Chapter 149

The scandalous affair at the luxury hotel dominated Twitter for two full days. The salacious details were so vivid that the story remained fresh no matter how many times it was revisited.

The men who had been publicly dragged and humiliated were pitiable, but compared to Gordon’s current predicament, they had gotten off lightly.

After all, they had only lost their reputations. Gordon, on the other hand, had been exposed as a man plagued by illness, cheated on, and even poached from—his downfall was nothing short of tragic.

In the grand living room of the Blackwood estate, the family had gathered, as had become their new tradition. Post-dinner gossip sessions had become a daily ritual, leaving them all feeling oddly rejuvenated.

Even Nathan, who rarely left work early, had joined them tonight.

When Evelyn sarcastically remarked on Gordon’s misfortune, Nathan smirked, and the others burst into laughter.

Ever since Evelyn’s transformation, the Blackwood family had grown closer, sharing laughter and stories like never before.

"I just read the latest update," Genevieve announced excitedly. "Mrs. Gonzales has officially filed for divorce. She’s sending Gordon a lawyer’s letter—she’s suing him. He’s already been kicked out of the house."

"The truth is finally out," Margaret mused. "She must be absolutely livid, beyond caring about her reputation now."

Richard added, "Not only is Gordon leaving the marriage with nothing, but he’ll likely have to pay compensation too. He’s lost everything—his career, his family."

Julian shook his head in disbelief. "The paparazzi spotted Simon staying at Mrs. Gonzales’s villa. I can’t believe he actually managed to weasel his way in. Has she completely lost her mind?"

The room erupted in laughter.

Sophia sighed. "After being betrayed so badly, how can she still trust men?"

"Maybe she doesn’t trust them," Evelyn said thoughtfully. "Maybe she just wants to enjoy herself. She’s wealthy, after all. The only unresolved issue is their sabotage of Rebecca."

The mood sobered slightly. Initially, they had hoped the coffee stains on the clothing might reveal traces of drugs, but it turned out the coffee hadn’t been tampered with. The irony was that the person who had intended to drug someone else had ended up the victim. There was nothing more to say.

Then Nathan spoke up. "Mrs. Gonzales’s cousin has been complaining at the office. The scandals she stirred online have affected her family’s businesses, including her own. They’re planning to disown her. She’s not working either, so in the future… I doubt she’ll have much money left to waste."

Ruth’s cousin was a board member at Blackwood Group, so his words carried weight.

The Blackwoods stared at Nathan in surprise. No one had expected the usually serious CEO to pay attention to office gossip—let alone bring it home to share.

This was unlike him.

But when they saw Evelyn’s eyes light up with excitement and her hand instinctively reaching for Nathan’s arm, they exchanged knowing glances.

Is this his new way of charming his wife?

In the past, Richard and Margaret had worried about the couple’s relationship, but lately, Nathan and Evelyn had been inseparable.

"Really?" Evelyn asked eagerly.

Nathan nodded, elaborating in detail.

Evelyn burst into laughter. "Karma always finds a way."

One could only imagine what Ruth’s future would look like without money. What would Simon do then? His reputation was already in ruins—no one would hire a man infamous for seducing his own aunt.

"Finally, Ms. Yancey’s patience has paid off," Genevieve said happily. "No one will dare harm her again."

The family shared a laugh.

Then Sophia suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Evelyn, Julian—what’s happening with your show now?"

Evelyn had never been one to fuss over work. If she could procrastinate, she would. She turned to Julian for the answer.

Julian explained, "Rebecca is still under contract with our agency, so she’ll continue as a supporting act for the stage play."

Evelyn raised her hand. "I could step down and let Rebecca perform with you. Wouldn’t that be perfect? Since Isabelle wants to nurture her talent."

Julian shot her a look. "Do you want to see Preston and Donovan have a breakdown in the middle of the night?"

The entire family burst out laughing.

Nathan turned to Evelyn. "If you really don’t want to participate, I’ll handle the penalty."

Evelyn blinked. "Only one episode left?" She had signed on for an entire season.

"Yes," Julian confirmed. "Only two teams remain, so there’s not much else to innovate. We tried inviting others, but no one dared to join. So Preston and Donovan decided to wrap it up early, freeing up the schedule for other projects."

Evelyn grinned.

One of life’s greatest joys was earning the same money for less work.

"So your group is the only one still fighting," Richard chuckled. "Looks like Evelyn will be judging every performance."

Margaret added, "I’m familiar with the last group. I adored Claire’s shows when I was younger. She was a beloved actress—everyone has seen her dramas. She’s paired with her son’s ex-girlfriend, Vivienne, right? I wonder how they’re getting along."

"People online were so sure Team In-Laws would drop out that they started betting on it," Genevieve said.

Sophia smirked. "If they back out now, it’ll only prove they’re afraid of facing Evelyn and Julian. The internet would tear them apart."

Julian nodded. "Mr. Sharpe approached them, but they didn’t express any desire to quit. Marcus and Isabelle also said there were no major issues. Besides, with Mrs. Harrison’s official backing, she’s probably worked hard to shed her ‘evil mother-in-law’ image."

Margaret sighed. "I remember reading about her. She became a widow so young. She and her son have relied on each other ever since."

"So is she overprotective of him? Does she interfere with his relationships?" Sophia asked.

"That’s the industry rumor," Julian said, hesitating slightly. "Well… you could say that."

The family exchanged glances. His hesitation spoke volumes.