Chapter 166

The morning sun cast golden streaks across Evelyn Sinclair's penthouse as she scrolled through her phone, her fingers pausing over a particularly juicy tabloid headline. The gossip columns were buzzing with fresh scandal, and Evelyn couldn't help but smirk.

"Nathan Blackwood Spotted Leaving Hotel with Mystery Woman—Is His Engagement to Evelyn Over?"

She rolled her eyes, tossing the phone onto the plush couch. The media loved twisting the smallest interactions into full-blown dramas. Nathan had been at a business dinner, for heaven’s sake. The "mystery woman" was just his new investor, Victoria Hayes—though Evelyn would never admit how much that woman grated on her nerves.

A soft chime from her laptop drew her attention. Lillian Graves, her ever-efficient assistant, had sent over the latest script revisions. Evelyn skimmed the notes, but her mind kept drifting back to the tabloid nonsense.

"What if it wasn’t just business?" a traitorous voice whispered in her head.

She shook it off. Nathan wasn’t the type to stray—not after everything they’d been through. Still, the seed of doubt had been planted, and Evelyn hated how easily it took root.

Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from Serena Whitmore, her agent.

Serena: "Saw the headlines. You okay?"

Evelyn typed back quickly.

Evelyn: "Please. Like I’d let some trashy gossip rag ruin my day."

But even as she sent it, her fingers tightened around her phone. The article had mentioned Nathan’s past—his first love, Cassandra, and how she’d recently returned to the city. Coincidence? Evelyn wasn’t so sure.

Downing the rest of her coffee, she made a decision. If Nathan had something to hide, she’d find out. And if the media wanted a scandal? Well, she’d give them one they wouldn’t forget.

It wasn’t until Julian greeted one of the officers that the room snapped back to reality.

"Daniel?"

The striking detective who had made the arrest stood, cuffing a bewildered Gabriel from behind. With a broad grin, he said, "Julian, long time no see."

His sharp, hawk-like gaze then swept over Evelyn, but he merely gave a curt nod—nothing more than a perfunctory acknowledgment.

Evelyn had been admiring the officer’s striking looks—his chiseled features could easily grace a magazine cover. If he ever went live, viewers would undoubtedly swoon. But the moment she noticed his familiarity with Julian and his cold demeanor, she studied his face more closely, rifling through her memories.

Ah, right. Daniel Wright. One of Nathan’s closest friends. They, along with Cassandra, were university classmates. Daniel shipped them hard and knows the real reason behind our marriage… No wonder he’s so icy toward me. Come to think of it, he stopped visiting the Blackwood estate after the incident—probably because he thinks the Blackwoods forced Nathan into this marriage without considering his happiness.

Listening to her thoughts, Julian suppressed a wince. He hadn’t expected Evelyn to be so well-informed. Running into Daniel here, though—that was unexpected.

"Why are you here?" Julian asked.

"Didn’t you call the police?" Daniel tapped his phone pointedly.

Julian blinked, quickly checking his own device. Earlier, he had casually mentioned to the group that Evelyn had uncovered all the evidence on Gabriel’s phone. That was when Nathan had finalized the plan.

The strategy was simple: strike while Gabriel was still in the dark. Call the cops, catch him off guard, and haul him in with the evidence. Once that was done, the problem would be solved.

Coincidentally, Daniel had just wrapped up another case when Nathan reached out directly, asking him to handle this personally.

Nathan had subtly hinted that, based on his own discreet investigation, Gabriel might be playing the victim while actually being the mastermind. But they couldn’t voice that suspicion outright—so he’d asked Daniel to conduct his own inquiry. There was only one condition: the moment the culprit was caught, the phone had to be secured as evidence—without any further harm to the victim.

Familiarity made things smoother. Daniel trusted Nathan’s judgment implicitly, so he immediately pegged Gabriel as the prime suspect—effectively resolving Evelyn and Julian’s concerns.

