Chapter 789

Evelyn Ross stared at Elian Cross, momentarily speechless.

She curved her lips slightly.

"How did you get here?" she asked.

"I came to find you. And my daughter, Chloe," Elian Cross said.

His gaze then shifted to Chloe behind him.

The little girl had been cared for in the Valentine household for some time now.

Her timidness had faded, and her cheeks had grown fuller.

Seeing everyone's eyes on her, she immediately called out sweetly, "Mommy…"

Evelyn walked over and ruffled her hair.

She couldn't reveal her true identity as Evelyn, not Grace, right now.

This Elian Cross before her… his background was unclear.

As she pondered, Alexander Vance stepped forward to stand before Elian Cross.

"Mr. Cross, Grace is now my fiancée," he said directly.

"She was previously married. May I ask how you and she became acquainted?"

This question was perfectly suited for Alexander to ask.

Evelyn gave him mental praise.

This man always grasped her intentions with precision.

She remained silent, only picking up Chloe and listening attentively to the conversation.

Elian Cross was silent for a moment.

"Since Grace hasn't told you, it's not my place to say more," he said.

After speaking, he looked at Evelyn.

A deep sorrow spread in his eyes, as if Evelyn had committed some unforgivable wrong.

Evelyn watched him and tentatively spoke.

"I'm married. You shouldn't have come looking for me."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Elian Cross's emotions were visibly stirred.

He took a step forward.

Before he could speak, he was wracked by a violent cough.

It took a good while for him to recover.

The coughing fit made Evelyn's heart skip a beat.

This man truly fit the image of a frail, beautiful invalid.

She even felt a fleeting illusion, as if her words had truly been the trigger that agitated him.

Before her self-reproach could solidify, the man spoke hoarsely.

"Grace, I know I was wrong back then. You left because you were angry. But I had my reasons…"

Huh?

Evelyn frowned again.

"What exactly do you want by coming to find me?" she asked.

Elian Cross immediately looked at her with a wounded expression.

His lips moved, but ultimately, he said nothing.

He changed tack.

"I heard you got divorced and have a fiancé now. I came this time to take Chloe away."

Evelyn's guard instantly went up.

It couldn't be helped.

Whether it was Natalie Castillo or Scarlett King, they all seemed particularly interested in Chloe.

Evelyn could roughly guess the reason.

Among those nine heirs, probably very few had children so far.

Everyone wanted an heir.

Therefore, she was doubly wary of anyone who had designs on Chloe.

She stared at Elian Cross.

"Chloe is my daughter. I won't let you take her."

Elian Cross sighed softly.

"Grace, do you hate me that much?"

Evelyn was perplexed.

Seriously? Can we just talk without the… pouting?

She was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

She looked at Elian Cross in astonishment.

The man lowered his eyelashes dejectedly.

His handsome features were tinged with dismay.

He sighed again.

"Can we… really not go back to how things were?"

Evelyn watched him quietly.

Right now, saying more increased the risk of error.

Any misspoken word could expose her identity.

She pressed her lips together and looked at Alexander Vance again.

Alexander understood.

He stepped forward.

"Grace is about to marry me. Please keep your distance, Mr. Cross."

Elian Cross immediately replied, "But Grace and I shared a deep love. We pledged our hearts to each other long ago."

"She even bore my child. Her previous marriage was just to make me angry…"

He then looked at Evelyn.

"Grace, can't you forgive me for my past mistakes? I truly know I was wrong."

Evelyn frowned.

"I'm sorry, but the past is the past. I only want to look forward now."

Elian Cross sighed once more.

"But I can't move on. I'm still trapped in our beautiful memories. Grace, you can't just abandon me like this…"

As he spoke, his eyes reddened.

He covered his mouth and coughed twice.

Then his body swayed, as if he couldn't stand steadily.

The man following him—likely his subordinate—immediately supported his shoulder and helped him sit on a nearby sofa.

The subordinate then took out a heart pill and fed it to him.

Noticing everyone's focused gaze, the subordinate clasped his hands together.

"Please forgive us. My young… my employer has suffered from a heart condition since childhood. He is frail and easily agitated."

He then looked at Evelyn.

"Miss Sterling, please forgive my employer! Since parting with you, he's had no appetite for food or tea. That's why he traveled all this way to find you…"

Before he could finish, Natalie Castillo, who had disappeared upon entering, suddenly reappeared.

She walked straight to Evelyn's side.

Clearing her throat softly, she shoved a DNA test report into Evelyn's hand.

When Evelyn entered earlier, she had taken advantage of Elian Cross's embrace to discreetly pluck a hair from his head and hand it to Natalie.

After spending time together, the two had developed tacit understanding.

Natalie immediately understood and took the sample for an expedited test.

This avid spectator hadn't been on the frontlines earlier.

Now appearing, her eyes were full of curiosity.

She looked like she desperately wanted to grab someone and have them recount the entire drama from start to finish.

Evelyn ignored her itching curiosity.

She simply took the report.

She glanced down at it.

Then, she froze slightly.