Chapter 359

Alexander heard rustling sounds coming from the dense woods. A fleeting glimpse of Victoria's silhouette flashed between the trees.

His eyes scanned the area but found no trace of Vivian. His heartbeat accelerated dangerously.

He pulled out his phone to call her, but the signal bars remained stubbornly empty.

The mist-shrouded forest loomed before him, intensifying his growing unease.

Victoria had originally planned to eliminate Ethan and frame Vivian. But at the final moment, she changed her mind.

Why not get rid of both obstacles at once?

A cruel smirk twisted Victoria's lips as she recalled her flawless scheme.

She knew Alexander would come searching for Vivian first.

Just as predicted, he'd rushed to find Vivian. Meanwhile, she'd slipped crushed sedatives into Ethan's water bottle. Then paid a fake parent to suffocate the boy and dispose of the body.

No evidence. No witnesses.

The outdoor location had no surveillance. Among hundreds of parents and children, who would notice one man carrying away a sleeping child?

By now, Ethan must be dead.

As for Vivian... that steep ravine should have finished her off.

Even if she survived the fall, the dense woods had no cell reception. With severe injuries and no help coming, death was inevitable.

Victoria exhaled in relief. Finally, she could sleep peacefully without these nuisances in her life.

Her moment of triumph shattered when Alexander's imposing figure materialized before her.

"What are you doing in the woods?" His icy voice sent chills down her spine.

Victoria's mind raced. Had he seen her with Vivian?

Tears sprang to her eyes instantly. "Alexander!" she wailed. "Vivian is monstrous! She framed me to get to you, and now she's targeted our son!"

She moved to embrace him, but he gripped her shoulders instead. "Explain. Now."

His piercing gaze felt like daggers.

Victoria masked her panic with fresh sobs. "It's all Vivian's fault! She planned this whole trip just to kidnap Ethan! She must have hurt him already!"

She continued dramatically, "I grew suspicious and followed her. Saw her paying off some man in the woods! When I confronted her, she admitted everything! Then she tried to kill me by pushing me down the ravine! But then—"

Tears streamed down her face as she feigned terror.

Alexander's temples throbbed. Breathing became difficult.

"What happened then?" he roared, his brows knitted tightly.

Victoria trembled. "She... she slipped and fell down the ravine instead!"

Alexander's hands dropped limply from her shoulders. A storm brewed in his dark eyes.

Without another word, he turned and plunged into the worsening autumn rain.

His chest felt hollow. The same unbearable emptiness from when he'd lost Evelyn three years ago returned, dragging his heart into an endless void.

Victoria clenched her fists as she watched him disappear into the trees.

She hadn't anticipated Alexander caring so deeply about Vivian. He'd abandoned searching for his own son to chase after that woman.

"Good riddance," Victoria muttered through gritted teeth. A vicious smile curled her lips.