Cole had been a titan in Avalon City. Even his funeral was a testament to that, with a never-ending stream of mourners coming to pay their last respects.The crowd was united in their sorrow, and as Evangeline looked on, her eyes grew red with tears.At the entrance of the funeral home, Yale, the eldest son, stood solemnly before his father's portrait. Evangeline's uncles were scattered around, each lost in their own thoughts.Evangeline made her way to the front, gently laying flowers on the casket.Yale's gaze followed her every move, his eyes brimming with concern. "Evie, why are you here? You should be resting after just waking up...""Uncle Yale." Evangeline's voice trembled as she fought back tears. "How could I miss Grandpa's final farewell?"She dabbed at her tear-streaked cheeks, inhaled deeply, and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?""You..." Yale started to speak, then paused, struggling with his words. At last, he said, "Just stand behind me."Together, the
"Mr. Gordon, I know this gemstone bracelet was meant for your granddaughter-in-law. But let's face it: my marriage to Walter was a joke, and it would've ended ages ago if it weren't for Grandpa Cole's illness. Now that he's gone, it doesn't seem right for me to keep this beauty, does it?"She laughed, trying to keep it light, and took Trey's frail hand, pressing the wooden box with the bracelet into his palm. "Don't worry, even if Walter and I weren't meant to be, you'll always be my grandpa."With that, Evangeline spun on her heel and walked away, not looking back.It was not that she was distant. It was just that she was afraid if she hesitated, Trey would see the tears she was fighting back.She had a tender heart.After all, how could she not feel a bond with Trey after all the time they had spent together?What Evangeline did not see was Trey, with the wooden box at hand, standing still with tears welling up in his old eyes. He watched her walk away.He knew that the grandd
Evangeline's heart twinged uncontrollably as she thought about the vivid, passionate scene between Walter and Julia.'No! Get a grip, Evangeline! Haven't you decided to move on? Why does it still hurt? You can't let this get to you!' Evangeline's mind raced with the thought.Then, out of nowhere, she smiled radiantly."Maybe Julia just couldn't handle your fiery touch and snuck off when you weren't looking?"She could still recall how Walter had treated her, like she was nothing more than someone to use, pinned down in that car.As for Julia... Could Walter really let himself go that far with her? The thought alone was enough to stun her.However, Walter could not stand even the slightest hint of accusation from Evangeline, his face darkening with anger.He did not realize that his reaction was all the confirmation Evangeline needed.So, Julia had really slipped away?"Let me lay it out for you: Julia is with me now. Sure, I promised Andrew I wouldn't lay a finger on her, as l
Evangeline paused, cradling her growing belly, and slowly spun to take her phone out of her pocket. She dialed Walter's number.As soon as the call connected…"I'm sorry, Mr. Walter Gordon, but Celina doesn't want to see you."Beep, beep, beep!Evangeline ended the call, leaving Walter with nothing but the tone of a dead line.Back at the funeral home, Evangeline's gaze landed on the black and white photos again, and the tears started flowing anew.Julieta was heartbroken to see her like that. With a gentle swipe of her hand, she dried the tears on Evangeline's face and whispered, "Ms. Evangeline, don't be heartbroken...""Mrs. Lewis..."In moments like these, the tender words were like a spell, coaxing out all the grief Evangeline had bottled up inside. She collapsed into Julieta's embrace, crying her heart out.At that moment, Evangeline was not the cherished darling of the Foster family. She was just a girl who had lost her beloved grandfather.Julieta's hand moved in soot
Celina's eyes brimmed with tears as she moved next to the old butler, Edwin, who was also struggling to keep it together. She leaned in, her voice a soft murmur, "Mr. Jamison, is Ms. Snyder's poster all set?"Seeing him nod, she added, "Okay, let's get it sorted for Mr. Foster."Evangeline had mentioned her love for celebrities in passing. However, Cole, bless his heart, took it seriously. Despite his age, he fumbled with a smartphone he barely understood, on a quest to find his favorite star…Evangeline's tears came on stronger, especially when she saw Elliana's glossy poster in front of Cole's old black and white photo. She just could not hold them back.Elliana, looking serious and holding a bouquet of daisies, stepped up to the memorial. "Mr. Foster, we've never met, but I've known about you for ages. Being your idol, and getting invited to such a big moment in your life, it's a huge honor for me..."At first, when Elliana heard about Cole from Celina, she thought it was some
"T-Thank you."Elliana's voice came out in a shaky whisper, her cheeks burning so much that she could barely get the words out.The guy just gave a slight, calm smile. "No problem. See ya."They were at a funeral on a grassy lawn, and the man had picked up the white flower, getting a bit of dirt on his fingertips."Sir!" Elliana could not help but stop him as he turned to leave, noticing the dirt. She felt a wave of embarrassment as she offered, "Your hand... it's got dirt on it. Need a tissue?"She reached for the zipper on her jacket.He looked at his hand as if he would just notice, glanced at the dirt, and casually wiped it away. "I'm good, thanks."He did not look back after that, but Elliana could not help but watch his retreating figure for a long while until her agent interrupted her thoughts."Ms. Snyder? We've got an hour before our next gig, and it's a bit of a drive. We should head out now or we might be late..."Elliana snapped out of her daze. "Right, let's go."
Aemon rushed to Evangeline's side. "Evie, let me handle this, okay? You should go and take a break over there."Helping Yale with the guests was not a huge task, but Evangeline was pregnant and all over the place emotionally. How could she keep up with such stress?"Don't worry, I've got this." Evangeline stubbornly shrugged off Aemon's hand, determined to stay by Cole's side until the very end.Aemon understood where his niece was coming from. However, seeing her pale, delicate face made his heart ache."Listen to me, Evie, go on back. You've done enough. Let me do this last thing for him, as his son..."Aemon's voice was barely a whisper by the end, yet Evangeline caught every word.If it had been any other uncle, she might not have batted an eye, but this was Aemon, the one who always talked about living life on the edge. How could she not be touched?That was when Evangeline realized that her usually over-the-top uncle had toned it down, dressing all neat and proper.She re
Roslyn was steaming when she mentioned the situation, but her anger melted away when she reached Evangeline and saw her pale, tear-streaked face."Evie, how could you keep such big news from me?" The fiery Roslyn suddenly seemed like a hurt puppy, her eyes filled with sadness as she looked at Evangeline."I figured you'd be very busy, so I didn't want to bother you..." said Evangeline.Roslyn glanced at Evangeline's baby bump, let out a resigned sigh, and gently took her hand, cradling it on her own. "Mr. Foster has been like family since I was a kid. I couldn't miss his funeral."Funerals were a big deal, the last chance to say goodbye. They might have been simple, but they were a must for anyone who cared to show up.Roslyn knew what was going on in her heart, but she understood where Evangeline was coming from.She had been stuck on set for the latest movie, her agent keeping her in the dark about everything. It was not until she finally escaped the set that she caught up on a
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