What they hadn’t expected was for Gabriel to be this much of an idiot. He’d put on a full-blown resistance act before anything even happened, nearly turning himself into a fugitive on the spot.

Since things were already in motion, Julian seamlessly played along.

"Ah, my bad," he said smoothly. "I heard you were calling the cops, so I drafted a message to help Ms. Sinclair."

Damn! Julian, you're brilliant, and your timing couldn't be more perfect! As if fate had intervened, we even knew this person, so a little conversation would smooth everything over, right?

Feeling a twinge of guilt, Julian graciously accepted the praise, silently apologizing to his older brother for stealing the spotlight.

Turning to the stunned onlookers, he asked, "Since the police are already here, will you file a report, Ms. Monroe?"

Vivienne hadn’t yet recovered from the wave of suspicion that had just crashed over her. She always held an extra ounce of caution when dealing with law enforcement. Quickly, she pulled out her phone, earnestly recounting the sequence of events.

"So, the photos were leaked from your phone?" Daniel Wright looked directly at Gabriel.

Gabriel had regained his composure and was already resisting. "It was an accident. Why are you arresting me?"

Claire couldn’t help but step forward, unable to bear watching her own son being taken away.

"You’ve got it all wrong. From now on, you’re the prime suspect." Without wasting a second, Daniel immediately confiscated Gabriel’s phone as evidence.

"What are you doing?!" Gabriel nearly shrieked, unable to believe how quickly things had spiraled out of control.

"The prime suspect?" Claire gasped in shock.

"Exactly." Daniel’s tone was firm. "In cases like this, the perpetrator is usually someone close to the victim. And his claim about losing his phone? That’s just his side of the story. If we can find proof that he needed a large sum of money urgently, it gives him motive to stage a fake extortion. For example… maybe he has some bad habits or financial troubles?"

"Does gambling count?" Isabelle Laurent chimed in at the perfect moment.

That single sentence struck like lightning. The secret Gabriel thought was buried, the one his ex-girlfriend had sworn never to reveal, was suddenly laid bare.

"You—what did you just say?" Gabriel was so overwhelmed he nearly collapsed. Immediately, he shot Vivienne a furious glare.

Vivienne was just as stunned.

Isabelle, however, blinked innocently. "Don’t blame me. When the police ask questions, we have to cooperate. Honestly, if you didn’t want people to know, you shouldn’t have done it. Besides… rumors do spread in our industry."

This was also a subtle way of clarifying that Vivienne hadn’t been the one to expose his gambling habit—ensuring Gabriel couldn’t retaliate against her later if he was acquitted.

"I didn’t!" Gabriel couldn’t even lift his head anymore. He could feel his mother’s burning gaze boring into him.

"He gambles. I can confirm that." Vivienne suddenly spoke up.

With everyone rallying behind her, Vivienne couldn't possibly let them down now.

.

Gabriel stared at Vivienne in disbelief. A girl as dutiful as her should have been the last person to break a promise. Even though they had parted ways, he never imagined Vivienne would expose someone else’s secrets.

Yet, Vivienne watched him, her heart numb with sorrow. After all, they had once been lovers. Sometimes, they were the ones who blinded each other the most—yet at other times, they were the ones who understood each other best.

"He once swindled ten million from me and gambled it all away. That was when we ended things."

She just never expected that some people could sink to such depths for the sake of gambling.

Once that truth settled in, certain coincidences no longer seemed like mere accidents.

The reality of the situation became painfully clear, even without further investigation.

Before anyone could react, Claire lunged at Gabriel, her hand raised to strike. Daniel, quick on his feet, dodged just in time, pretending to intervene while subtly allowing Claire to vent her fury first.

"Was it you? Was it you who did this, you wretched boy? What have you done? How could you commit such a vile act? How could you face Vivienne, let alone me and your father? How could you—?"

"I didn’t do it! I swear—!"

By the time the newly arrived officers led Gabriel away, his face was streaked with blood, his sobs echoing through the room.

