Chapter 234
Evelyn had already turned away with careless ease when Victoria regained her balance.
The sight of that retreating figure sent waves of fury crashing through Victoria's veins.
She jabbed a trembling finger toward Evelyn's back, venom dripping from her words. "Vivian Prescott, you vile creature! You'll soon learn exactly what I'm capable of! Just you wait!"
Victoria's scream tore through the air, raw and unrestrained.
The memory of what she'd witnessed through the window moments ago burned like acid in her chest.
No.
She had to regain control.
Victoria reminded herself—this woman was no match for her. How could a mere lookalike ever hope to stand against her?
"Vivian Prescott, your reckoning is coming," she hissed, her narrowed eyes glinting with malice.
—
Evelyn waited for Sebastian at the street corner before he drove her home.
Night had fallen, and now she stood before the French windows, gazing at the city lights.
That shell—the one Alexander had carried—haunted her thoughts.
Why did he keep it with him always?
Hadn't he denied their promise years ago? Hadn't he erased their shared past on that beach?
The questions twisted in her mind.
She turned to look at Amelia, peacefully asleep in bed.
Her fingers brushed the child's soft cheek.
"Daddy..." the little girl murmured in her dreams.
Daddy.
She called for him—the man she believed to be the most wonderful father in the world.
Perhaps this sweet illusion would never shatter.
—
The next morning dawned gray and heavy.
Alexander woke with a dull ache in his skull.
Fragments of the previous night surfaced—his loss of control, the way he'd clutched Vivian, whispered Linnie's name, pressed his lips to her cheek.
Disgust coiled in his gut.
He snatched his phone and dialed Evelyn without hesitation.
Her voice, crisp and composed, greeted him. "Mr. Blackwood, you're awake. You were quite drunk last night. I've prepared breakfast and will be at your office shortly."
The words he'd meant to say died on his tongue.
Instead, something warm and unfamiliar stirred in his chest.
He didn't refuse. A faint smile touched his lips. "I'll freshen up and wait for you."
After hanging up, he showered and dressed.
As he descended the stairs, his foot struck something on the floor.
The shell.
His breath caught.
He snatched it up, turning it over in his palm. A memory flashed—sharp and sudden.
He bolted for the door.
Evelyn stepped inside just as Alexander rushed out.
Their eyes locked in the pale morning light. She noted the shadows beneath his eyes, the tension in his jaw.
"Mr. Blackwood," she began.
A loud thud from the courtyard cut her off.
Both turned.
A sodden figure lay sprawled on the ground.
Victoria.