Evangeline flipped through the documents, and her eyes widened at the sight of the lifetime ownership papers for a private island off the Mastorwell coast."Are you seriously giving me an island?"Jack's voice was calm and steady as he said, "You know, we all have those days when we're just not feeling it, totally wiped out. I figured my awesome niece might need a chill spot for those times. I've got you covered on the island—food, clothes, a place to crash, and transportation. You have to check it out, okay?"Evangeline nodded eagerly. "Oh, absolutely!"Holden jumped in. "Handing out houses and islands like candy, but Mastorwell is a million miles away. How's she supposed to get there? You guys missed a beat. But not me—check this out!"Like magic, the ownership papers for a private jet fluttered into Evangeline's hands."The pilot is an old pal of mine, high-grade and completely safe! Evie, you're going to love it!""Uncle Holden, you're the best!"Evangeline threw her arms a
James' voice carried a note of self-deprecation, but everyone there knew the truth.James was a legend, a top-tier lawyer with a golden touch. Most lawyers bill by the hour or by the case, but not James. His time was so valuable that he charged by the minute, and only the big shots could afford to get him on board.Around Evangeline, however, he was just a big softie, playing the fool to make her laugh. Everyone was in on the joke, and it only made them respect him more.Evangeline had unwrapped so many presents that the thrill was starting to wear off—until she saw the unusual gift box from Uncle James. Her curiosity sparked back to life.She opened the box with care and pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper. It was a painting!Unrolling it, she was greeted by a serene autumn landscape. The golden oak leaves fluttered gently in the breeze, while the deep red maples stood tall, adding a vibrant contrast to the scene. The painting's deer, captured mid-leap, added a touch of gracefu
"Evie, life hasn't been kind to you, and no matter how much your uncles and I try, we can't take the place of your real parents."Normally, I wouldn't give you a gift at my age—it might mess with your luck. But how could I not give you something for your first birthday with the Fosters?"Cole's heartfelt words made Evangeline's eyes brim with tears."Grandpa, you don't have to do anything..."Before she could finish, Cole gestured for her to be quiet."I don't have much to give, and I wouldn't want to curse your luck, so I'll just give you a little something to remember this day by."With everyone watching, Cole lifted his left hand. The emerald jade of his ring drew all eyes to it.That ring was the very one Cole had won from the last great gambler in his legendary victory. Once it became part of the Foster family, it turned into a symbol of their authority.As the onlookers held their breath, Cole slid the ring off his finger.The excitement was palpable, with gasps echoing
With everything laid out before her, Evangeline found it impossible to say no.The serious talk was done, and it was finally time for everyone to relax and share a moment or two.This was Evangeline's favorite part. She was not one for small talk, but she could not turn away her uncles' kindness.Finally free, she was eager to reconnect with Alex, whom she had not seen in far too long.The fact that Alex was using a wheelchair—and she had not known—pained her deeply.Without hesitation, Evangeline wheeled Alex out to the back garden.As they reached the swing, Evangeline noticed a woman with an effortless grace entering the garden. She looked up and realized it was the same woman who had helped Alex earlier. With a polite smile, she acknowledged her presence.The woman took her place next to Alex's wheelchair with a practiced grace, her eyes twinkling with a smile that did not quite reach the distant look in her gaze. She seemed to be somewhere else entirely.Evangeline's gaze
Evangeline bit her lip, wanting to ask about the injury that had taken the spring out of those once-lively legs, but the thought of dredging up Alex's painful past made her heart heavy.Amid her indecision, Minnie piped up with a sparkle in her eye, "Ms. Evangeline, who was that dreamy guy standing with you earlier? He's a total knockout! Any chance you could hook us up?"The man in question, the one who'd been glued to Evangeline's side at the party, was none other than Walter.Minnie's eyes practically danced at the mention of him, her crush as obvious as a neon sign.Alex's face clouded over, a frown marring his usually smooth features as he shot a warning glance. "Minnie, you're here to dive into your new project, not daydream about boys."The air between Walter and Evangeline was thick with awkwardness.Evangeline understood that Alex's scolding was his way of protecting her feelings.She was over it, though."Alex," Evangeline chided, "Minnie's about my age, and it's tota
"Excuse me, miss, do you... know me?"In Avalon City, Walter was a known figure, so it was not odd for women to recognize him. Usually, however, they would get all bashful and scurry off.This woman had the guts to tap his shoulder—a bold move, for sure."Hi there, I'm Minnie. Maybe you and I could get to know each other better?"Minnie's words were coy, but her actions were anything but. She reached out her hand to Walter with no hesitation.Her eyes locked onto Walter with an intensity that was almost predatory, as if he was just a piece of meat ready for her to carve up.Walter did not like that one bit.He had much experience with women, but he never met a woman who looked at him like he was her next catch.He was not like the others. This kind of move did not intrigue him—it turned him off.Ignoring Minnie's outstretched hand, Walter coolly fished out a cigarette from his pocket, struck a match with a flick of his wrist, and took a leisurely puff. He then nonchalantly sai
"Evangeline and I need to talk. You're excused."Walter's grip was unyielding, and Evangeline could not resist as he dragged her away from the garden.…Back in Evangeline's room, Walter slammed the door with a bang and spun around to see Evangeline in her evening gown, his expression darkening.He pointed accusingly at the blue diamond on her dress and growled a warning, "So, are you going to take that off, or do I have to do it for you?"His words sent a shiver down Evangeline's spine, reviving unpleasant memories.Remembering Walter's past roughness, she held onto her dress for dear life.The party was still in full swing, and Evangeline had to make a round of personal thank-yous to the guests soon. "You need to get your mind out of the gutter, Walter!" she snapped.She had thought the stern warnings from the uncles at the party would have put him on alert, but it looked like they did not faze him one bit. How else could he be so bold as to ask her to strip down in the middl
