The silence in the room was deafening.Evangeline and Walter looked at each other, a million words hanging in the air, yet neither could find their voice.Evangeline's mind buzzed with questions and her heart ached to offer comfort, but the words got stuck in her throat at the sight of Walter's ghostly pale face.Walter had things on his mind too.The thought of Evangeline rushing to the airport to pick up Alex, while he was stuck in surgery, left him at a loss for words.The silence stretched on, an invisible barrier neither of them could break.David, ever so thoughtful, lingered at the door, careful not to intrude, giving them the space they needed.Silence had its own way of shattering, though.With a grimace, Walter propped himself up, a sharp pain lancing through his abdomen."You..." Evangeline's words trailed off as she instinctively reached for a pillow and tucked it gently under Walter's back.Catching his bewildered look, she mumbled an embarrassed explanation, "It
Pulling her thin jacket tighter around her, Evangeline shivered and made her way step by step into the hospital. She convinced herself she was not there out of worry for Walter. She was just repaying a debt of gratitude, and that was that.The hospital's night ward was silent. Evangeline tiptoed, but still managed to wake David, the ever-vigilant night watch. She put a finger to her lips, and he nodded, slipping quietly out of the room."Madam, why haven't you gone home?" he asked, but then he noticed the redness in her eyes and fell silent."How's Walter? Is it bad?" she could not help but ask the question that had been burning inside her. She had seen Walter up and about, but without the doctor's word, she could not shake her worry."The doctor says it's just a superficial cut, nothing serious. He'll be out of here by tomorrow.""Oh, that's a relief," Evangeline sighed, feeling the weight lift off her chest. "I'm going to see him."Her voice was unwavering, brooking no argument
The one reason Evangeline could not do any of that was because of a single person, his very own kin, Alex."Walter, I'm here to express my gratitude. No need to make it weird."Evangeline was annoyed. She had skipped a night's sleep, waiting at the hospital doors into the wee hours just to ensure Walter was okay before she could even think of resting.Walter's words made her feel like her efforts were just plain silly!"Really? Evangeline, believe me, I'd be over the moon if you hadn't come to see me straight from another guy's arms."Evangeline had dashed to the airport for a pickup, which meant she had definitely been with Alex just before.The thought of Evangeline leaving him, injured, to fetch Alex, filled him with a simmering rage.Evangeline's mind raced back to the airport pickup, where she was undeniably with another guy. There was no way around it."Look, it doesn't matter how I got here. I'm just worried about you, Walter. Could you at least act like you're in a hosp
Walter froze.He had not really looked at Evangeline's eyes since she walked in. At this moment, however, he saw the redness, the signs she had been crying a lot.Was she this upset, crying over him... because she cared?While Walter was still in shock, Evangeline snatched his hand away. There, on the small patch of gauze over his belly, a dark stain was spreading.The wound had started to bleed again. Walter had only himself to blame for his carelessness.Evangeline shot him a withering look before turning on her heel to fetch a doctor.In the treatment room, Walter, ever the rebel, was pinned down by the medical team for a stitch redo.Evangeline watched in silence, her beautiful face an icy mask. To the uninformed, she might have seemed like someone enjoying her nemesis's downfall.She was, in fact, seething.Walter, the cause of all this, winced and grinned through the doctor's prodding, looking infuriatingly smug.When a noise, akin to a pig's squeal, escaped Walter, Eva
Evangeline was blindsided by Walter's response."Absolutely. But let me give you one last piece of advice." Walter's voice was cold, a clear warning laced within. "We're still married, Evangeline. If I catch you messing around with another guy before we're through, you can't say I didn't warn you!"Walter had thrown that threat at her more than once. The first couple of times, Evangeline was just confused. After hearing it over and over though, she did not even have the energy to retort.She knew Walter never trusted her, not even after she accidentally gave him the most special night of her life. What was the point in explaining anything to a guy who refused to believe?She thought to herself, 'I know I'm clean, and that's all that matters.' The ache in her heart for Walter disappeared in a flash, and she found no reason to stick around.Bang! She slammed the door behind her and stormed out.Walter's face turned pitch black with rage, his hands balled into fists, and he took out
Evangeline snatched up the phone, her voice rushed as she spoke to Alex on the line, "Alex, this gift is way too extravagant, I just can't take it."Just the blue diamond, big as a pigeon's egg, was worth at least twenty million, and that was not even counting the rest of the jewels.Alex laughed. "Nothing is too extravagant for our Foster family's darling princess! Evie, I really put my heart into this. Go on, take it. Didn't your family throw you a massive birthday party? Do me a favor, and rock that dress at the party, okay? I'm bummed I can't see you in it myself, so make sure you snap a pic and text it to me..."The saying 'the Gordons rule the South and the Fosters the North' spelled out just how much clout the Foster family had.In a family that influential, folks from every social circle were itching to rub elbows with them.So, for the Foster family's princess, her birthday celebration was the hottest ticket in town, with a full house and a who's who of high society in at
"Grandpa, what's got you so mad? Is it because you think it's not cool for me to be live-streaming my birthday party? I can shut it off right now—I just don't want you to be upset..."Evangeline did not even let Cole get a word in, quickly turning off the live-stream.Cole was still fuming, his face a stormy shade of gray. "Evie, tell me, why didn't Walter show up?"Evangeline dreaded questions about Walter. Panicking, she blurted out the same excuse she had used before to brush off her grandfather, "Remember? I said Walter was super busy today, he couldn't make it...""Don't you lie to me!" Cole cut her off. "Just because I'm getting older doesn't mean I'm clueless! Come clean now, I'm giving you the chance! The whole thing about you two wanting a kid, was that a fib to fool me? And if there's anything else you're keeping from me, spill it now!"Trying to keep her cool, Evangeline gave an awkward smile, "I swear, I'm not lying to you, Grandpa."She blinked rapidly, silently plea
Those pale, chapped lips and the slight tension in Walter's brow said it all.Family dramas had always been unpredictable, especially with the Gordons owning the South and the Fosters controlling the North. These two clans essentially ran everything. As long as Walter and Evangeline remained married, nothing was ever certain. Upsetting one of them could easily have meant offending both.The crowd was full of sharp cookies, and when they heard Walter's question, they were quick to butter him up."No way, Mr. Walter Gordon, you're too kind. Everything is of the highest quality! It's just your granddad-in-law—he's a bit miffed that his favorite granddaughter's hubby was a no-show at her birthday. Better go smooth things over."The guy talking put on a friendly act and scooted closer to Walter, spilling the beans about what was going on.Once he said that, the whole vibe of the place did a 180—from stuffy to buzzing with excitement. Everyone was cracking up, eager to see how Walter wo
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