Chapter 321: Chapter 105 Painful Truth Revealed

Dominic’s POV

Marcus had completely lost his mind. The exiled bastard wasn’t even pretending to be a decent father anymore. His audacity to corner me at the upscale restaurant, right in the middle of Thorne family territory, was beyond comprehension.

I returned to Zenith Systems and ordered lunch delivered from our usual secure vendor rather than risk another unpleasant encounter with that waste of flesh. While eating, I called Gerard to explain what had transpired. Our head of security assured me Marcus wouldn’t get anywhere near Gemma, the children, or my mother. I then called Mom, who urged me to calm down, insisting that things would eventually resolve themselves through proper family channels.

When Mia and Zoe returned from their lunch break, I summoned them to my office. I needed to warn them too, as their proximity to me could make them potential targets in Marcus’s twisted vendetta against the family.

"Ladies, I may need to assign armed bodyguards to protect you both," I explained after detailing the situation with my exiled father.

"Dominic, take a breath. Your father hasn’t made any direct threats against us; we’re not his primary targets," Zoe said soothingly, but I couldn’t help noticing how tense Mia had become. She always seemed to freeze up whenever Marcus was mentioned.

"Mia, are you alright?" I asked, noting her slight trembling.

"Yes, Dominic, I’m fine," she answered unconvincingly.

"Mia, please be honest with me. Why do you always get so nervous whenever we discuss Marcus or when he appears?" I decided to address the elephant in the room.

I’d only recently become conscious of this pattern, but thinking back, it had always been there. Whenever Marcus showed up at family gatherings before his exile, Mia would grow anxious and find reasons to disappear. During discussions about him, her discomfort was palpable. She had always made her hatred for him clear, but I never understood the depth of her aversion.

"I just despise him, Dominic. You know that," Mia stated firmly.

"Yes, but there’s something else going on here, Mia. I’ve started to realize it’s more than simple hatred," I pressed.

"Mia, he needs to know," Zoe encouraged, squeezing Mia’s hand supportively.

"Dear God, what did that animal do to you?" I pressed my palm against my forehead, already dreading the answer. Mia sighed heavily and averted her gaze.

"I’ve been with this organization many years, Dominic. Started as a receptionist, as you know," she began, tears welling in her eyes.

"Yes, Mia. My grandfather hired you—his secretary’s daughter. I remember him saying you would be trained to replace your mother when she retired from managing the front operations," I recalled with a small smile.

"And that’s exactly what happened," she said with a half-smile. "I’m deeply grateful to your grandfather; he was an honorable man who protected his people. But your father was nothing like him—he clearly took after those worthless parasites from your grandmother’s side."

"They were indeed a pack of opportunistic scum," I agreed, thinking about my maternal grandmother’s household whom I’d struggled to purge from our operations.

"When your father was still part of the family business, I was working the front desk. He constantly lurked around me with his sleazy pickup lines," Mia continued with disgust. "I was engaged at the time, Dominic. And he was about to marry your mother. Back then, there were certain expectations in our world; women from decent families were expected to remain pure until marriage, and marriages were meant to secure family alliances."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. I began to piece together what she was about to reveal, and murderous rage stirred within me.

"What happened, Mia?" I gently prompted.

"Whenever my mother needed time off, your grandfather would have me cover for her in the executive wing," Mia explained, her eyes clouded with painful memories. "That particular day, my mother had to leave after lunch to take my younger brother to a doctor’s appointment, and your grandfather asked me to fill in. But he had meetings with other family heads and wouldn’t be back for hours. Your father called me into his office, locked the door, and refused to let me leave."

Mia broke down completely, sobbing before me. Zoe took over, still holding Mia’s hand firmly.

"Dominic, your father raped Mia and then threatened her," Zoe continued as Mia wept. "He told her she was nobody and that if she spoke up, no one would believe her word against a made man. He said he’d have her and her mother eliminated and would destroy her entire bloodline. She believed him—she was so young, and he wielded the family’s power and connections—so she remained silent."

"That fucking animal!" I slammed my fist on the desk, tears now running down my own face.

"He destroyed everything, Dominic," Mia managed between sobs.

"Mia told her fiancé, who refused to believe her. He accused her of sleeping with the boss to climb the ranks and abandoned her," Zoe explained. "Her mother Gwen knew everything—that’s why she delayed her retirement for so long."

"That’s true—Gwen only retired when I took over operations. That’s when I brought Mia to the executive floor; she was working as assistant to our financial director then," I recalled. "I always assumed your mother simply loved her position."

"She did love it; your grandfather was wonderful to work for. But she stayed primarily to protect me," Mia revealed. "My ex-fiancé caused a terrible scene when he discovered I wasn’t pure, but my mother believed me and did everything possible to keep your father from touching me again."

"Mia, I don’t even know how to begin apologizing for something so unforgivable," I said, devastated by this revelation.

"You bear no responsibility for the atrocities that despicable monster commits," Mia said, squeezing my hand.

"Does my mother know about this?" I asked carefully.

"No, only my household, my husband, and Zoe, who has this uncanny ability to sense when something’s wrong," she said with a small smile toward Zoe. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Mia, may I share this with my inner circle?" I asked cautiously.

"Of course, Dominic. It’s been many years; perhaps it would be good for your people to know, especially now that you’re all confronting past betrayals," Mia agreed.

"Mia, nothing can undo the harm that monster inflicted on you, but I want to do something," I offered, desperate to make some small amends.

"You already do, Dominic. You’re a good man who treats me with respect, always thinking of me, valuing my work. You’re more than just my boss," Mia smiled, wiping away tears.

"We’re family, Mia," I smiled back. "You know how much I care about you."

"I know, dear. And it’s mutual. Besides, nothing could match the satisfaction I felt when you took control of operations, and especially when you had that monster exiled from our territory," Mia said with genuine happiness.

I stood and embraced my loyal assistant. I reiterated my concerns about her security, but she insisted it wasn’t necessary.

"You know what? I’m giving you something you can’t refuse," I declared. "Zoe, book Mia and her husband for next weekend at that exclusive resort you recommended—the best couple’s package with full security detail. Mia deserves it."

"Oh, I’d never turn down a luxury retreat. Is it the one you mentioned, Zoe?" Mia’s eyes brightened.

"That’s the one, sweetheart. You’ll absolutely love it!" Zoe smiled at her and winked at me, clearly signaling I’d chosen the perfect gift.

By day’s end, all I wanted was to go home and hold Gemma close for the rest of the night. I was completely drained, with no energy left for anything else. Unfortunately, it would still be some time before I could get my much-needed rest.