Chapter 66
6 Digging His Own Trap
Summer was slowly settling over Southville.
By evening, the warm air felt sticky against the skin..
+8 Pearls
Evelyn tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and kept smiling. “What proof do you want? What could you possibly use against me?”
She played innocent, untouched by all the filth in the world.
That look made Yvonne lose some of her confidence.
She was certain Evelyn had done it, but with no confession, what else could she do?
“Evelyn, do you really expect me to believe Jasmin would pull something that foolish?” Yvonne pressed.
So many prank calls had come through already. Who knew how much money it would take to keep them going?
Jasmin wasn’t dumb enough to waste her money on something that wouldn’t pay off. On the surface it looked bad for Yvonne, but with a few quick words she could easily shift the blame.
Besides, ever since the last messy encounter at her door, Jasmin hadn’t shown up again.
Now that her son was out of jail, she had no reason to risk more drama.
That left only Evelyn.
It had to be her.
Evelyn simply smiled and asked, “So where’s your proof? Is this all you’ve got?”
Evelyn neither admitted nor denied it.
That gave Yvonne a bit of confidence,
So she laid out her plan. “If another call comes through, I’ll ask how that person got my number. Once I trace it back, won’t that prove it’s you?”
“You can try,” Evelyn said softly.
Her face was calm, giving nothing away.
That made Yvonne uneasy.
1/5
Chapter 66 Digging His Own Trap
Evelyn wasn’t the one behind this?
But if not her, then who?
+8 Pearls
While Yvonne was still lost in thought, Evelyn reached into her bag and pulled out a sanitary pad, pressing it into Yvonne’s hand. “Here. Take it home and pass it off as what you came for.”
From the very beginning, Evelyn had seen through the excuse-this was never about an errand. She only wanted to corner her.
What looked like a helpful gesture was, in truth, a hurtful insult.
Evelyn had walked far down the street before Yvonne came back to her senses.
Fury rushed over her. She flung the pad to the ground.
The alley was full of muddy puddles from last night’s storm. People had stomped through them all day, leaving the water murky and dark. The pad landed in one, spinning in circles, soaking up water until it began to sink.
But before it disappeared, Yvonne bent down, picked it up, and wiped at it fiercely with her handkerchief.
Evelyn had been right-this wasn’t for her. It was for show, to cover her tracks.
‘Fine,” Yvonne whispered through clenched teeth. “This shame… Someday, Evelyn, I’ll return it to you.”
The next morning, Evelyn woke up early.
She planned to make some chicken soup and bring it to Philip.
When she came downstairs, Yvonne was already gone.
Judging from the way things had been, she’d probably gone out seeking evidence.
Evelyn wasn’t in any hurry. Smiling faintly, she pulled the ingredients from the fridge and stepped into the kitchen.
Zaid had the day off. He slept in until the smell of simmering chicken soup finally lured him from his room. Still yawning, he looked around. “Where’s your mom?”
“No idea. Probably off giving Mrs. Blair a piece of her mind,” Evelyn guessed.
2/5
Chapter 66 Digging His Own Trap
+8 Pearls
Zaid grunted in agreement. “Yeah, she should confront Jasmin. That woman’s been pushing too far. We haven’t even gone after her yet, and she’s already making a fuss.” His tone was sharp, but then he switched topics.
“What are you cooking? Smells amazing.”
“Chicken soup for Grandpa. Dad, do you have time at noon to give me a ride?” Evelyn asked.
Zaid wasn’t about to get up early for nothing, especially not just to deliver soup that couldn’t be bragged about.
Shaking his head, he replied, “I already made lunch plans with a colleague from work. You go by yourself. I’ll give you cab fare.”
“Alright.”
Evelyn accepted it without complaint. He handed her 5 dollars, and she turned back to check on the pot.
When the soup was ready, she split it up. First, she stopped by the school to give a portion to Philip.
Quade happened to be there and immediately cracked a joke. “No wonder Boss didn’t want the soup I brought from the cafeteria this morning. Guess he was holding out for your chicken soup. My stuff doesn’t even make the cut.”
Evelyn and Philip exchanged a glance, and both laughed.
But Philip didn’t laugh for long before Evelyn pressed down gently on his shoulder. “Careful. You’ll split your stitches. If that wound tears open again, it’ll scar for sure. You’re still a patient -you need to take it easy.”
Hearing that, Quade couldn’t help himself. He leaned in, ready to tattle. “Evelyn, I’ve got to tell you-please talk some sense into Boss. He’s been …”
“Quade!” Philip’s face turned serious before he even finished talking.
When he grew serious, he looked every bit like a warden from hell.
Quade shrank back at once, his shoulders hunching like a kid being scolded.
“Go on, tell me. Don’t be afraid of your boss. I’ll back you up,” Evelyn said firmly, stepping in at just the right moment.
In that instant, Quade felt blessed. Having Evelyn there to rein in his boss-what could be
better?
3/5
Chapter 66 Digging His Own Trap
With her standing behind him, he spoke without hesitation.
+8 Pearls
“Evelyn, you’ve got to stop him. Look at him-hurt like this-and yesterday afternoon, the moment you left, he still dragged himself down to the training ground to watch me. No matter how I tried to talk him out of it, he wouldn’t leave until I finished my drills. What if he tears the wound open again?”
Philip shot him a glare. “If I don’t keep an eye on you, you’ll slack off. With that attitude, you’ll never pass the next evaluation. We came from the same village, and look at Quincy- he already won the Rookie Award. And you? You haven’t even made the squad yet.”
Philip was harsh with the men under him, but always for their own good.
They had already made it through four years of military school. To throw it all away now would be a waste.
“You really are something. Even injured, you’re dragging yourself downstairs to supervise. Walking stairs could pull your stitches apart. Even if you trust my medical skills, you still need to take care of your body!”
Evelyn scolded him sharply; she pulled a long face and barked at Philip sternly.
Her voice turned firm, leaving no room for argument. “From today on, you are not going downstairs to check on Quade’s training until that wound is fully healed. Don’t tell me no— you’ll do as I say.”
“Yes, yes! If Evelyn says it, that’s final!” Quade jumped in quickly, grinning from ear to ear.
At last, he could train without Philip breathing down his neck.
But his joy lasted only for three seconds. “Still,” Evelyn added, turning to him, “you’re right about one thing. If Quade keeps slacking off, he’ll never make it into the squad. So the training must continue. If you’re worried he won’t push himself, then leave it to me. Tell me your standards-I’ll be stricter than you.”
“N-no, Evelyn…” Quade’s smile stopped instantly.
That was not the ending he had hoped for.
But she had already made up her mind. “It’s settled. You don’t want Philip risking his health over you, right? Don’t worry, I’ll watch you like a hawk and make sure you pass next month’s evaluation.”
And just like that, Quade realized he had dug the perfect hole–and dropped himself right
into it.
4/5
Reborn for Love and Revenge
