Chapter 297

The flickering streetlights cast eerie shadows on Clara Thorne's lifeless face. Evelyn's fingers trembled violently as she reached out to check her mother's pulse.

A cold gust of wind swept through the empty street as Evelyn's anguished cry pierced the night. "Mom! You can't leave me! You promised we'd have more time together!" Her voice cracked with desperation. "I'm taking you to the hospital right now! Just hold on, please!"

Meanwhile, Nathan Cross paced outside the crime scene tape, his phone pressed tightly against his ear. After discovering Clara's identity, he'd wrestled with his conscience before making the call.

"Mr. Blackwood," Nathan's voice was strained, "there's been an accident involving Evelyn's mother. She didn't survive the impact. Evelyn's in shock - she insisted on transporting the body to St. Elizabeth Medical Center herself. With the children safe at home with Mike, she'll be handling the funeral arrangements alone. I thought you should—"

"Which hospital?" Dominic's voice came through like a whip crack, sharp enough to make Sophia Blackwood flinch beside him.

Zoe Montgomery watched in stunned silence as Dominic's carefully constructed composure shattered before her eyes. The raw emotion flashing across his face told her everything - his heart still belonged to Evelyn.

They'd barely settled into their snow palace date when the call came. Without hesitation, Dominic had abandoned their plans for Evelyn. The realization stung more than the winter wind.

As Dominic stormed out, Zoe grabbed his arm. "Dominic! What's happening?" Her question hung in the air, unanswered. The sound of her heart breaking was almost audible.

Inside the sterile hospital operating room, Evelyn worked with mechanical precision. She cleaned Clara's wounds, applied fresh bandages, and stitched the gaping injuries with hands that refused to stop shaking.

The monitor's flatline screamed its final verdict. Evelyn collapsed against the operating table, her mother's cooling body cradled in her arms. "I should've gone with you to Uncle Ronald's," she sobbed, her tears staining Clara's bloodied blouse. "This is all my fault! All my fault!"

Dominic arrived at the hospital like a storm, his presence sending a visible ripple through the staff. Nathan intercepted him with an update: "The driver was intoxicated but survived with serious injuries. We can't determine yet if this was truly an accident or..."

"Where is she?" Dominic's voice was barely recognizable.

"Still in OR," Nathan hesitated. "She's refusing to accept her mother's gone. I'm worried about the psychological—"

Dominic was already moving, drawn by the heart-wrenching sobs echoing down the corridor. His hand hovered over the operating room door when his phone rang.

"Dominic! Where are you?" Eleanor Blackwood's frantic voice cut through Evelyn's muffled cries. "Zoe fainted! She's pregnant - five months along with your child!"

The revelation hit like a physical blow. Dominic's face drained of color as the two realities collided - Evelyn's unimaginable grief and Zoe's shocking pregnancy claim. His world tilted on its axis as the operating room door swung open, revealing Evelyn's shattered form clutching her mother's body.