"That's the one. It's our first year teaming up, so we're still feeling each other out. However, when our crew got wind of the issue, they beelined for a quality check."Guess what? The 'big quality disaster' was just some tiny scuffs on the parts, no biggie, yet they're making this a bigger problem than it is!"Carl was panicking, close to tears. "We just shelled out big time for mining rights in the Southern Crownlands. If we don't bank that nine million from The Bennex Corporation and then have to shell out for the breach..."He felt like the room was spinning. "Sir, we're staring down the barrel of a financial meltdown."Carl was a bundle of nerves, but Alex remained composed.Alex had it all figured out—the Bennison family had set a sneaky trap to take over the Gordon family's empire. Their weapon? The Bennex Corporation, which was entirely under the Bennisons' control.If Alex had not stepped in to save Gordon Group, The Bennex Corporation would have hit them where it hurt,
"Dad, maybe it's just not meant to be with Evie and our family. You've got to stop beating yourself up over this. If you get sick from all the worry, what are we going to do?"Aria could not help but notice how Trey seemed to age more with each passing day, and it worried her.She had to admit that after all the years of back-and-forth, Trey had been nothing but good to her and her son, especially after they were left on their own. When Walter's dad died in the war, Trey took them under his wing, treating them like royalty and even letting Walter run the company.He had passed the reins back to Alex, yet Walter still came away with a multitude of experiences. Aria felt grateful for that.Thus, seeing Trey like that, she felt like she was not doing enough for him and was determined to help.Trey gave his hand a shake and put the Gemstone Bracelets back in their wooden box, lingering without closing the lid, his finger gently tracing over it."Aria, would you mind turning on the te
Aria's words were loaded with so much information that Walter was overwhelmed.He wrestled with the barrage of truths.Once he had his thoughts in order, the pieces fell into place.Trey had made a promise that meant Alex had to step away from the company. Seeing Alex throw in the towel and jet off to study music abroad, Trey had carried that guilt.Hoping to give Walter a chance to win back Evangeline, Trey—sensing Alex's ironclad resolve for the company—smoothly passed the reins to Alex, setting Walter free.It would be a lie to say Walter was not touched.Through it all, Trey never blamed him for the mess at Southern Crownlands. Instead, he had left Walter a sliver of hope for a shot at happiness."Grandpa has heard about The Bennex Corporation mess?"Walter froze.With the Bennison family backing Alex, there had to be a way out of that mess.However, how could he possibly make Trey understand all that?He glanced at the ominous red light of the operating room.Even if h
"Grandpa, you can stop worrying about the company. With Alex running things, it's all under control," Walter assured him.He was not just trying to make Alex look good. Walter genuinely believed that even if Alex was in league with the Bennison family, he would never let Gordon Group, his responsibility, crumble to nothing.Gordon Group was Trey's life's work, and Walter knew it was weighing heavily on Trey's mind.He said that to ease Trey's worries.It worked. Trey closed his eyes for a moment, a sign of relief, then squeezed Walter's hand once more."Evie..."Hearing that name, Walter's tears came flooding out. Even facing the end, Trey thought of Walter and Evangeline."You want to see Evangeline, don't you?" Walter asked gently.Trey gave a faint nod."I'll go get her right now!"Walter had been on his way to visit David when he had stumbled upon Trey being rushed into the hospital. He had hurried to Trey's side, only to realize he had no clue where to find Evangeline.
