Chapter 249: I’m the real MoonlitRose
[Flashback]
Dominic returned to his dorm that evening after classes, only to find Mark still glued to his computer, completely absorbed in his game.
It had been several days since Clara had told him about Alex. Initially, Dominic had convinced himself that he was perfectly fine with her having someone in her life. After all, he had no reason to feel otherwise. Clara was free to make her own choices, and as long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.
Or at least, that was what he had told himself.
As the days passed, however, a strange restlessness began to settle in his heart. The thought of Clara spending time with another man bothered him more than he cared to admit.
Dominic couldn’t understand why.
All he had ever wanted was to know that the girl who had saved him years ago was doing well. Now that she seemed to have someone by her side, he should have been happy for her. Instead, he found himself wondering about Alex, their relationship, and just how close the two of them really were.
It was ridiculous. He knew that.
Yet, knowing it didn’t make the feeling go away.
"Are you joining me or what?" Mark asked, stealing a glance at him while continuing to play. "I’m already winning, and I could use someone to witness my greatness."
Dominic didn’t respond.
Mark waited a few seconds before turning his attention back to the screen.
"Fine. Keep ignoring me. Don’t come crying to me when you realize what you’re missing."
Still, Dominic remained silent, his thoughts elsewhere.
Dominic and Mark had been college buddies, pursuing the same master’s degree. While Dominic was preparing to take over the Sterling family’s business, Mark had every intention of becoming his assistant and helping him manage the responsibilities that came with the position.
With their academic journey finally nearing its end, they were supposed to return to Country P soon and begin the next Chapter of their lives.
Everything had been planned.
At least, until Dominic suddenly decided to change everything.
Mark frowned when he noticed Dominic standing up. Before he could ask what was going on, Dominic grabbed his keys from the table.
"I’m leaving for Country P."
Mark blinked, momentarily forgetting about his game.
"What?"
"Book your ticket if you haven’t already."
"Hold on. You’re leaving now?" Mark dropped his headphones around his neck and stared at him in disbelief. "Dominic, we agreed to leave together in a few days! I haven’t even packed my things yet!"
"Then pack them."
"That’s exactly what I’m trying to tell you!"
But Dominic was already heading towards the door.
Mark stared after him, wondering what on earth had gotten into his friend. He had dealt with Dominic’s unpredictable behaviour for years, but this was something else entirely.
"Fine! Wait for me!" he shouted, scrambling out of his chair. "I’ll pack my stuff and come with you!"
Without wasting another second, Mark rushed into his room.
Unfortunately, by the time he emerged with his luggage, Dominic was nowhere to be seen.
Mark stopped in the middle of the room, staring at the empty doorway.
"You’ve got to be kidding me!"
He dragged a hand through his hair, his frustration mounting.
"Why can’t that man wait for five minutes? Just five minutes! Is it really that difficult?"
Grumbling under his breath, Mark hurried to gather the rest of his belongings, already preparing himself for the inevitable headache of dealing with Dominic once again.
Meanwhile, Dominic was on his way to the airport, his mind occupied by a single person.
Clara.
For days, he had tried to convince himself that there was no reason to rush. He could return to Country P as planned, settle everything with his family, and find an opportunity to meet her later.
But the more he thought about it, the more impatient he became.
He wanted to see her.
More than that, he wanted to tell her the truth about himself. He wanted her to know who he really was, rather than remain a distant figure from her past.
Perhaps, once he finally stood before her, he would understand why the thought of another man in her life had unsettled him so deeply.
A faint smile touched his lips as he imagined her reaction.
Little did he know that he would never make it to the airport that evening.
As Dominic took a sharp turn, a heavy truck suddenly appeared in his path.
Before he could react, the truck slammed into his car with tremendous force.
The impact sent his vehicle crashing through the roadside barrier before it tumbled down the steep cliff.
Metal twisted. Glass shattered. And then, everything went dark.
When Mark finally learned about the accident, panic seized him. What had begun as an ordinary evening had turned into a nightmare, and Dominic was nowhere to be found.
