Chapter 67

"I'm expecting, so I can't take any random medication," Evelyn murmured, pressing a hand to her stomach. "It'll pass in a few days. Some concealer should do the trick for now."

"You stubborn girl! At least get some proper rest!"

Clara fussed over her daughter, smoothing the blanket before urging her to lie down.

Evelyn shook her head with a tired smile. "I'm wide awake now. Maybe I'll just browse my phone for a bit."

As her screen lit up, the missed call notification from Mrs. Wilkins caught her eye. She considered returning the call but the noisy bus environment made her decide to wait until she got home.

Then a breaking news alert flashed across her screen:

'Julian Whitmore Carried Out of Monte Carlo Casino at 3AM! Alleged Massive Debt to Loan Sharks!'

Evelyn's breath hitched as she tapped the headline.

The accompanying photos showed two familiar faces - Julian being half-carried by security, and another shot of him being loaded into an ambulance. Standing beside him, dressed in a scandalously short dress that barely covered anything, was Victoria.

Even after all this time apart, her half-sister hadn't changed - if anything, she looked even more provocative than Evelyn remembered.

If not for Julian's gambling disaster, they'd probably be tangled up in some luxury hotel sheets right now.

With a sigh, Evelyn closed the news app and checked her messages.

A text from Sophie popped up: [OMG Evie! Almost slept with Adrian last night! Talk about bad timing - got my period RIGHT in the middle of things!]

Evelyn's eyes widened.

[You're moving faster than a Formula 1 car!] she typed back.

[We may have had one too many cocktails...] Sophie replied. [You should've seen his face when the crime scene happened! Total disappointment but get this - he actually went out to buy me tampons!]

[Don't luxury apartments keep those stocked?] Evelyn fired back.

[We were at his place...] Sophie admitted. [Okay fine, I agreed to date him to investigate his secrets, but a girl's gotta test the merchandise first, right?]

[Uh huh.] Evelyn replied dryly.

[Soooo... how's Mr. Blackwood in bed? ;)] came Sophie's next message.

Evelyn's cheeks burned crimson. She quickly typed: [Phone's dying! Talk later!]

Sophie's immediate response: [THAT MEANS YOU DID IT! Otherwise you'd just say you don't know! HA!]

Mortified, Evelyn shoved her phone back into her purse just as the bus pulled into Ravenswood station.

After helping her mother with the groceries (Clara insisted on buying enough produce to feed a small army), Evelyn took the keys to unlock their apartment door.

The moment the door swung open, Evelyn froze.

Someone was sitting on their couch.

She stumbled back in shock, nearly colliding with Clara who gasped behind her. If not for having seen Dominic's photos in the news, she might have screamed for the police.

A broad-shouldered bodyguard stepped forward, ushering them inside before taking the grocery bags from Clara's arms with surprising gentleness.

"What are you doing here?" Evelyn demanded once she found her voice, striding toward Dominic. "This is my mother's home! You can't just—"

A chill ran down her spine. The realization hit her like a freight train - Dominic had not only tracked down her mother's address but walked in like he owned the place. Her entire life was an open book to this man.

Dominic studied her panicked expression before stating simply, "I came for you."