Walter was afraid that any attempt to control her would ruin their chances of making up for good.Walter's fears were unfounded, though.Trey had always cherished Evangeline like his own granddaughter, and she was not one to hold grudges. With Trey so sick, she would not dream of saying no.The hospital room was quiet except for the sound of Aria's sobs as she tucked the blanket around Trey's thin frame."Dad, look who's here. Evie's come to see you, your favorite granddaughter-in-law. Please, wake up," Aria whispered.Trey seemed to hear her plea and slowly opened his eyes. Evangeline had not even reached his bedside when he weakly reached out to her. She dashed to his side, and as she spoke, her tears fell freely."Mr. Gordon..." Evangeline stood before the old man, her heart bursting with words that tangled and lodged in her throat, leaving her speechless.Trey gave a feeble attempt at a smile, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.Then, as if struck by a sudden memor
Evangeline did not feel the respect from Walter that a wife deserved, nor the pampering a woman should get.So, she could share his bed over and over, could sneak around doing things to help him out.However, face to face, she would not show an ounce of affection.Her disappointment in Walter had piled up so high, she had stopped dreaming of a fairy-tale ending…Once bitten, twice shy."Mdm. Gordon, you know how they say, 'Only a fish can feel the temperature of the water it's in'? Well, Walter and I know what's going on with us, so you don't have to worry. And about these gemstone bracelets..."Before Evangeline could finish her sentence, Aria jumped in."You should really take them."If you and Walter are meant to be, then you deserve this bracelet. However, if it turns out that your connection isn't that deep, then think of this as a token of goodwill from the Gordons."Aria was not just quick with words, her actions were just as swift.She did not even wait to see if Evan
What did that mean?Evangeline had stepped into the role of the Gordon family's granddaughter-in-law!Alex's hand, hidden beneath the blanket, shook uncontrollably.Had she made up with Walter? Where did that leave him? Did his own declarations of love mean nothing to her?Lost in his drama, Alex completely forgot why he had come in the first place.Trey, the big shot of Gordon Group, was knocking on death's door, and there was Alex, so hung up on a girl that he had forgotten about the family empire hanging in the balance!"Mr. Gordon, Madam Gordon."Carl's voice, all politeness and respect, snapped Alex back to reality.Ignoring Carl, Alex wheeled himself past Walter and straight to Trey. "Grandpa, sorry I'm late."He was all apologies, head hanging low with regret.He had known even before getting to the hospital, thanks to Carl, that Trey's sudden illness was all about The Bennex Corporation mess. As the guy running the show, Alex knew he was in hot water."It's okay."E
With Trey's life hanging by a thread and no word on changing the heir, it looked like Gordon Group might end up in Alex's lap.That was exactly what Alex had been gunning for.So why was he the one asking questions then?"What's it to you?"Alex let out a scornful laugh, "Evangeline wore that Gemstone Bracelet again, which pretty much means she's owning up to being the Gordon family's granddaughter-in-law."So, as your brother, I guess I should be saying congrats, huh? Congrats on winning over the girl!"His words were all congrats, but his voice was laced with a bitterness he could not hide.His love for Evangeline was just as strong as Walter's, perhaps even stronger.In the end, she chose Walter!How was he supposed to live with that?Walter got the message loud and clear: Alex had it all wrong. However, he did not feel like clearing things up. After all, something far more important had just crossed his mind.Alex had been fooling himself about Evangeline for years. Then
Evangeline felt a stir in her heart as Alex's persuasive voice washed over her. She knew he was twisting the truth, but she could not quite pin down a comeback to shut him down.Hurting someone in the name of love could not possibly be true love, could it?She saw right through Alex's charming tricks—classic manipulator moves. If she let herself get sucked into his logic, she would be brainwashed in no time, turned into his personal puppet. 'Alex, you're seriously scary,' she thought to herself.If she fought back too hard, he would only come at her with worse, and she was not exactly in a position to fight back. She was about as intimidating as a kitten.No, she had to be clever about that."I believe you," she said, her voice light and airy as if she did not have a care in the world. Even tied up as she was, her smile and bright eyes made her look utterly adorable."You know, Alex, you're making a lot of sense. I mean, what have I gotten from chasing after Walter all this tim
Foster Group had revamped its game, and it was a whole new ballgame. However, just because they had ditched their old ways, did that mean nobody was left to pick up the slack?Alex was clued in on all of that, yet fear was not in his vocabulary."You really think I'm scared to mess with you because of that?" Alex's voice dripped with icy mockery. "Evangeline, the only reason I haven't pushed you is because I love you too much to make you do anything... intimate."However, if my caring turns into your scorn, then sorry, I can't just stand by and do nothing.""Too much love to force me?" Evangeline laughed like she had heard the funniest joke ever. "Does your face turn red when you say that? Does lying make you squirm?"You say you can't force me, but did I come to this creepy place because I wanted to? Did I ask you to tie me up like this?"Alex's face hardened, and his words were laced with pure fury."Evie, if you keep bad-mouthing me, keep getting me wrong, I'm going to lose
