enough to understand that, beneath his seemingly carefree attitude, the man possessed a sharp mind and a remarkable ability to judge people.

If Adrian had decided to make the search public, he must have had his reasons.

Perhaps he had reached a dead end and was willing to explore every possible avenue, no matter how troublesome it might become.

Or perhaps he had already prepared a way to distinguish the genuine leads from the false ones.

Either way, Dominic trusted his judgment.

"Mr. Graham isn’t an impulsive man," he finally said. "If he’s willing to offer such a reward, he must have considered the risks."

Mark tilted his head.

"So, you think he has a plan?"

"I wouldn’t be surprised if he does."

"But what if he doesn’t?" Mark asked, unable to resist teasing him again. "Are you going to help him sort through a hundred fake Nanas?"

Dominic shot him a cool glance.

"Do you have that much free time?"

Mark immediately shook his head.

"Absolutely not! My schedule is already packed. I wouldn’t even have time to entertain one fake Nana, let alone a hundred."

Dominic ignored his complaints and picked up his pen, but his thoughts remained on the announcement.

He hoped Adrian knew what he was doing.

After all, finding Nana was important enough without having to deal with people trying to exploit his desperation.

Still, Dominic had faith in his friend. If anyone could navigate the mess that might follow such an announcement, it was Adrian Graham.

Just as Dominic was about to return to his work, his phone suddenly buzzed.

He glanced at the screen, and his fingers paused when he saw the name displayed in the notification.

MoonlitRose.

For a moment, he simply stared at it, but when he was just about to pick up his phone, a sudden yelp sounded beside him.

"MOONLITROSE?!"

Dominic nearly dropped his phone.

He turned toward Mark, who was staring at the screen with wide eyes as though he had just discovered a scandal capable of shaking the entire business world.

"Boss!" Mark exclaimed, pointing accusingly at him. "Are you cheating on Madam behind her back by secretly messaging your online friend?"

Dominic stared at him in disbelief.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Don’t try to deny it! I saw the name with my own eyes!"

Mark looked as though he had just uncovered the biggest secret of the century.

MoonlitRose had disappeared for years without a trace, and now, out of nowhere, the mysterious online friend had suddenly reappeared in his boss’s messages.

Although Mark hadn’t managed to read the entire notification, the name alone had sent his imagination running wild.

"Boss, I never thought you were this kind of man!" he declared, shaking his head in disappointment. "Madam is right there, and you’re entertaining another woman behind her back? What happened to loyalty?"

Dominic’s expression turned blank.

For several seconds, he wondered whether his assistant had finally lost his mind.

"Have you finished talking?"

"No! How can I possibly finish?" Mark protested, clutching his chest dramatically. "MoonlitRose disappeared for years! Years, Boss! And now that she’s finally decided to contact you again, you’re just going to accept her message without a second thought?"

He paused, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Wait a minute. Don’t tell me you’ve been waiting for her all this time?"

Dominic’s eyes narrowed. "Mark!"

"Yes, Boss?"

"Get out."

Mark immediately took a step back, but his curiosity remained undiminished.

"Fine, fine! I’ll leave. But if Madam finds out about this, don’t say I didn’t warn you!"

Dominic watched him retreat, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and exasperation.

How had a simple message turned into an accusation of infidelity?

The worst part was that Mark had absolutely no idea who MoonlitRose really was. And Dominic had no intention of explaining it to him just yet.

***

Evening had finally arrived, and Clara was more than ready to call it a day.

As she stepped out of the mansion, she couldn’t help reflecting on how surprisingly well things had gone with Zane. The boy had been so cooperative throughout the day that she had begun to wonder whether she was imagining things.

"Just yesterday, I was complaining to Dominic about how much I regretted taking this job. And now, this boy is making me eat my own words," she muttered with a small shake of her head.

She had expected to spend the entire day dealing with Zane’s stubbornness, only to discover that he could be surprisingly easy to manage when he wanted to be.

Perhaps things wouldn’t be as difficult as she had initially imagined.

With that thought, Clara continued toward the gate. However, just as she reached into her handbag to retrieve her phone, her movements suddenly stopped.

Her fingers searched through the familiar compartments, but all she found were her keys, wallet, and a few other belongings.

Her phone was nowhere to be found.

"Huh? Did I leave it inside?"

Clara frowned and searched her bag once more, hoping she had simply overlooked it. Unfortunately, the result remained the same.

Then, she suddenly remembered placing her phone on the table in Zane’s room earlier that afternoon.

"Oh, great."

With a quiet sigh, she turned around and hurried back toward the mansion.

A few minutes later, Clara arrived outside Zane’s bedroom. She raised her hand and knocked gently.

"Zane? Are you inside?"

Silence greeted her.

Clara waited for a moment before knocking again, this time a little more firmly.

Still, there was no response.

Her brows knitted together.

"That’s strange. Where could he have gone?"

She was certain she had left her phone in the room, but she couldn’t understand why Zane wasn’t answering the door.

Perhaps he was taking a shower.

Deciding not to waste any more time, Clara cautiously turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

"Zane? I’m just here to get my phone. I’ll be out in a minute," she called as she stepped inside.

The room was unusually quiet. Clara glanced around, expecting to find him somewhere nearby, but there was no immediate sign of the boy.

Her expression grew serious.

"Zane?" she called again, taking a few steps farther into the room.

This time, she listened carefully for any response only to stop at the sound of a sound coming from the bathroom.