Chapter 134

Evelyn's eyes widened in shock. "What makes you say that?"

Sebastian regarded her with a somber expression. His lips parted slightly before he caught himself, swallowing whatever words had been on the tip of his tongue.

"Nothing. I simply find it... regrettable."

Regrettable?

Something in his tone made Evelyn uneasy, but she resisted pressing further.

Some truths revealed themselves in due time. Pushing now might only drive him away.

She opened the door wider, inviting him inside.

"I heard about Sophia. I know you had nothing to do with it. You're not capable of such cruelty."

His unwavering trust warmed Evelyn's heart. Sebastian sipped his tea, his gaze lingering on her pale complexion.

"I'm keeping your resignation on file. The door remains open whenever you wish to return."

"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Whitman." Evelyn's smile held quiet sorrow. "But I don't think that opportunity will come."

"My offer stands indefinitely." His voice carried the same gentle warmth as his smile - a striking contrast to his usual elegant reserve.

Evelyn recognized his sincerity. Yet Sebastian would never know her refusal stemmed not from unwillingness, but from the merciless clock ticking within her.

Her dreams of jewelry design, her cherished relationships - all slipping through her fingers like sand.

Sebastian didn't stay long. The visit ended as quietly as it began.

That night, sleep eluded Evelyn. She reached for a fresh journal, pen hovering over blank pages.

Days later, Evelyn finally removed her facial bandages. The mirror reflected a stranger - gaunt features, hollow cheeks, the angry scars now more pronounced against her deteriorating complexion.

The disease was claiming her, piece by piece.

Mask secured, she prepared to deliver the bloodstained earring to authorities. But fate intervened the moment she stepped outside.

Nathaniel.

Having lost contact, he'd tracked her down through Olivia. The sight of Evelyn's ravaged face shattered him.

Without a word, he whisked her to Benjamin's clinic.

Evelyn knew the futility of examinations but couldn't refuse Nathaniel's desperate concern.

Benjamin's expression darkened as he reviewed the results. "Evelyn, have you experienced hematemesis recently?"

"Vomiting blood?" Nathaniel paled. Evelyn's silence confirmed his worst fears. "Eve—"

She offered a weak smile. "It's just another symptom, Nate. Don't worry - I still owe you too much to check out early."

Her casual bravery masked the truth. A meaningful glance sent Benjamin ushering Nathaniel out under pretext of additional tests.

Alone with her doctor, Evelyn faced the question she'd been dreading. "How long, Benjamin?"

His regret was palpable. "With luck? Two months."

"And without?"

"If complications arise or the tumor progresses... no more than thirty days."

Silence settled between them.

Evelyn absorbed this with unsettling calm. The numbers held no surprise - only confirmation of what her body had been screaming all along.