Chapter 151

Evelyn returned to the design department and powered up her laptop. The development plans for the small town appeared on her screen.

Dominic wanted to develop this forgotten place - a thought that had never crossed her mind.

According to local gossip, the town's redevelopment had been in progress for years now.

Demolition notices plastered most buildings.

"Are you okay? Can you focus on work?" Abigail messaged her.

Evelyn typed back, "I'm fine."

But the truth was far from it. Her mind kept drifting to those two adorable children - Alexander and Isabella. Their smiling faces haunted her thoughts.

After thirty minutes of distracted sketching, Evelyn stood to get water. Her thoughts turned to Dominic's unpredictable moods lately. Yesterday at the hospital, he'd humiliated her publicly. Would he still be in that foul temper when they next met?

The possibility depressed her.

She'd endure anything for those children. Their bright smiles pushed Dominic's stormy expression from her mind.

As she sipped water, Evelyn couldn't suppress a smile. At least the twins adored her.

Perhaps the bond between mother and child transcended logic - an invisible thread connecting them despite years apart.

"Why so happy? I thought you'd forgotten how to smile." Olivia entered the break room rubbing her temples. "That cheap wine last night gave me hellish headaches."

Evelyn kept her joy private. This miracle still felt too fragile to share.

Her world had been dark - Robert's cancer, her grandfather's kidnapping, being forced to marry Maxwell. Then suddenly, sunlight broke through the clouds.

Alexander and Isabella were her sunrise, her spring blossoms, her warm breeze.

Dominic's temper might still rage, but she hadn't abandoned hope of getting answers from their father.

Before clocking out, she tried calling him again.

"The number you have dialed is unavailable..."

At dusk, Evelyn left the office building.

The subway carried her to the hospital where she first checked on Robert's condition with the doctors.

In his ward, she arranged the vitamins she'd bought beside his bed.

The new caretaker - a woman in her forties - had already arrived.

Robert looked at her weakly from the hospital bed. "You hired help? Must be expensive..."

"It's affordable," Evelyn assured him. "We have no relatives here to help. Even if we did, they couldn't come daily. If I don't work, we lose our income."

The truth stung - she disliked entrusting her father to strangers. But quitting her job wasn't an option.

T Corporation paid reliably. Every month, her salary appeared like clockwork. Project bonuses came later, upon completion.

This current project could net tens of thousands - money for hospital bills, rent, food.

"Has your mother... contacted you?" Robert's question struck a nerve.

Evelyn met his gaze. "Dad, am I really Beatrice's daughter?"

He sighed, misreading her doubt. "Of course. She's changed, but... she's still your mother. When I'm gone, you'll need family."

Evelyn looked down.

She wanted to say she needed no such family, that she'd survived this long without maternal love. Now self-sufficient, she certainly didn't need that woman.

What kind of mother was Beatrice anyway?

While chatting, Evelyn discreetly searched: Can half-siblings produce healthy offspring?

The answer: No.

She wasn't concerned with morality, only the children's health.

One thing became clear - either she or Dominic wasn't Beatrice's biological child.

The Blackwoods weren't ordinary wealthy - they were elite. If they'd reclaimed an illegitimate child, DNA tests would have been exhaustive.

The conclusion formed: perhaps she wasn't Beatrice's daughter.

Not wanting to distress her frail father, Evelyn changed the subject. After visiting her grandfather and sharing dinner, she followed her classmate's directions to the night job.

At the club.

"You don't party much, do you? Drink this - keeps you awake." Her classmate handed her coffee.

Evelyn accepted it, staring at the pile of condoms before her...

After the product tutorial, they split up to promote in different VIP sections.

Evelyn entered her first room. Immediately, a guest snatched a condom from her case.

"Knockoff Durex? Isn't this illegal?"

"Sorry, wrong product." As instructed, she retrieved the items and retreated.

In the hallway, she eyed the row of luxury rooms ahead. Her classmate had taken the opposite wing.

Clutching the imitation products, Evelyn frowned. Part-time jobs either broke your back or your ethics.

Money didn't come easy.

Steeling herself, she approached the next VIP suite.

Dim lighting revealed men in designer suits playing poker, singing, drinking. Their affluent aura was unmistakable.

Evelyn took a deep breath. "Good evening. Would anyone require... protection products?"

A deep voice cut through the chatter. "What exactly are you selling?"

Her gaze snapped toward the speaker.

In the corner, a man lounged on crimson velvet, cigarette smoke curling around his sharp features. Dominic Blackwood's piercing eyes locked onto hers through the haze.