"Spill it, why did you bring me here, and why am I all tied up?"Evangeline had already taken in every detail of the room, feeling a wave of strangeness wash over her.She knew for a fact she had never set foot in that place before.Then again, this was Alex's secret lair. How could she have ever been there?Alex did not answer right away. Instead, he caressed her cheek with one hand, boasting arrogantly, "When I bring my girl to my place, there's no need for a reason."Evangeline tried to shrink away from his touch, but the ropes made it impossible to move.She resigned herself and thrust her bound hands toward Alex. "Alex, is this your idea of treating a woman right?"Drugging me, tying me up while I'm knocked out? Don't you think these tactics are a little low, even for you?"Before this, Evangeline had never thought Alex could be so vile.However, there he was, his hand casually resting on the ropes that tied her up, while his other hand reached out to grab hers. He looked
The room was so soundproof that Evangeline did not catch a word of the conversation. If she had, she would have laughed and said that the biggest danger she faced was Alex himself.Too bad Evangeline was out of earshot, and Yale was clueless that Alex was just faking concern. Considering how close Alex seemed to be with Evangeline and how worried he acted, Yale pushed aside his suspicions.Alex played the caring friend perfectly, offering Yale a few comforting words. However, Yale was too focused on the search for Evangeline to chat, so he hung up quickly.As soon as the call ended, the worried look on Alex's face melted away, replaced by a smug grin.'Yale, I wonder how you'll look next time we meet, when I'm introduced as Evangeline's boyfriend? Will you be relieved, or will you be steaming mad? Either way, I bet it'll be a picture worth seeing.'Of course, Yale's reaction did not matter. Alex had one thing on his mind today: to win Evangeline over.In a perfect world, he would
Walter did not buy the story for a second, his eyes locked on Thomas."That toy you're holding is the Shadow Wing, isn't it? A casual one million five hundred thousand dollar purchase—come on, you're no average person."Even though Thomas was riddled with doubts, he knew that was not the time to get caught up in them."Thomas, once we wrap this up and Evangeline's back safe, let's really get to know each other, okay?"Thomas just gave a nonchalant shrug. "Sure thing, I'm ready whenever you are."Just then, Thomas's eyes sparkled as he zeroed in on the screen."Got her! She's right here!"Walter glanced over at Thomas, and there was Evangeline's face on the screen, pale with fury.In a room on the third floor of the mansion, at the turn of the corridor, Evangeline was lying on the bed, a flimsy blanket her only cover. Tightly bound beneath the thin fabric were her wrists and ankles.As the memories from before she blacked out rushed back, Alex's triumphant smirk haunted Evangel
The gas pedal hit the floor, and the car surged forward faster than ever.Walter's mind was racing, fixated on the upcoming rescue.However, the place they pulled up to was all too familiar.It was the very villa where Walter's secret rendezvous had once been exposed.Stepping out of the car, Thomas could not suppress a chuckle at the sight of the private estate."It's kind of funny, you know? I thought bumping into an old friend while out and about was surprising enough, but to end up in the very same place, too?"Walter was not shocked, however.He had suspicions about Alex and had done his homework. This villa? It was Alex's hideout.What he did not expect was Alex could be so bold as to drag Evangeline there.Walter had been to that villa once. It was huge, with rooms galore, and pinning down which one Evangeline might be in was like looking for a needle in a haystack. If they were going to find her, they would have to check each room, which was a real pain.Walter caught
"How do I save Evangeline? And who the heck are you?"That enigmatic tipster, who kept dropping hints about Evangeline's peril, was no ordinary person.However, instead of an answer, all Walter got was the infuriating buzz of a busy signal.[Meet at the Dell family's alley crossroads in ten minutes.]Walter stared at the text, his curiosity about this cryptic informant spiking. It was like they knew exactly where he was, setting up the rendezvous right around the corner from the hospital.[Why should I trust you? And who are you, really?]Uncertainty swirled around Walter like a thick fog, but he was not about to let go of that mysterious lifeline that might just pull Evangeline back to safety.He shot back a quick reply and turned to David. "How many can we muster from the Gordons' forces?"Walter never imagined his grandfather would kick him out of Gordon Group. He had always focused on keeping the business running smoothly, never bothering to build up his own crew.However,
The thought struck David like lightning."All the Bennison family's clout is in Alex's grip. Could Alex be plotting against Ms. Evangeline? But wait, doesn't Alex have a thing for her? They could meet up in the open, no problem. So why would the Fosters kick up such a storm?"Nonetheless, who else in all of Avalon City would dare to mess with the Fosters' darling Evangeline in the open?As Walter was racking his brains, David suddenly gasped, a eureka moment lighting up his face."I got it! Alex has booted you from the company and got the thumbs up from Mr. Gordon. Gordon Group's practically his. He's on top of the world. If he now goes after Ms. Evangeline..."David clamped his mouth shut mid-sentence, realizing the rest was too risky to voice in front of Walter.However, he trusted Walter's smarts. Even without spelling it out, Walter would get the picture.He did. The moment Walter caught on to the unspoken words, panic washed over him, and he started sweating bullets.Alex
Yale's search revealed that the bodyguards assigned to Evangeline had been secretly taken out.The enemy's bad intentions were obvious.However, they were clueless and had no idea who the bad guy was.Evangeline had vanished without leaving a single clue, leaving Yale with nowhere to start."What do we do now?" Roslyn was pacing back and forth, frantic.Celina, biting down on her teeth with regret, said, "If only I'd stayed with Ms. Evangeline when she went out, or stopped her from leaving!"However, wishing for do-overs was like hoping for a magic cure for regret. It simply did not exist. No matter how much they were hurting, they could not rewrite the ending.The real problem was, they were clueless about who they were up against. The people the Foster family had sent out were just running in circles at the last place Evangeline had been spotted, like they were chasing their own tails.Then, Roslyn had a lightbulb moment."Evie got a call before she left. Can we dig into her