Chapter 318: Dominic Voss

Braelyn’s POV

“Then why are you helping me?” I finally asked, unable to hold the question any longer. My voice sounded quieter than I expected. “After what my father did to you… Why would you help me?”

Margaret chuckled softly at my question. The sound carried no bitterness, only a strange sort of amusement.

“Dominic really didn’t tell you anything, did he?” she murmured, almost to herself. “He truly meant it when he cut himself off.”

Her words made my brows furrow.

“Dad never mentioned anything about a family,” I replied slowly. “I always thought his surname was Alderheim.”

The car pulled away from the quiet road leading from Yelena’s estate and merged into a much busier highway. Cars rushed past us in both directions as the city lights began flickering to life in the distance.

Margaret glanced out the window for a moment before speaking again. “Dominic’s real name was Dominic Voss,” she said calmly.

I felt a small jolt in my chest, but I wasn’t entirely surprised. Yelena had already hinted at that before. Hearing it confirmed still made my thoughts spin. Dominic Voss, my father, belonged to the Voss family.

If that was true, then why had he changed his name? Why had he cut his entire family off? Why did he take on a surname without any power?

Another thought struck me almost immediately Elliot Voss, the man who was with Margaret earlier. Elliot was the current head of the Voss family, and he had called Margaret his mother earlier.

My mind raced with possibilities I did not want to entertain. Was Elliot my father’s son? Had my father abandoned another family somewhere?

I swallowed the uncomfortable thought. I didn’t want to imagine my kind to be that kind of man. Why did he feel regret towards Margaret? “How did my father betray you?” I asked carefully.

Margaret turned her attention back to me. For a brief moment, something flickered across her eyes. Her thoughts were distant. “I will tell you a short story,” she said. “About Dominic and me.” she chimed and my pulse started to rise slowly.

I gripped the helm of my dress nervous about what she was about to say. It was a truth that might change everything. I sat quietly as the car continued down the highway.

“Dominic was the eldest son of the Voss family,” she began. “He was meant to become the heir. Our families had equal standing and strong business ties, so our engagement was arranged when we were still children.”

She smiled faintly but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Back then I always believed we were meant to be together. We had grown up knowing we would eventually marry. We never had any real problems between us and I actually loved him and thought he felt the same after he treated me like a lover should and Dominic never had any scandals unlike other rich heirs of that time.”

Her fingers rested lightly on her lap as she continued. “Everything changed when he went abroad for university. He went to the same school as his best friend Gregor.”

I knew Dad and Gregor’s ties ran deep. Originally Ronan was meant to marry Dad’s child it was an old promise but they had me very late and the engagement was moved to the next generation.

“Dominic was originally studying medicine,” Margaret continued. “The Voss empire is deeply involved in the medical field. As the future heir, he was expected to become a doctor while also completing a business programme.”

Her expression darkened slightly.

“Then suddenly he dropped out of medical school and switched entirely to business.”

I blinked. I was surprised Dad was actually in medical school. It was baffling how I knew nothing about my parents.

“He just… changed his mind?” I blurted. Margaret nodded.

“His parents were furious and confused. Dominic had always been strong-willed and was the best in his class, but this decision came out of nowhere.”

She sighed quietly then continued with a heavy voice

“His professor tried to talk him out of it. They couldn’t lose their best student but his mind was made up. I also tried speaking to him myself after all I was his fiancée. I told him he was being reckless.”

“What did he say?” I asked.

Margaret let out a small breath. “He brushed it off. He told me he could still run the family business without becoming a doctor.” she clicked her tongue irritated. Her hand balled into fists like she wanted to drag Dad from the grave and beat the shit out of him

She glanced at me briefly. “I was never as close to him as Gregor was, but Dominic and I had a good relationship. We were practically childhood sweethearts. We had grown up together after all. I believed if I spoke to him he would explain what was going on.”

Her eyes shifted back to the road ahead. Her voice trailed off to a distant memory..”But no matter how much I pushed, he would not tell me anything. He was studying abroad and it made things even harder.”

She paused before continuing. “I managed to calm his parents down. Dominic was very intelligent and capable. I believed he knew what he was doing.”

Her lips curved into a sad smile. “Unfortunately by the time I learned the truth, it was already too late.”

My chest tightened. It felt like she was about to drop a bomb. “What happened?” I asked quietly

Margaret’s voice softened. “Dominic had fallen in love with another woman forgetting the years we had together.”

I felt my stomach twist even before she finished her sentence..” The girl’s named Avelina Alderheim.”

My breath caught. It wasn’t unexpected but still my heart skipped a beat.

“Mum?” I repeated quietly. Margaret nodded.

“Your mother was a scholarship student in the business programme. Independent, brilliant and ambitious. To Dominic, she was everything I was not.”

Her tone carried no resentment, only acceptance. “Avelina had been an orphan since childhood. She originally came from a comfortable middle-class family, but when her parents died they left no will. Her relatives stepped in and claimed they would safeguard the family’s money and property.”

Margaret gave a humourless smile. “They kept everything for themselves.”

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