Chapter 195
Evelyn's voice was barely above a whisper, yet it struck like lightning through the crowded room.
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Reginald and Leonard stood frozen, their mouths agape in disbelief.
Victoria felt an icy chill crawl up her spine. Her face turned ghostly pale. Penelope and Cassandra weren't faring much better either.
Who could have imagined that Nathan's meek ex-wife - the country bumpkin everyone looked down upon - was actually Harrison Kingsley's daughter and heiress to Monarch Group?
"Mother... is this true? That wench-"
Cassandra tugged timidly at Penelope's sleeve, only to be shaken off violently. "Silence!"
Nathan stood rooted to the spot, his mind reeling. A storm of emotions raged within him - shock, confusion, and something dangerously close to regret.
How was it possible? The woman who had dutifully cared for his grandfather as a nurse... the wife who endured three years of his neglect... was actually Harrison Kingsley's hidden princess?
Drawing a shuddering breath, Nathan stepped forward. His crimson-rimmed eyes burned into Evelyn's familiar yet suddenly foreign features.
Evelyn pressed her lips together and averted her gaze. Guilt and irritation warred within her, making it impossible to meet his piercing stare.
"Is this really you?" Nathan's voice came out rough, scraped raw by emotion.
"Yes." Evelyn's reply was crisp. Her eyes glittered like frost.
"So you were the one who opposed the Sterling family before. You made me climb ten floors-"
"Mr. Blackwood, let's not revisit ancient history." Evelyn cut him off coldly. "I'm Evelyn Kingsley - General Manager of Monarch Grand Hotels and Harrison Kingsley's daughter. Everything I did was for the hotel's interests, not personal vendettas. As for why I used a stand-in during our divorce proceedings..." Her lips twisted wryly. "I believe you can deduce the reason. I concealed my identity to avoid complications. We were ending things amicably - no need for dramatic confrontations."
She paused, her lashes casting shadows over her downcast eyes. "I did lie to you about this. For that, I'm truly sorry."
The deception was monumental - far greater than all her previous white lies combined.
Yet to Nathan's own surprise, fury didn't consume him.
Instead of anger, he burned with questions.
Why would a billionaire heiress willingly become his grandfather's nurse? Why marry him knowing he didn't love her? What could possibly explain her three years of silent suffering?
"So you... Sebastian and Dominic..."
"They're my full-blooded brothers."
Having delivered her explanation, Evelyn turned on her heel toward Harrison without another glance.
Nathan inhaled sharply. His chest constricted as if crushed by invisible weights.
At that moment, Theodore came rushing in, having heard the commotion. His eyes widened comically at the sight of Harrison and Evelyn together before comprehension dawned.
"Chairman Kingsley. Ms. Evelyn."
"Theodore, support Sebastian. He's in no state to walk alone."
Though Harrison's rage threatened to erupt, he maintained his composure for propriety's sake. There would be time to deal with his wayward daughter later.
Theodore immediately moved to brace Sebastian's waist. When Nathan stepped forward to help, Evelyn blocked him with an icy glare.
"That won't be necessary, Mr. Blackwood. We can manage."
Nathan's arms hung suspended awkwardly midair before dropping to his sides.
Evelyn turned to Theodore with military precision. "Contact Kingsley Medical Center. Inform them Sebastian may require gastric lavage."
"Gastric lavage? But he's just drunk-"
"Sebastian isn't drunk."
Evelyn's sharp gaze swept across the Blackwoods like a blade. "His symptoms clearly indicate he's been drugged!"
Gasps erupted through the crowd.
The three scheming women paled visibly, Cassandra's legs trembling beneath her voluminous skirts.
Harrison's aristocratic features hardened into glacial fury.
He'd suspected something amiss from the start. His son possessed an iron tolerance for alcohol - no mere champagne could reduce Sebastian to such a state at Reginald's birthday gala. Now the truth was horrifyingly clear.
Theodore half-carried Sebastian toward the exit as whispers exploded through the ballroom.