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
"Breaking news alert. A massive pile-up on Dannington Road in downtown Avalon City has left hundreds injured at 12:38 p.m. today. Reports say up to two hundred seventy vehicles were wrecked, and over a thousand people were involved..."Evangeline zeroed in on the timestamp.That was right when she was supposed to hit the freeway.No wonder her uncles were freaking out. Holden was a mess; tears and snot were everywhere. Even Yale, a no-nonsense man, had eyes red and swollen."You guys thought I was in that mess on the highway?"Everything clicked into place. Evangeline gently grabbed her uncles' hands as she remorsefully apologized."I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. It was all happening so fast that I didn't want to hold up anything important, so I didn't get the chance to tell you," she explained.Holden, finally at ease, gave an exaggerated eye roll."You have no idea. When we caught that news, our hearts dropped to the floor. If Alex hadn't shown us the security cam
"Listen, Evie, Alex is a very thoughtful guy. If you ended up with him, I guarantee you'd be happy."Holden's words started to twist, sounding more and more like he trying to match her with Alex.Evangeline was mid-sip when Holden's bombshell nearly made her do a spit-take."Uncle, do you hear yourself? I just divorced Walter, and now you're pushing me toward his brother? What am I to you? Or do you think a Foster girl is doomed to spinsterhood without a Gordon man?"She had married Walter for love. However, to jump from Walter to Alex right after a divorce was a whole new level of crazy.Holden, with all his years, harboring such wild ideas? Evangeline knew she had to squash that thought before it took root.Holden caught on to the unease in Evangeline's thoughts and let out a scoff. "Of course, our Foster girl wouldn't just get stuck on the Gordons, would she?"He had always thought his niece was head over heels for Walter's good looks. She had been dreaming of marrying the gu
Holden joined the conversation as he said, "That's why I think this crash was no accident."He looked straight at Evangeline. "Evie, it's too much of a coincidence. It feels like this was meant for you!"The twisted metal from the Foster family's car lay scattered at the epicenter of a catastrophic pile-up.Evangeline's mind raced away from the present.It was a horrific crash, claiming over a thousand lives. She could not fathom what she had done to cross someone so powerful. They had orchestrated that disaster just to take her out, under the guise of an accident."I have a hunch someone knows something," she mused.…In the secretive meeting room of Security tower.Evangeline clapped her hands, drawing skeptical looks from Yale and Holden.The bodyguards hauled in a figure shrouded in a black sack, struggling fiercely despite the restraint. The captive was strong, and it took four guards to subdue and bring her in.One guard, fed up with the struggle, barked a warning."Ke
One glance at the caller ID and Minnie knew it was Celina.She was due for her pampering session at Sunny Glow Beauty Salon any minute then. Celina's call must be a reminder, she figured.Without a second thought, Minnie answered, "Celina, I told you to bring my mom over here, didn't I? Look at the time! Why isn't she here yet?"The thought of seeing her mother again brought a smile to Minnie's face.However, her words sent a shiver down Celina's spine."Ms. Kast, there's a reason I'm calling..."Celina inhaled deeply, trying to steady her spinning head before continuing with as much composure as she could muster, "While we were moving Mrs. Lydia, we picked up a tail. To keep your location under wraps, we diverted to a different spot. However, those guys actually followed us and, without so much as a by-your-leave, they... they took Mrs. Lydia!""What are you talking about?"Minnie's heart stopped. She was in disbelief.Her mother had just pulled through for her in a big way,
"You've got the nerve to call me, Minnie?"Minnie had braced herself for that. She pulled the phone away until the storm passed, then cautiously returned it to her ear. "Hey, why all the fire on such a chilly day? Take a chill pill, or you'll end up hurting yourself," she joked, her tone light, her apology absent.The person on the other end huffed, "Cut to the chase, Minnie. Did you have a hand in that pile-up?""Nope, not me."Minnie blurted out in a rush, "Come on, I knew your sweetheart was in that car. Even if I had the urge to stir up trouble, I'd hold back, wouldn't I? And just so you know, I had absolutely nothing to do with that crash!"She sounded like she was standing on solid ground.Truth be told, she was innocent. The accident was her mom Lydia's handiwork, not hers. Technically, she was not lying.However, as she thought about it, realizing that her friend's sweetheart was out of the picture, she felt a pang of guilt and figured some words of comfort were in order
Winning Walter's heart while posing as Minnie had been no small feat, and then she faced the daunting task of reverting to her old self, to Julia…What would the Gordons, the Fosters, and especially that snake Evangeline think of her? She could not bear to follow that train of thought!The line went quiet, only to be broken by an impatient voice on the other end. "Did you forget? Minnie and Lydia are two strangers with no connection. Don't freak out over every little thing. You've been burned before and still haven't learned your lesson. Not even a miracle could save you now!"Look, I'm swamped and don't have time for small talk. Just think it over, okay?"Minnie ended the call and gazed at the number on her phone screen, her eyes sparkling with resolve.True, her identity was set up to be airtight. Minnie was not Julia, and what did she have to do with Lydia anyway?With that thought, Minnie let out a sigh of relief.All she could do was hope that Lydia would not get snatched b
Unbeknownst to them, Evangeline and Holden were watching the whole exchange from behind a one-way mirror.Once Yale stood up and exited, Evangeline and Holden left the observation room as well.In the conference room, Yale was all business, Holden's brows were knitted in frustration, and Evangeline's face was blank, though she seemed to be wrestling with a tough problem.Lydia seemed to unravel at the sight of her, leading Evangeline to believe that Lydia would crack easily under questioning.However, Lydia was sharper than they expected.She was banking on the fact that Yale, a government official, would not dare break the law or resort to underhanded tactics, and she would not confess a thing."Argh!" Holden could not contain his anger and punched the table with a thud.Yale did not lash out, but he was visibly trembling with rage."Uncle Yale, don't you think Lydia's just being cocky because she thinks we're too cautious?" she asked. "Isn't there another way to get her to te