Chapter 1745

No.1

"Mr. Yearwood..." Her voice shook uncontrollably.

She was finished.

Every ambition crumbled in this moment.

Regret flooded her. Why had she listened to Melissa? Why target Evelyn?

"Where did these photos come from?" William pressed.

"P...Photoshopped," Victoria stammered.

She'd paid for doctored images, though her informant swore they'd seen the imprisoned woman.

No.2

"Any other fabricated evidence?"

Victoria nodded hopelessly.

She knew Horizon would prioritize protecting the Sullivans' reputation.

Evelyn had won.

Had the article been published, Victoria would be standing triumphant now.

"Accomplices?" William's final question made Melissa tense.

Surprisingly, Victoria shook her head.

No.3

Not out of kindness—she kept Melissa's secrets for future leverage.

One hour later, Horizon issued a termination notice.

Victoria Henn was fired on the spot for fabricating news.

In the conference room, Minister Lightfoot smiled at Evelyn. "I've long admired your work, Ms. Sinclair. Let's collaborate sometime."

William gave a thoughtful glance.

Madam Zade never released Evelyn's hand. "Come visit soon, darling. It's time we made our relationship official."

Evelyn's cheeks pinked.

No.4

She remembered that fateful day in the Sullivan garden—

The dark room.

The chained woman with wild hair who wept upon seeing her:

"Evelyn, I'm your mother..."

Evelyn Sinclair stood frozen.

Madam Zade's scalding tears fell onto the back of her hand.

"Evelyn..." The name carried emotions too complex to decipher.

No.5

Trembling fingers brushed her cheek. "Mom finally found you..."

Evelyn instinctively stepped back.

For a split second, she glimpsed clarity in Madam Zade's eyes before they clouded over again.

"What's going on?" Vincent Sullivan's furious voice echoed from the doorway.

He strode forward to pull Evelyn away, but Madam Zade clutched his sleeve desperately.

"Vincent!" Her voice turned shrill. "Look! Evelyn's home!"

Vincent's pupils constricted violently.

No.6

Evelyn watched the titan of industry's fingers tremble uncontrollably.

"You...remember me?" His voice cracked with emotion.

It was the first time in ten years Madam Zade had spoken his name.

Only then did Evelyn notice the room's peculiarities—every sharp corner padded, the chain just long enough for limited mobility.

Vincent's eyes reddened.

"Thirteen years ago..." He spoke with difficulty. "At Greenhill Sanatorium..."

During Madam Zade's relapse, she'd stayed there under an alias. She'd met a mute little girl who curled up in corners.

No.7

"She called you Evelyn." Vincent smiled bitterly. "Because you always stared at the hibiscus in the courtyard."

Madam Zade had insisted on adopting the child.

The miracle happened at dusk. The girl suddenly threw herself into Madam Zade's arms, crying "Mommy" in a crystal-clear voice.

"You vanished the next day." Vincent's voice shook. "She searched for you like a madwoman..."

Evelyn's fingertips turned icy.

She remembered hibiscus flowers. But her memories of the sanatorium remained blank.