Chapter 436

The chime of a notification broke the silence.

Evelyn blinked, pulling herself from her thoughts. The screen lit up with a message from Sebastian.

He wanted the files from the USB drive.

"Daddy," Ethan's voice piped up, innocent and sweet. "Is Vivian going to be my mommy now? Can I tell the other kids that my mommy is Vivian Prescott?"

Evelyn glanced over. Alexander was feeding Ethan, his expression tender as he nodded. "Ethan, listen to me. No matter what happens, you only have one mommy—and she's right here in front of you."

Ethan beamed at Evelyn, his bright eyes shining with pure joy.

That look—so full of love—pierced through the walls around her heart.

A sharp ache bloomed in her chest.

And then, reluctance settled in.

She didn’t want to erase that smile from Ethan’s face.

If Alexander’s reputation was destroyed, if the Blackwoods fell—Ethan would never smile like that again.

The next morning, Evelyn went to the boutique. She sorted through the files on the USB, deliberately omitting key documents before sending them to Sebastian.

But Sebastian wasn’t fooled.

He arrived at her shop just as she was preparing to leave for Blackwood Enterprises.

The office was silent.

Sebastian didn’t yell. He didn’t accuse her.

He just looked at her, disappointment etched into his features.

"Vivian," he said softly. "Are you having second thoughts?" His voice was calm, but his dark eyes burned with intensity. "You don’t want to see him ruined. You still love him."

Evelyn scoffed. "I stopped loving him a long time ago." Her tone was sharp, laced with bitterness. "I just don’t want to go too far. Ethan doesn’t deserve to suffer for his father’s mistakes."

Sebastian stepped closer, his gaze unwavering. "You’re not going too far. Not after everything he did to you."

His voice dropped, heavy with suppressed anger.

"Evelyn—let me call you that. Do you remember how he left you in the rain? How he let Victoria frame you, sending you to prison for three years?"

His words were like knives, slicing open old wounds.

"Do you remember the torture? The way they stole your child? How he forced you to sign those divorce papers while Victoria took your corneas? You’re being merciful by even considering this."

Evelyn’s vision blurred with unshed tears.

The past was a mountain of pain—unyielding, unshakable.

Her resolve hardened.

No more hesitation.

But even as she made her decision, she couldn’t bring herself to hand over everything.

The old master’s warning echoed in her mind.

Monday morning.

Evelyn walked into Blackwood Enterprises beside Alexander. The employees looked tense, but they forced smiles when they saw him.

Alexander’s expression was unreadable, but Evelyn knew him well enough to sense his unease.

She knew exactly why.

The moment they reached his office, Lucas, his assistant, strode in, his face grim.

"Mr. Blackwood," he said urgently. "We have a problem."