Chapter 130
Evelyn studied the photograph carefully, noticing how Edmund stood slightly behind her mother rather than beside her. The angle made it appear they were walking together, but the distance between them told a different story.
If they had been lovers, there would have been intimacy in their posture. Instead, Edmund's stance radiated deference, almost reverence.
What had her mother been to him?
The laptop snapped shut abruptly.
She turned to Nathan beside her, eyebrows raised. "That's all you found?"
Just this?
His arm rested casually along the back of the couch behind her as he leaned closer. "One kiss, and I'll tell you more."
"Forget it. I'll figure it out myself."
As Evelyn moved to stand, Nathan's arms encircled her waist, pulling her down onto his lap. The position made her pulse quicken.
"Nathan Goldmann, this may be your office but you can't just—" Her protest died as his grip tightened, holding her flush against his chest with no intention of releasing her.
Watching her cheeks flush with indignation, he arched an eyebrow. "Hmm? What exactly were you planning to do?"
"Let. Me. Go." She gritted her teeth.
His lips curved. "One kiss."
"You're impossible—"
"Then I'll kiss you instead."
Before she could react, his cool lips captured hers. One hand cradled the back of her head as if he meant to consume her whole. The hunger in his gaze burned through her defenses.
Evelyn's hands pressed against his chest, but the kiss unraveled her resistance. Breathless and overwhelmed, she stopped struggling, surrendering to the intoxicating pressure of his mouth.
When he finally released her, she gasped for air, her heart pounding like war drums in her chest. If this continued, she'd be devoured completely.
"Will you tell me now?" She hastily changed the subject.
Nathan traced the curve of her swollen lips with his thumb, his gaze darkening before he spoke. "Your mother came from Stoslo's nobility."
The revelation left Evelyn dazed as she returned to her office.
Stoslo nobility. Her mother had been someone of importance.
If true, the Gonzalez surname must have been a disguise to conceal her identity from the Vanderbilts. It made sense—had Grandmother Victoria known, she never would have treated Isabella so cruelly.
'But why did Mother leave Stoslo for Zlokova? Does Uncle Edmund know more?'
That evening found Evelyn at Edmund Lincoln's sprawling villa, its infinity pool glittering under moonlight. They played chess in the parlor while his security detail observed discreetly.
"Uncle Edmund, when will you tell me about my mother?" Evelyn studied his expression as she moved a pawn.
He paused mid-move with an amused smile. "Are you truly so eager to uncover your mother's past?"
Evelyn's fingers tightened around her captured knight. "Is there something I shouldn't know? Does it concern her status?"
Edmund lifted his gaze slowly. "Your mother only ever wanted you to live happily, free from burdens. She dreamed of an ordinary life."
The words struck Evelyn like a physical blow.
"Your mother," he continued, "was born into one of Stoslo's most influential families. They served directly in the royal court—inner circle confidants. But when the palace fractured during the succession crisis, her family withdrew from politics to protect their lineage."