"Ms. Monroe, rest assured. Our specialists will handle all the photos and videos. We are committed to protecting your privacy, financial security, and reputation."

Hearing those words, Vivienne’s emotions surged again, and she broke down into unrestrained tears.

She had braced herself for the worst, prepared to fight alone—yet, against all odds, everything had been resolved in the blink of an eye. She had no idea who had come to her aid, but she thanked the heavens for not abandoning her in her darkest hour.

Once the necessary paperwork was completed, Daniel asked, "Ms. Monroe, is there anything else you'd like to address? For instance, reclaiming that ten million?"

Before Vivienne could respond, Claire, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "We will return every penny to her."

Claire turned to Vivienne, her expression heavy with remorse. Vivienne, overwhelmed by the unexpected kindness, felt a pang of guilt—kind-hearted people always felt they owed others more than they deserved.

Claire couldn’t bear it. "Please, don’t blame yourself. We’re the ones who wronged you. You shouldn’t feel guilty—you’re a good girl. It’s my fault for failing to raise my son properly, for letting him hurt you like this."

She didn’t resent Vivienne for not telling her about Gabriel’s gambling and debts. After all, back then, Vivienne had only been Gabriel’s girlfriend—not family, not obligated to help discipline him.

Claire’s voice trembled. "You endured so much alone… and we failed you."

Vivienne’s tears fell harder.

Sometimes, justice came from the most unexpected places.

And sometimes, the people who hurt you the most were the ones who ended up saving you.

Freya—no, Claire Harrison now—had always been a woman of principle. She knew right from wrong with crystal clarity. And the mistake Gabriel had made? It was far beyond anything she could fix.

"You don't need to worry about anything else regarding this case," Claire said firmly, her voice unwavering. "Handle it based on the evidence. I won’t beg for leniency, and I won’t interfere. It’s about time he learned his lesson the hard way." A mother could be tough when necessary, and Claire was no exception.

"Then, Ms. Monroe, will you be able to leave the hospital for the police station tomorrow?" Daniel Wright asked, his tone professional yet probing.

Vivienne hesitated, her gaze flickering. Just as she was about to nod, Isabelle Laurent cut in sharply, "Does this mean the live stream tomorrow is really off the table?"

Looks like Preston Whitmore and Donovan Sharpe are going to lose their minds over this news.

Julian cleared his throat, noticing Daniel’s displeased expression. "That might be asking too much of Vivienne right now."

Vivienne bit her lip, torn, until Claire spoke up again. "I’ll stand by you for this final act. Don’t let that reckless boy ruin your moment. Do you really want to give up this opportunity?"

Something hardened in Vivienne’s eyes. She clenched her fists, then lifted her chin. "No. I will take that stage."

In the end, Daniel agreed to accommodate them, showing unexpected flexibility. When the moment of truth came, Vivienne steeled herself and laid everything bare—including pressing charges against her own mother and uncle.

Daniel glanced at the stunned Adriana and Bartholomeo—no, Victor—on the sidelines, raising an eyebrow. "Busy day for arrests. I’ll need to call in reinforcements." Without another word, he pulled out his phone to summon backup.

Adriana and Victor erupted into furious curses, hurling insults at Vivienne.

She didn’t flinch.

It was Daniel who stepped forward, his voice sharp as steel. "Enough. One more word, and I’ll add threatening the victim to your charges."

They fell silent, shrinking back in disbelief.

When Daniel finally left, the most surprising reaction came from Isabelle—who practically bounced after him.

What’s she up to? Julian frowned. Did she take a liking to him? Or is she trying to recruit him for some project?

At first, he thought Isabelle was flirting. But then he caught snippets of her excited chatter—something about a guest appearance—and realized, with some amusement, that in certain ways, Isabelle and Danielle were cut from the same cloth.

But they were all probably wrong.

Because knowing Isabelle?

She was absolutely trying to rope him into their stage play.