They were not doubting their niece, Evangeline. However, surviving a wreck like that, especially right in the thick of it, seemed impossible.Even Yale, a tough-as-nails ex-soldier, did not let himself hope.The brothers had two things on their agenda when they showed up to see Walter. They wanted to give him a piece of their mind for Evangeline, and then get his help to figure out what happened to her.Evangeline adored Walter. Knowing he had done something, anything, for her would have given her some peace.However, the Foster brothers were on fire with anger. In no time, Walter was sporting a colorful bruise collection.He did not even try to fight back.After the crash, he was so devastated that he thought about giving up everything—the company, the Gordon legacy—and just dying with Evangeline.However, he did not need to burden Evangeline's uncles with those thoughts.However, when he heard what Yale had to say, he forced himself to calm down. "Yale, did you guys figure so
While Walter doubled over in agony, unable to fight back, Yale laid out his thoughts."Evie has a heart of gold, and she doesn't make enemies. However, ever since you hooked up with the homewrecker, she's been in someone's crosshairs, and we still haven't figured out who's behind it all."Come on, Walter, the truth is staring us in the face. Are you seriously going to stand there and tell me she's not involved?"Yale's interrogation came at Walter like a rapid-fire. Holden, listening in, was nearly floored by it.He never imagined that the word 'homewrecker'—so crass and lowbrow—would ever slip from the lips of Yale, who was the epitome of cool-headed sophistication.However, there it was, out in the open, and delivered with unexpected ease!Right then, Walter could not even focus on the sharp pain in his gut. "What? Evangeline's in someone's crosshairs?"Walter had always figured that if he kept Evangeline away from that shady Sunny Glow Beauty Salon and kept an extra watchful
By the time Alex got to the scene, it looked like a tornado had hit. Walter's blood was everywhere."Hey, hold up!" Alex yelled at the top of his lungs.Yale spotted Alex and was the first to back off.Holden, still fuming, gave Walter one last stomp before he quit. He faced Alex, all serious business, and laid it out straight, "Every wrong has a wrongdoer, every debt its debtor. We Fosters don't let things slide, but we don't pin stuff on the innocent either. Gordon family's number two, you're off the hook for Evie's car wreck. You're free to go."He gave Alex a dismissive wave, but Alex was not about to budge. Instead, he wheeled himself right up next to Walter."Sorry, but I've still got things to say, so I'm sticking around."I've got a hunch that Evie isn't dead!"That bombshell sent shockwaves through the trio.Yale felt internally torn. He would give anything for Evie to be alive, but after such a horrific crash, it seemed impossible…Holden, ever the hothead, jumped in
Holden rushed back and replayed the surveillance footage repeatedly, counting under his breath, "Three cars! No matter how many times I count, it's always three!"After he said it out loud, Holden had a sudden hunch that something was not adding up."Hold on. We knew Evie could be in trouble, so we sent a bunch of bodyguards to stick close to her. I'm not sure how many cars they took off in, but I'm positive there were more than three!"That meant Evangeline could be in another car that went in an entirely different direction!The Foster brothers locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them, and hope sparked anew.Yale walked up, put the surveillance video back, and made sure to give Alex a firm handshake. "Alex, you've given us an important clue—thanks a ton!"Yale meant every word of his heartfelt thanks.In that nail-biting moment, the Foster brothers were on edge, like ants scurrying on a scalding pan. Alex's insight was like a lifeline thrown in the middle of a
Walter and Alex locked eyes for a moment. Walter's complexion was ghostly, his deep-set eyes a well of loneliness.Alex, parked in his wheelchair, looked calm. A subtle smile played on his lips, and his eyes crinkled with a touch of pride.Standing and seated, their gazes met, and without a word, they understood each other perfectly.Finally, Alex arched an eyebrow at Walter. "You know, I pulled you out of the Foster family brothers' grip, Walter. Aren't you going to thank me?"Walter's mouth twisted into a wry smirk.Years of rivalry had taught him to read between the lines. If he had not grasped Alex's motives at first, Holden's pointed question made it crystal clear. He would be a fool not to see the setup then.It all added up. Alex had foreseen Evangeline's predicament, knew the Foster brothers would come for Walter first, and positioned himself strategically. Just as the trio was on the verge of a showdown, Alex swooped in like a hero, sharing the news he had had all along
However, Lydia's appearance was bound to be a game-changer.It was not just the elusive Lydia. The people with her were all carrying packages, as if they were all in on a secret plan to make a getaway.The Foster family caught wind of the odd behavior and wasted no time in alerting Evangeline.The beauty salon was in the complete opposite direction from Emerald of the Highlands, but Evangeline knew what she had to do. Lydia was too important; she held the key to proving her mother's innocence and uncovering the shadowy figures who had taken her.Without hesitation, Evangeline ordered the driver to turn the car around and head for the salon.Despite her exhaustion, Evangeline felt the weight of the situation was far greater. She could always catch up on sleep after that was all over.It was that quick decision that kept her off the highway of doom, narrowly dodging a bullet.Evangeline raced to Sunny Glow Beauty Salon, arriving just as the dust settled from the recent commotion.
"Step on it. We've got to make it to the bust right away."Evangeline was itching to see Lydia get nabbed with her own eyes."However..." The bodyguard shot a worried look at Evangeline's baby bump, but after a moment's hesitation, he floored the gas pedal.Sunny Glow Beauty Salon was a good distance from Newstead Zone. The Foster family's car zipped down the road, finally catching up to their target just before hitting Newstead Zone.That was when the trouble started.Newstead Zone was all hills and curves, and the roads got trickier the deeper they went. The Foster's guards were new to those parts and did not know the lay of the land, so Lydia's car quickly left them in the dust.Evangeline's heart raced as the white car slipped out of sight.However, what she did not realize was that her bodyguard was even more on edge.He was responsible for the safety of the Foster family's treasured heir growing inside Evangeline. If anything happened on his watch, he knew he could never
Lydia's eyes were huge as she shakily pointed at Evangeline, looking as if she had just seen a ghost."You... What are you doing here, Evangeline?"Lydia was scared stiff. After all the elaborate schemes she had cooked up, including that deadly pile-up on Dannington Road, she could not believe the news of the crash had been wrong. Evangeline was instead very much alive and safe, baby bump and all.Evangeline figured Lydia was just shocked at being caught and did not make a big deal out of it. She leaned in close, her voice steady as she spoke, "What's the big shock? I've been counting the days. Ever since you vanished from the hospital, I made a vow to bring you back myself!"However, Lydia, out of nowhere, clutched her head with both hands and screamed at the top of her lungs."Ahh!"Her legs gave out as if all the strength had been sapped from them, and she crumpled to the ground, still holding her head, mumbling repeatedly, "No! It can't be! It just can't be Evangeline!"It w