Chapter 66

Dominic’s pov ; I sat at my desk in the study, staring at the message on my phone. Sophie wanted to raise a cat. A cat. I could feel the familiar twinge in my sinuses just thinking about it. Allergies were one thing, but the idea of having an unpredictable animal roaming around the house was something else entirely. I couldn't afford such chaos. My life was structured and precise—two things that Sophie often disrupted, but in a way I didn’t mind. A cat, however, was non-negotiable. When she asked me again, her large, hopeful eyes fixed on me, I said, "No." Her expression fell instantly, and I almost regretted my tone. "Why?" she asked softly, her voice tinged with disappointment. "I don’t like them," I lied, keeping my face impassive. Her pout deepened, and for a moment, she looked like she might argue. But then, in a rare show of restraint, she sighed and said, "Okay, then. I won't raise one." --- Later that evening, my grandmother called. She rarely reached out unless it was about So