Chapter 302

Though Evelyn had left the hospital, her concern for Reginald Blackwood weighed heavily on her mind.

She needed to reach out to Lillian Hartwell. The Kingsley family's generations of medical expertise made their facilities the most advanced in the country. Perhaps Lillian could suggest treatment options for Reginald's chronic condition.

During the drive back, Dominic scrolled endlessly through social media. Whenever he found particularly scathing comments about Victoria Sterling, he'd read them aloud with wicked amusement.

"These keyboard warriors are usually so annoying, but today they're absolutely delightful!" Dominic wiped tears of laughter from his eyes as he read another vicious post. "I should frame some of these!"

Evelyn pressed her lips together, gazing out the window. The sight of Nathan wearing that golden brooch tonight had stirred an uncomfortable restlessness in her chest.

Those gifts represented a past full of humiliation - memories she'd rather forget. She'd destroy every last one before letting Nathan keep them.

"Evelyn, Raymond has arrested Margaret and Dominic Reeves." Sebastian's warm palm settled on the nape of her neck, his thumb tracing soothing circles against her skin.

"Raymond just texted that Reeves confessed immediately," Sebastian continued. "But Margaret refuses to talk. No matter what interrogation tactics they use, she insists the murder was entirely her idea. No conspiracy, no accomplices."

"Even vipers protect their young," Evelyn murmured, forcing her turbulent emotions into order. Her voice turned crisp and detached. "With her husband ill and son imprisoned, Victoria is Margaret's only remaining hope. Of course she'd protect her daughter."

Evelyn had played this chess match masterfully. She'd drawn the snake from its hole and trapped it in her carefully laid snare.

She'd sent Theodore to tail Margaret to Silvercrest. An untrained socialite like Margaret never noticed the surveillance. That's how Theodore discovered the orphanage hiding Victoria's illegitimate child.

Theodore described the place as a children's concentration camp.

Seeing those filthy, neglected orphans had filled Theodore with such rage he'd nearly broken protocol. How could such cruelty exist in this world?

Margaret had removed the girl from the orphanage but couldn't stomach murder herself. Instead she'd hired some desperate, uneducated woman to do the deed.

Fortunately, Theodore intervened in time, spiriting the child to safety aboard Evelyn's private jet. Now the girl rested securely in police custody.

"That child is her own flesh and blood," Sebastian's voice darkened. "This wasn't protection - it was cold calculation. She sacrificed her granddaughter to preserve her daughter's marriage prospects."

Evelyn nodded grimly.

"Don't worry, Evelyn." Dominic cracked his knuckles, his smile taking on a dangerous edge reminiscent of Maxwell's. "Raymond and I will ensure Margaret never sees daylight again. As for Reeves?" He chuckled darkly. "Does he think prison will be his worst punishment? His nightmare is only beginning."

The Blackwood estate descended into chaos after the gala.

Nathan remained at the hospital with his grandfather, but Leonard and Penelope hadn't visited Reginald in hours. The scandal involving Margaret and Victoria had clearly overwhelmed them.

"Mr. Blackwood, negative press about you is trending online," Oliver Sinclair fretted. "Shall I contact PR to manage this?"

Nathan slumped in the hospital corridor, his striking features drawn with exhaustion. His left leg crossed over his right as he leaned against the cold wall, the elegant line of his throat creating a heartbreaking silhouette. Even in despair, his beauty remained devastating.

"Aren't they right to criticize me?" Nathan's voice rasped. He tugged at his tie, though it did nothing to ease the suffocating pressure in his chest. "I deserve every word."

"Mr. Blackwood, please don't say that." Oliver swallowed hard. "You were manipulated by that witch. You're as much a victim as—"

"Victim." Nathan's brow twitched. The word lanced through him, but the only true victim he could envision was Evelyn.

He'd been Rosalind's blade, wielded cruelly against Evelyn.

If Rosalind had caused his suffering, then he'd caused Evelyn's.