Poppy Yates’s expression flickered. “She’s really done something like that? But how do you know it was her?”
Flora Fawkes gave a short, cold laugh. “The only people I saw that day were you, my brother, and her. If it wasn’t her, who else could it be? You and my brother would never hurt me.”
Poppy’s gaze shifted slightly, but she stayed silent.
Flora pressed on, her irritation rising. “What annoys me most is that I actually thought she cared about me that day. I believed her act! Turns out it was all fake. I bet she fooled my brother the same way. There’s no way I’m letting someone like her stay with him.”
“Don’t you agree, Poppy? That kind of manipulative woman doesn’t even deserve to set foot in the Fawkes family home.”
She turned to Poppy, waiting for her to answer.
Poppy forced a laugh.
But Flora didn’t seem to notice her discomfort. She continued, “Don’t worry, Poppy. I won’t just stand by and watch my brother get strung along. I’ll help you, I promise. My future sister–in–law will be kind, genuine, and treat both me and my brother well.”
As she spoke, Flora raised her arm, curled her hand into a fist, and gave Poppy a determined “we’ll win this” gesture.
Poppy managed a weak smile.
Watching Flora’s innocent confidence, Poppy couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling inside her.
Did Flora really not suspect her at all?
Or had those words been a deliberate test?
Meanwhile, the birthday banquet was in full swing. The hotel parking lot was packed, and Evangeline Whitmore circled the garage before finally
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08.51
finding an empty spot.
She took the elevator up to the lobby, and as soon as the doors slid open, she spotted Finn Lockridge by the entrance.
Tonight, he wore a deep burgundy suit that set off his fair complexion, and as always, a pair of gold–rimmed glasses perched on his straight nose. But something about him felt different–softer, warmer, almost charming.
Evangeline was caught off guard. Not just by his transformation, but also by the fact that, although she hadn’t attended Fawkes family gatherings in ages, she’d still heard about the longstanding tension between the Lockridges and the Fawkes family.
The Lockridges rarely, if ever, showed up at Fawkes events.
Catching her gaze, Finn seemed to guess her thoughts and smiled. “Surprised to see me here?”
Evangeline didn’t answer. Her tone was cool. “Aren’t you worried the Lockridges will find out and get angry?”
“Terrified,” Finn replied, raising an eyebrow, his tone playful. “But I’m here for you.”
He finished with a quick, exaggerated wink.
Evangeline stared. Any impression that he’d changed vanished instantly.
“Evangeline.” A voice called from behind.
She turned to see Glenn Carlisle hurrying toward her.
“We’ve got news about Tessa,” he said.
Evangeline paused, then glanced at Finn.
Only then did Glenn seem to notice Finn’s presence. Given the sensitive situation with Theresa Carlisle, and seeing a Lockridge nearby, Glenn held his tongue,
The two men exchanged polite greetings–they’d met before. After Finn
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Chapter 188
walked away, Evangeline finally spoke.
“The Carlisles found her?”
Glenn shook his head. “No.”
Evangeline let out a slow breath.
Years ago, Theresa had begged her to help escape an arranged marriage. To keep both the Carlisles and the Lockridges from finding her, Theresa never revealed her whereabouts–even to Evangeline. For five years, after the dust settled, Theresa hadn’t contacted her once.
Evangeline had always longed for news from her, but part of her dreaded the Carlisles tracking Theresa down.
Glenn clearly felt the same, but his expression was grim. “I’m not sure if this is good news or bad. The Carlisles found something she used, but what they found was… this.”
He pulled out his phone, scrolled to a picture he’d taken yesterday, and handed it to Evangeline.
The moment she saw the photo, Evangeline’s heart skipped a beat.
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