Chapter 214

The polished office door swung open as a distinguished-looking man in his fifties stepped out, his sharp eyes immediately landing on Dominic. "Mr. Sinclair, this is an unexpected visit. What brings you to our precinct today?"

Dominic's tense expression softened slightly at the familiar face. He moved forward with purposeful strides, his voice laced with urgency. "We require your assistance immediately. It's about Vivian Hartley - Adrian Blackwood's wife. She's disappeared. If anything were to happen to the Blackwood family's young mistress..."

"Mrs. Blackwood is missing? And where is Mr. Blackwood himself?" The officer's demeanor shifted instantly, his professional mask slipping into genuine concern.

Dominic's fingers twitched near his temple before he smoothly fabricated, "Adrian is currently handling a critical business emergency overseas. He's entrusted me with this matter."

The officer's brow furrowed. "This is highly irregular. Protocol requires either the Blackwood family or Mrs. Hartley's relatives to file the official missing persons report."

"Understood. I'll contact them right away," Dominic replied, already pulling out his phone to call the Blackwood estate as he turned on his heel, the gravity of the situation pressing upon him.

Meanwhile, Margaret Blackwood and her niece Bianca were preparing to leave the mansion when the head housekeeper intercepted them, holding out the cordless phone with both hands. "Mrs. Blackwood, Mr. Sinclair is on the line for you."

Margaret paused, her perfectly arched eyebrows drawing together. "Dominic? Why would he be calling here?"

The housekeeper merely shook her head. "He was quite insistent about speaking with you directly, madam."

"With me?" Margaret's confusion deepened, her manicured fingers hovering uncertainly near the receiver.

Bianca, ever the perceptive young woman, gently squeezed her aunt's arm. "Aunt Margaret, it must be important. Perhaps you should hear what he has to say?"

With visible reluctance, Margaret accepted the phone. "Dominic, what's this about?"

The line crackled with Dominic's urgent tone. "Margaret, it's Vivian. She's gone missing. There's been some tabloid scandal involving her co-star from 'Whispering Skies,' and now she's disappeared. We suspect an obsessed fan may have taken her-"

Margaret's voice turned icy before he could finish. "What? Another scandal? And now she's been kidnapped? That girl brings nothing but disgrace to the Blackwood name! Poor Adrian must be humiliated!"

Dominic quickly corrected, "No, Margaret, you misunderstand. The rumors are completely unfounded. Our primary concern is her safety - we believe she may have been abducted by an unstable admirer."

Margaret's patience wore thinner with each word. "First a public scandal, now this? Where is my son during all this... this circus?"

"Adrian is handling urgent business abroad and asked me to manage the situation," Dominic repeated his carefully constructed lie. "But the authorities require a family member to file the official report, so-"

Margaret exhaled sharply through her nose, her lips pressing into a thin line. "I-"

She was just about to declare she would handle the distasteful matter herself when-