The search continued for hours, stretching deep into the night and well into the following day.
It took an entire day before the rescue team finally located Dominic in the woods below the cliff, trapped among the wreckage and barely clinging to life.
By then, the man who had left his dorm with nothing but the desire to see Clara again had become a victim of a tragedy that would change his life forever.
It took Dominic several weeks to regain consciousness and nearly two months to recover enough control over his badly fractured body to move around without assistance.
The recovery process was long and painful, but Dominic had never been someone who gave up easily. Even when the pain became unbearable, he pushed himself to get better, determined to return to his normal life as soon as possible.
However, the moment he regained enough strength to take matters into his own hands, the first thing he did was look for Clara.
He still remembered the message she had left him before his sudden disappearance. He could only imagine how confused she must have been when he stopped responding without a word.
He wanted to explain everything to her, to let her know that he hadn’t abandoned her intentionally.
But when Dominic finally managed to access the account he had used to communicate with her, he discovered that Clara hadn’t been active on it for a long time.
He tried reaching out to her, hoping she would eventually respond, but his messages never went.
It wasn’t until much later that Dominic finally managed to find her again. And by then, everything had changed.
The cheerful girl he remembered had been forced to endure more pain than anyone her age should have experienced. Her mother’s death had left a deep scar on her heart, changing her in ways Dominic could hardly have imagined.
The warmth he remembered seemed to have faded beneath the weight of her suffering, replaced by a quiet strength that made him realize just how much she had endured alone.
Dominic couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. He had wanted to be there for her, yet he had disappeared when she might have needed someone the most.
And now, seeing how her own family treated her and how the man who claimed to love her continued to betray her, Dominic found himself struggling to contain his anger.
He didn’t know when his concern for Clara had grown into something so profound, nor did he fully understand why the thought of her suffering made him feel so helpless.
But one thing was certain. This time, he wouldn’t simply stand by and watch. Whatever it took, Dominic was determined to protect Clara, even if it meant standing against her own family and the man who claimed to love her.
[Present]
Meanwhile, inside her room, Clara stared at the computer screen, her brows furrowing as she reread the message VANTA had sent her.
How can I be sure you’re the same MoonlitRose I used to talk to?
The corner of her lips twitched in disbelief.
"How can he even doubt me?" she muttered, staring at the screen as though VANTA could somehow hear her complaints.
Clara had expected her old friend to be surprised by her sudden appearance, perhaps even happy that she had finally returned. But she certainly hadn’t expected him to question her identity!
For a brief moment, she even considered reaching through the screen and smacking some sense into his head.
Closing her eyes, Clara took a deep breath.
"Phew... Calm down, Clara. Don’t get angry," she whispered to herself. "Anyone would probably think the same. After all, this account has been gathering dust for years. I can’t expect him to recognize me immediately."
She pursed her lips, reluctantly admitting that he had a point.
After Diana’s death, Clara had gradually withdrawn from the world around her. The grief had weighed heavily on her, leaving her with little energy to maintain her old friendships, let alone log in to an account that reminded her of happier days.
Slowly, she had lost touch with the people she once spoke to regularly, including the boy who had been her closest online companion.
And now, after all these years, she had finally gathered the courage to reach out to him, only to be met with suspicion.
Clara sighed, pushing aside her disappointment.
Fine. If he wanted proof, she would give him proof.
Straightening in her chair, she placed her fingers on the keyboard and began typing.
MoonlitRose: How about we play a match? Then you can decide for yourself whether I’m the real MoonlitRose or not.
She paused, a mischievous smile slowly spreading across her face.
MoonlitRose: And if I win, you have to agree to everything I say.
Clara leaned back in her chair, satisfied with her proposal.
If VANTA wasn’t going to believe her words, she would have to convince him through their game.
After all, she knew one thing for certain. There was no way she was going to lose to him!
Clara barely had time to stretch her fingers before a notification popped up on the screen.
VANTA: Fine. One match. But don’t complain when you lose.