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
Andrew was ghostly pale.The room turned super awkward in an instant, but Evangeline seemed to be the only one keeping it together.She knew all too well how much Julia meant to Walter, so she would not be shocked by anything he did for Julia.Even so, why did her heart still ache like this?In front of Andrew and Lydia, she fought hard to keep her hands from clutching at her chest.'How can you still not get it, Evangeline? Walter is all about Julia. You've got to let him go!' she chided herself.Walter made it to the Foster Group building in under 10 minutes.Stepping into the reception room, his towering figure instantly made it feel cramped.Lydia latched onto Walter's arm like he was her lifeline. "Walter, that vixen Evangeline claimed Julia was with you! Is that for real?"You've been guarding Julia like she's some state secret. Why didn't you clue me in sooner? We, the old folks, need a little peace of mind, you know!"But you know, Julia's had it rough from the start
Evangeline watched the drama unfold with a serene expression. She could not believe the words coming out of Walter's mouth, but she stayed cool and collected, curious to see how he would wiggle his way out of Lydia's wild accusations.Walter just put a finger to his lips and shushed her—as if that would make everything alright.Lydia's voice dropped to a whisper as she locked eyes with Walter, her gaze wide with fear. "What are you planning? You're not thinking of shipping me off to Northern Montavia too, are you?"Walter let out a scoff, his words dripping with scorn. "As if! You're way past your prime, and your organs are hardly worth anything. They'd probably complain about having to feed you for nothing if we sent you to Northern Montavia!"His sneer was like a knife, cutting deeper into Lydia's hopelessness. "I just wanted to give you a little heads-up," he said coolly. "The cops... They're here already."He had dialed 911 the moment he arrived with that incriminating photo.
Everything happened in a blur, so fast that Evangeline could not wrap her head around it. When she snapped back to reality, she saw Walter staggering in front of her, his body about to collapse. The bodyguards were quick to catch him.Evangeline moved to face him, about to ask if he was okay, when she noticed the sharp knife from Lydia's hand buried in Walter's stomach, blood pouring out like a crimson fountain.Chaos erupted around them. Walter, hurt and unable to think straight, acted on pure instinct. He ripped the knife out and lunged at the person who had caused all this mess.The cops were just as shocked, rushing in and yelling, "Mr. Walter Gordon, please calm down!" In the nick of time, they pulled Lydia back, and the knife meant for her heart only slashed her arm.Lydia was spared, but Walter, drained from the effort, collapsed. The cops could not waste another second. They whisked Lydia and Andrew off to the squad car.Walter's assistant David and the paramedics showed u
Evangeline huffed in annoyance. "If they hadn't let their guard down, Andrew wouldn't have had his chance. Whatever, just remind your guy to be more careful next time."Dwelling on the bodyguards' slip-up was pointless. It was not something worth her precious time.Then Wade brought up something else. "Um... Mr. Walter Gordon's in surgery right now. The knife got him pretty deep, and he lost a lot of blood. You thinking about dropping by to check on him?"He glanced at Evangeline's face as he said it.The whole of Avalon City was buzzing with the news that Evangeline was planning to divorce Walter. Even Wade, her ever-present assistant, could not quite figure out how she felt about Walter."No, I need some quiet time," Evangeline replied, pressing a hand to her forehead.This day had been a whirlwind, with one revelation after another shaking her whole worldview of Walter. She had to get her thoughts straight before she could even think about how to deal with him.It was best to
Celina noticed that Evangeline was about to leave and asked with concern,"Are you going out, miss?"Evangeline nodded while picking up her bag, not understanding why Celina's brows were furrowed.Before she could ask, Celina continued, "The Gordon family is in turmoil recently, and with your relationship with Walter… it might be best if you don't go out and attract attention."Evangeline could easily understand the meaning behind Celina's words. The Gordon family was in a crisis, and she had poured more fuel on the fire at a critical moment, practically throwing herself into the whirlpool of public opinion. If she went out, it was highly likely that paparazzi and reporters would follow her, and the consequences could be unimaginable."I'm sorry, but I still need to go."Evangeline's worry for Trey had reached its peak. Facing Celina's concerned expression, she reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll be careful. If necessary, I'll bring a few more bodyguards."Celina knew she could not
Some people also said that Walter had pushed out Alex. Gordon Group was going through a period of turmoil, suffering from investment failures, compounded by The Bennex Corporation's reckless and aggressive maneuvers, which were essentially pushing the company to the brink of collapse.The only way for Walter to temporarily calm the storm and give the company a chance to regroup was to push Alex out and take the blame for everything.As the news spread, its impact grew larger, and some even dared to publicly tag Gordon Group's official social media account. It was expected that Gordon Group would follow their usual approach of not responding and turning a blind eye.To everyone's surprise, the company issued an official statement within 10 minutes.The news that Mr. Alex Gordon had been incarcerated was true, but the specific reasons would need to wait for the police's verdict.This brief announcement confirmed the speculations of social media users.However, Gordon Group was not
