Chapter 398

"You're still alive, Evelyn."

"Not to mention, your life is thriving now."

"Thank goodness..."

Having revealed her true identity, Evelyn recounted her experiences over the past three years to Olivia and Nathaniel, including what she needed to do next.

Tears welled in Olivia's eyes as she sniffled, then turned to Nathaniel, who stood silently with a somber expression. "No way, Evie. Don't tell me you're actually going to marry Alexander again! He nearly destroyed you! It was the news of your engagement to him that forced Nate and me to resort to this plan just to make you admit who you really are."

She nudged Evelyn's shoulder playfully.

"I knew you still cared about me, Evie. You passed this test with flying colors!"

Evelyn smiled faintly before her expression hardened. "My marriage to Alexander is non-negotiable. I have to go through with it."

"Why?" Olivia demanded, frustration lacing her voice. "Have you forgotten how he and Victoria treated you?"

"Precisely because of how they treated me," Evelyn replied, her gaze sharpening. "I want them to feel every ounce of pain they inflicted on me."

Seeing the unshakable resolve in her eyes, Olivia and Nathaniel exchanged a glance, knowing better than to argue.

With Olivia still recovering from her leg injury in the hospital, Nathaniel escorted Evelyn to the intersection outside.

Beneath the golden autumn sunlight, he studied her—the familiar arch of her brows, the faint curve of her lips—and saw traces of the woman he once knew.

"Once your revenge is over," he murmured, "would you give me the chance to take care of you, Evelyn?"

She remained silent, recognizing the unspoken confession in his eyes.

A regretful smile touched her lips. "Thank you for caring about me, Nate. But I’ve learned that timing matters just as much as the person. Maybe you were the right one at the wrong time."

"Do you still love Alexander?"

"Love?" The word tasted bitter on her tongue.

Oh, how she had loved him—so fiercely that she had sacrificed her dignity, her self-worth, everything. And what had it earned her? The loss of her first child. Looking back now, that love felt almost pathetic.

No, she didn’t love him anymore.

Every shred of that foolish devotion had died the moment he scattered their child’s ashes.

After parting ways with Nathaniel, Evelyn headed straight for the detention center.

A thrill of satisfaction coursed through her as she faced Victoria, who now looked hollow-eyed and gaunt, dark circles marring her once-flawless complexion.

Evelyn turned on her phone, displaying the flood of headlines announcing her and Alexander’s upcoming wedding.

Victoria’s eyes burned with venomous envy. "You bitch! Evelyn, you conniving snake! Don’t think you’ve won! The moment Alexander finds out who you really are, he’ll strangle you with his bare hands!"

Evelyn tucked her phone away, unfazed. "If he truly wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be standing here right now."

"You—!"

"How’s prison life treating you?" Evelyn tilted her head mockingly. "Tsk. It’s only been a short while, and you already look like a ghost."

"This is your doing, Evelyn! I will make you pay!"

"Revenge?" Evelyn laughed coldly. "You don’t get to use that word. You did this to yourself. This is the consequence of everything you’ve done—throwing me in jail, having inmates torture me, stealing my child. Twelve years is a mercy compared to what you deserve."

Victoria’s jaw clenched. "Twelve years for three lives? That’s hardly fair!"

"Three lives," Evelyn repeated, her voice like ice. "My grandfather. Sophia Montgomery. My child. Twelve years is nothing. And believe me—it won’t end there. You will answer for every drop of blood on your hands. It’s only a matter of time."

Fear flickered in Victoria’s eyes as her fingers dug into her pants.

As Evelyn turned to leave, desperation clawed at Victoria. She couldn’t die here. She wouldn’t.

"Evelyn Sinclair!" she shrieked. "What if I told you your bastard child never died? You’d get me out of here, wouldn’t you?"