Evangeline and Hank froze.A glimmer of hope sparked in Caden's dull eyes.The crowd had scrambled to find the source of the mood-killing noise.Hank scowled as he fished out the offending phone from his pocket.His eyes had shown a tinge of regret, and the urge to keep going with Evangeline had disappeared as soon as he saw who was calling.With Evangeline looking on, worried, Hank had taken the call. The more the person on the other end had talked, the tighter Hank's frown had become.Hank ended the call, and Evangeline noticed a sheen of sweat on his brow—a rare sight. He was always so cool and collected, like a prince out of a storybook."What's up?" she asked, her voice laced with concern."Just a little hiccup at the company," he replied, trying to sound nonchalant, but Evangeline could hear the edge of worry in his voice.The company had to be Foster Group, which Hank had recently taken charge of. Suddenly, Evangeline was not in the mood for games. She took hold of Hank
Evangeline halted, a storm brewing in her mind. She stood frozen in place.Walter caught the change in her stance and strode over, his grip firm as he yanked her into the car without a word.The ride was eerily quiet.Inside, Evangeline's anger simmered, ready to boil over.Walter was seething too, unable to stomach the thought of Evangeline wanting to kiss another man right in front of him. He gave her the silent treatment.They arrived at Crystal Waters House.Walter did not bother with manners, practically dragging Evangeline from the car and into the house.The door slammed shut behind them, and Walter's voice cut through the silence, sharp as a knife. "Evangeline, I can't stand that Hank guy. I'm warning you—stay away from him!"He had disliked Hank from the moment he heard they were childhood friends. After seeing Evangeline choose Hank's kiss over his own, Walter wanted nothing more than to make that thorn in his side vanish.Evangeline, shrouded in darkness, just laugh
Evangeline's suspicions were well-founded.The Fosters would not sabotage their own empire, and in Avalon City, the only one with the means and the boredom to pull off such a stunt was Walter.She had expected him to at least play dumb. Clearly, she had played down how low he could stoop."What if it was me?""What if it was you?" Evangeline's anger surged, finding a perfect target as she confronted him head-on. "Tell, me Mr. Walter Gordon. Since when is toying with the company a laughing matter?"Gordon Group was Trey's pride and joy. Walter, as his grandson, should have known better than to mess with it."Really? You're one to talk! Making a spectacle by almost kissing Hank in front of everyone… Weren't you the one treating our company like it was some kind of joke? All I did was pull a little stunt to clean up our act," Walter shot back, standing his ground."Should I just sit back and watch you trash the good names of Gordon Group and Foster Group? Do nothing?" Walter's word
Evangeline had seen this coming, and Wade's confirmation did not raise an eyebrow."Let him know he can head home for some rest once he's up. He's had a rough night and deserves a break."Hank had only just started working with her, and she felt a twinge of guilt for roping him into her problems so quickly. She owed him an apology, sure, but she would find the right moment—something laid-back and fitting.Just then, the receptionist dashed up the stairs, breathless, "Ms. Evangeline, your parents are downstairs asking for you."Evangeline was taken aback. No one else but Andrew and Lydia would dare claim to be her parents. She had them under surveillance since their last fiery argument, and somehow, they had given her watchers the slip.Perfect timing, she thought. She had been meaning to confront them anyway.What Evangeline had not anticipated was the chaos her parents were causing at the front desk. Andrew plopped down on the reception couch, legs crossed arrogantly, barking or
Evangeline racked her brain, but never in a million years did she see this coming—Andrew demanding someone from her."Alright, then!"Lydia shot up, her presence fierce, as she grilled Evangeline, "You've squirreled away our darling daughter, and now you have the nerve to ask me for her? You've been under my nose all these years, and boy oh boy, you've really shown your true colors. Who would've guessed?"Evangeline, you're quite the actress. It's a real shame you're not making a splash in Hollywood!"Andrew was right there, tossing in his own jabs and jeers. "Seriously, I never imagined my own kid could change like this. I can't even guess what kind of spell the Foster family has cast on her!"But none of that matters to us now. You've written us off as your folks, but Julia's a different story. We're counting on her to care for us when we're old and gray. What'll we do if we can't find her?"Andrew got more worked up, even letting a few tears fall right in front of Evangeline.
With the dismissal as easy as flicking a switch, Evangeline's patience had run dry, no longer willing to waste another second on the two standing before her."You!" Lydia, her face flushed with fury and her neck bulging, pointed a trembling finger but could not find the words.Evangeline, facing them, pointed too, but with a twist—she held up three fingers, a silent but clear message."Three seconds. That's all you get before I call security to boot you out of here!"Andrew caught the no-nonsense look in Evangeline's eyes and realized she was not playing around.Then, his eyes welled up."Evie, after all this time apart, is this how you treat your old man?" His voice cracked, dripping with a mix of sorrow and self-pity.Evangeline was baffled.What was this old guy trying to pull with this sudden drama?She stayed silent, just watching Andrew's show unfold.Tears were already streaming down his face as he spoke, "I get it, you've been mad at me for years for not sticking arou
Andrew's words were dripping with earnestness as he stared into Evangeline's eyes with honesty.He did not even wait for her to say a word before he brought up his hand and made a solemn vow, "I swear, I'm done with that thankless Julia. Let her fend for herself out there!"Evangeline just watched him calmly, trying to decode his game plan.Lydia, on the other hand, was not about to let this slide.She and Andrew used to be in the same boat, but all of a sudden, Andrew was bending over backward to prove his loyalty to Evangeline, as if he had tossed his own interests aside!"Andrew, what are you talking about? If Evangeline shares your blood, isn't Julia just as much your daughter?"Suddenly, something clicked in her mind, and she let out a scornful laugh. "Oh, I see what this is about. You're just trying to cozy up to Evangeline now that she's the big boss of Foster Group, huh? Since Julia's still missing and can't bring in the dough as your cash cow, she can't hold a candle to
"Evangeline, can't you just let it go? You've wrecked your sister's chance at happiness. Are you really going to keep up this charade?"Lydia's accusations hit Evangeline like a wave of confusion.What charade had she been keeping up? The truth was that she was dead set on a divorce, and Walter was the one who would not let go!He even had the nerve to drag her grandfather, Cole, into this, pressuring her to start a family with him. It was downright vile!However, Andrew did not even give Evangeline the chance to get a word in.He grabbed Lydia's hand, his voice filled with anguish, "You knew all along that Julia was taken by Walter?"Why didn't you tell me sooner?! You have no idea how worried I've been about Julia's situation..."Lydia had seen right through Andrew's act a long time ago. She yanked her hand away. "Worried, my foot! You just see Walter doting on Julia and think she'll land you a rich son-in-law! I can't stand another day of this!"Andrew, I'm done with you. I