Evangeline listened to Thomas's lament and felt a wave of sadness in her heart.However, there were too many such people and stories in Avalon City, and she could not sympathize with all of them.Besides, Carl had done many bad things while working for Alex. How could she pity him?"Is there nothing else? No more information? Those who are pitiful must have their faults."Evangeline was not someone whose sympathy overflowed, nor did she want to connect with this situation."My men discovered that Carl has been wandering around Avalon City recently. His whereabouts are completely uncertain, and we've been unable to track him down or know where to start looking."Thomas fell silent for a moment, and Evangeline could only hear the sound of a mouse clicking.After some time, he added warily, "Carl is probably looking for his family."Before Alex was arrested, Carl secretly returned home one night. What exactly happened is unclear, but the next day, his family was taken away. And the
Perhaps going out for a walk with Celina to clear her mind would help her regain her composure.To her surprise, Celina declined Evangeline's suggestion and said, "No, I want to go on a stroll alone.Seeing the sadness in Celina's eyes, Evangeline did not know what to say."Ms. Evangeline, I'm just feeling down for no reason. You don't need to worry about me. Maybe it's because… I've been too idle."In the past, Celina always had various tasks, but after returning to the Foster family, there were no more tasks, no work, and her sole focus was on David.All of a sudden, Zhang Tao recovered and no longer needed her.She needed some quiet time to rediscover her own value. Otherwise, she would only live in confusion and self-doubt.Evangeline did not insist. Adults need time for themselves, after all. She could not take away the time for solitude that Celina needed just because they had a good relationship."Then… be careful."Evangeline patted Celina's shoulder and watched her le
Evangeline's brow furrowed. This situation was indeed tricky."Why is Carl Fowler still running around outside on his own when his boss has been exposed? If I were him, with Alex arrested, I'd rush back to Southern Crownlands immediately. Even if I couldn't return here, I'd send the message to the Bennison family as quickly as possible."Instead, he's been wandering around Avalon City!"Evangeline's speculation was not without merit. After all, if Carl had sent news of Alex's arrest back to Southern Crownlands, the Bennison family would have taken action. They would not be unaware, like they were at this moment where they've fallen for Walter's smokescreen and did not even realize it.David stroked his chin thoughtfully. "There's definitely something else going on here, and we just haven't figured it out yet. Is Carl wandering around because he's looking for something—or someone?"Having been by Alex's side, he naturally understood the dangers around him.Avalon City was especiall
"Insufficient evidence!"Evangeline and David seemed to be perfectly in sync. David looked at Evangeline with admiration."You truly are incredible, ma'am. Your analytical skills are simply amazing!""You don't need to flatter me. Since you led me to this conclusion, you must have a solution, right?"Gordon Group never kept idle people, and Walter was a perfectionist when it came to hiring. Therefore, the fact that David had worked under Walter for so many years was enough to prove his capabilities.Realizing he had been seen through, David awkwardly scratched his head. "I do have a plan, but it's still a bit underdeveloped, and I don't know if it will help Mr. Gordon."Since he was not sure, he did not dare to bring it up to Walter, only discussing it behind his back with Evangeline."Come on, tell me. Maybe it'll help."If the evidence Walter had was not enough, Gordon Group would remain in turmoil. Trey Gordon was still in the hospital recovering, and the situation at Gordon
David and Celina had lived in Southern Crownlands for a while, so they knew where the Bennison family's base was located. What Evangeline was concerned about, however, was the enormous amount of information carried by this statement."Do you know where Walter got this phone number from?"Whoever used this number would prove to be connected to the Bennison family.If the key person behind the scandal involving Gordon Group could be traced, the company's troubles would be resolved in an instant.David shook his head. "Mr. Gordon only instructed me to investigate this phone number. He didn't say where it came from."Ma'am, the president is holding up Gordon Group on his own. Don't you think we can do something too? Like, helping him catch the key person?"David's tone was uncertain, but his eyes flashed with a sly glint.Evangeline knew he had already devised an idea before speaking to her. She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, and glanced at him sideways. "Speak up, what's yo
"But you know David didn't do anything wrong, right?"If he had, then Celina would not have said she was waiting for him to finish his task. Instead, she would have barged into the study and confronted him immediately.Celina lowered her gaze. "Yes, I know."Both of them were workaholics, and once there was work to be done, they would not care about anything else. So, Celina understood David's feelings very well. That being said, she did not want him to neglect her."I just hate his boss. If it weren't for him giving David some task, he wouldn't be like this."Walter is such a heartless boss. My David is still seriously injured, yet he gave him such an important task. It's practically exploitation!"Just when David could barely move around again, he started working like a dog for Walter!Evangeline did not care about any of the exploitation talk. Her attention was solely on one thing, and that was…"What task did Walter assign to David?"Evangeline's intuition told her that th
After all, if The Bennex Corporation knew about it, it would mean there was an insider in Gordon Group who was working for the Bennison family. At that point, it would trigger another internal purge.Walter finally regained his focus, and the entire Gordon Group was filled with a sense of harmony and renewed vigor. Even the department head of the Operations Department, who had been tortured by stress for days, looked relieved. He knew that the time for their president to strike back had finally arrived!The intense applause from the employees expressed their excitement.Walter felt unexpectedly touched. After all, if the employees did not have any sense of belonging to Gordon Group, they would not have been moved by his sudden actions.Some even shed tears.Evangeline also had not expected that the moment of action would come so soon. She really had waited for Walter to strike back.Apart from this, what surprised her was that David had mysteriously gotten busy. Even Celina, who