Semua Bab Unmasking the Heiress: Bab 281 - Bab 290

After Cole's health had stabilized, Evangeline had just gone to see Lydia. Lydia had not shown any signs of waking up, so what on earth had happened at the hospital in those few hours?The silence of Crystal Waters House enveloped her. Calming down after her spat with Walter, Evangeline began to think that maybe she had been wrong about him.With the influence the Gordons wielded, if they really wanted to set Lydia free, would not it have been a cinch to cook up some fake medical report and convince themselves Lydia was gone for good? Why go through the whole song and dance of rescuing her, then act like they were guarding her?The memory of Walter's furious yet determined face as he vowed to dig deeper into the matter brought a pang of guilt to Evangeline's heart.Walter had a point. Lydia's vanishing act was riddled with question marks, and Evangeline had flown off the handle at Walter without getting her facts straight. She needed to take a breath, cool her head, and get to the

"What's your name?"To Evangeline, the Foster family's little princess, bodyguards were just part of the furniture. Why bother remembering a bodyguard's name?She was curious about this man who stood out from the rest.He stepped forward, bowing with a respect that was almost reverent. "Miss, I'm Spencer Clark," he said."Nice name," complimented Evangeline without holding back, then turned her attention to the other three."I've brought you here to talk about Lydia's disappearance. She was your responsibility, and somehow, a person in a coma has managed to vanish on your watch without you guys noticing a thing?"She could not swallow that story. She wanted answers, and she wanted them immediately.Spencer's face was full of regret as he began to explain."We really dropped the ball, but it's also incredibly odd. We've been keeping an eye on Miss Lydia without a hitch, but yesterday, when it mattered most, all four of us came down with something fierce. We were practically trip

Evangeline forced a smile, a mere twitch of her lips. "Coincidence? I do not think so. I'm here for you."Leaning against the desk with a slant, she was the picture of laid-back grace, calm in every way.Minnie's eyebrow raised, and she said with a touch of surprise, "Did you come looking for me on purpose? Wow, I'm pretty honored.""No biggie. I felt bad about you getting embarrassed at the birthday party, so I thought I'd make it up to you by grabbing a bite together."Evangeline planned to use the casual chit-chat over food as a way to subtly quiz Minnie.To her surprise, Minnie snapped her violin case shut with a look of regret. "Oops, sorry about that. I've got plans today."Her voice sounded sorry, but her face? Not a hint of it. Her eyes darted past Evangeline, shining with smug satisfaction."Talk about bad timing..." Evangeline followed Minnie's gaze as she spoke.There was Walter, strolling over to them in a white casual suit, every step oozing elegance. He looked lik

"Alex, isn't it past your clock-out time? What's keeping you at school?"Alex, being the unique music teacher at Avalon University, had his work hours tailored to his own timetable.Alex gave an embarrassed chuckle, maneuvered his wheelchair closer, and said, "The nicer the school is to me, the more I feel I shouldn't just coast along, you know?"Evangeline paused for a moment, not quite catching his drift."Actually, a couple of students were struggling with the basics, so I stayed back to give them a hand with their technique. Just as we wrapped up the extra session, I spotted you out on the field."Alex offered an easy explanation and casually asked Evangeline, "Why are you here? You don't have classes today, right? What's up with the surprise visit?"The question caught Evangeline off guard, and she suddenly thought of Walter, who was all over Minnie like they were glued together."Just killing time," she shrugged. "Thought I'd swing by the school and get a taste of the good

Evangeline finally got what Alex meant by 'doesn't seem all that bad'. She forced a smile, her lips barely curving."That's history. I'm doing pretty well now… But Alex, you're not the same guy."Alex's eyes widened in shock, but deep down, he was nervous that Evangeline might know what he was thinking."How have I changed?""You used to be straight up with me. You'd tell me if I asked you anything. Now... you clam up. What about the good stuff, even if you don't want to dump your troubles on me? Like..."Her eyes danced with a spark of mischief, and she put on a sly grin. "Like your new student from abroad, Ms. Kast?"She played it up, acting all bubbly, like she was just innocently curious about this new woman in Alex's life."Why do you care about her all of a sudden?" Alex had a hunch. "You're not asking for Walter's sake, are you?"It was no secret—Minnie's crush on Walter was obvious to everyone."Well, yeah." Evangeline's gaze softened. "No point in hiding it from you.