This was utterly ridiculous!Evangeline shot Walter a withering look."What's the big deal about wearing clothes from someone else? First, the gift is from Alex, not just some other man," she snapped at Walter. "And just to be clear, we're on the brink of divorce. Maybe you should start getting used to being my ex and stop being so grabby, okay?"Walter was a piece of work.Back when she was head over heels for him, doing everything to be by his side, he could not have cared less.Now, all she wanted was to speed through the divorce and break free, but he was all up in her business, even fussing over what she wore.Was this his idea of fun? Being a control freak?Walter had been standing on the floor, but at her words, he took a step that landed him on the bed, closing in on Evangeline, still in her tattered dress. He seized her chin with a grip that was as cold and shocking as his expression."Clearly, Ms. Evangeline, you're clueless about the law, so let me enlighten you. The
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
Evangeline publicly announced her divorce from Walter, even attaching a photo of their divorce certificate to her social media post. She made it clear that the Foster and Gordon families were no longer tied by marriage and were merely business partners.The post immediately caused an uproar online.Keyboard warriors, who had taken just one day off, came back with renewed vigor, their criticism even more intense than before.Some congratulated Evangeline on leaving the 'scumbag' and starting a new chapter in her life. Others sneered, claiming that without the Foster family's backing, the Gordon family was doomed to collapse.Some also angrily denounced Walter, proclaiming scumbags like him deserved nothing but ruin—and that Gordon Group's impending bankruptcy was only the beginning of his downfall.For the sake of Walter's plan, Evangeline could not disable comments on her post. She had no choice but to watch the varied opinions spread and ferment in her comment section.The sheer
The department head raised his face to the ceiling and let out a long, mournful sigh, practically on the verge of tears. "President, when will these days of suffering finally end?"Walter patted the man's shoulder reassuringly. "Soon… maybe in three or so days?" he answered warily. After all, the end of the department head's torment was not something Walter could dictate—it depended entirely on the Bennison family.If David could uncover evidence of collusion between Alex, The Bennex Corporation, and the Bennison family, then the timeline might speed up. If no evidence was found, it would drag on indefinitely, and Walter had no idea when the ordeal would end.Sensing the hesitation in Walter's words, the department head looked at him with tearful eyes and asked, "President, are we really going to make it?"Walter nodded firmly. "Of course. You have to trust me."After watching the department head leave, Emma appeared at Walter's side immediately. "Mr. Gordon, the operations depart
Walter took the document from the department head. Upon inspecting it, his expression darkened.The department head, terrified of being caught in the fallout of his boss's fury, quickly started rambling, "Seriously, what is this? Gordon Group is already in such a fragile state, and Madam has to announce something like this now? Isn't this just kicking us when we're down?"And now? Those holding back because of the Foster family's influence are free to act. They'll be coming after us with no mercy!"The department head, drenched in sweat, could practically see Gordon Group being carved up by opportunists. He was on the verge of despair.Walter, however, calmly flipped through the materials in his hands, page by page, without showing any urgency or making any decisions."President, surely you're not going to leave me to figure this out again, are you?"The department head was at his wit's end. When he came for instructions the last time, all he got was vague guidance to 'handle it
As long as this phone number can be traced back to the Bennison family, the series of numbers that appeared on the phone could serve as powerful evidence of Alex colluding with the Bennison family to bring the Gordon Group to ruin.This alone would be enough to convict Alex. The Bennison family's intentions would also crumble into nothingness.Walter had pieced everything together but was even more curious to understand Alex's inner thoughts. He wanted to know what was going through Alex's mind when he placed those two items in the drawer.Was he genuinely exchanging himself for the Gordon Group's safety? What could have caused someone, who once hated the Gordon family to the core, to have a complete change of heart?Walter did not answer the call but jotted down the number and sent it to David, urging him to investigate it as quickly as possible.Meanwhile, whoever it was persistently tried to call as if unwilling to give up until Alex picked up.After three unanswered calls, th
Evangeline's words caused a flicker of darkness to pass through Hank's eyes. He lowered his gaze slightly before continuing, "I remember that although you and Walter are divorced, you haven't officially announced it, have you?"Evangeline nodded. "Though it hasn't been made public, the news was so widely spread back then that it's no longer a secret."Using the news of her divorce from Walter to further damage Gordon Group's reputation likely would not cause much of a stir.However, Hank shook his head. "Since the words never came from your mouth, no matter how clear the rumors might be, they're still just that—rumors. Nothing definitive."The reason Gordon Group has managed to stay relatively calm amid the storm is because those behind the scenes believe that Gordon Group is still backed by Foster Group. That's why they're hesitating to strike."If they did not act, Walter would not have a better opportunity to counterattack and would be forced to endure the pressure.Hearing th
With just Evangeline's brief explanation, Hank's mind had crafted a hypothetical plan that aligned with Walter's approach."Evie, I think I've figured out his intentions. If Walter is holding a trump card but isn't rushing to use it, it means he's confident. On this battlefield, he's determined to emerge as the champion."Evangeline nodded. "I think so too, but I still don't understand why he's pushing to expand the negative impact.""Have you ever had a boil?" Hank asked out of nowhere, surprising Evangeline.Were they not discussing business strategy? Why had they suddenly veered into dermatology?"What about boils?" she asked, her eyes widening in confusion.Hank only smiled more warmly. "A boil needs to grow to a certain extent before you can drain the pus completely, ensuring clean healing and faster recovery."If I'm not mistaken, there's likely a mole within Gordon Group. Or maybe there's a powerful force behind The Bennex Corporation secretly orchestrating all of this."