Chapter 124

Evelyn's tear-filled eyes locked onto Eleanor's as the words left the older woman's lips. In that instant, her heart fractured into countless shards, every last shred of hope dissolving into nothingness. The familial love she had yearned for all her life had twisted into a blade poised to ruin her.

If there was a next life, she wanted to be reborn as a goldfish—one with only seven seconds of memory. That way, she could forget every ounce of pain.

Not long after, Evelyn stood trial for murder. Most defendants pleaded for mercy, but her spirit was so shattered that she barely cared whether she lived or died.

In the courtroom, Evelyn wore a drab prison uniform, her face ghostly pale, her hair tangled like a wild creature's.

She spotted Victoria, radiant in an elegant dress, flanked by Eleanor and William. Even Alexander had come—likely to witness her sentencing. He probably wanted to see her locked away forever, stripped of any chance at redemption.

A bitter laugh escaped Evelyn's lips. She was certain she'd be found guilty, condemned to life behind bars—or worse, the death penalty. But then, unexpectedly, a lawyer stepped forward to defend her.

This attorney was renowned in legal circles, his reputation impeccable. He presented a crucial piece of evidence.

At the crime scene, investigators had discovered a bloodstained napkin bearing Evelyn's DNA—but also the fingerprints of a third party. These prints didn't match any criminal database, and their owner remained unidentified.

Evelyn suddenly remembered—Victoria had struck her, drawing blood, then wiped her hands on a napkin before tossing it aside. That had to be the napkin left behind!

Victoria was involved in Sophia's death.

Evelyn stayed silent in court, but her mind raced with possibilities.

Thanks to this inconsistency, the court couldn't convict her. She walked free.

Yet Eleanor and William refused to let it go. Convinced Evelyn was the killer, they clung to Victoria's poisonous whispers.

Stepping out of the courthouse, Evelyn squinted against the blinding sunlight. The warmth did nothing to thaw the ice in her chest.

She shut her swollen eyes. Even if her time was running out, even if she couldn’t defeat Victoria and Alexander, she couldn’t let Victoria escape justice.

Evelyn submitted her resignation. After two days of restless recovery, she returned to the woods outside Willowbrook. She needed proof—something to expose Victoria as the real murderer.

Miraculously, she found it—a Chanel stud earring half-buried beneath dried grass, its surface flecked with blood.

Maybe the snow had hidden it before, or fate had intervened, but Evelyn finally smiled—a real, hopeful smile.

As she straightened, a shadow fell over her. Alexander stood there, his long strides closing the distance between them. His piercing gaze bore into hers as she held up the earring.

"Recognize these, Alexander? They're Victoria's."

His brow furrowed as he studied her expectant expression. "Do you know why you're standing here free right now?"

Evelyn blinked, confused.

"That lawyer was mine."

Her breath hitched. He had helped her?

"Why?" Her pulse thundered in her ears as she waited for his answer.

Alexander's lips curled into a smirk that sent a chill down her spine.

"You claimed you don’t love me anymore." His voice was low, mocking. "But your eyes tell a different story."