Chapter 168

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Evelyn Sinclair’s penthouse, casting golden streaks across the marble floors. She stood by the window, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup, lost in thought. The city below bustled with life, but her mind was elsewhere—on Nathan Blackwood.

A sharp knock at the door snapped her out of her reverie.

"Come in," she called, turning just as Lillian Graves, her ever-efficient assistant, stepped inside.

"You have a meeting with Preston Whitmore in thirty minutes," Lillian reminded her, holding out a tablet with the day’s schedule. "And Donovan Sharpe called—he wants to discuss the final edits for the script."

Evelyn sighed, rubbing her temples. "Reschedule the meeting with Donovan. I need to talk to Nathan first."

Lillian hesitated. "Are you sure that’s wise? After what happened last time—"

"I know," Evelyn cut in, her voice firm. "But this can’t wait."

Nathan Blackwood was in his office, staring at the contract in front of him when his phone buzzed. Evelyn’s name flashed on the screen. His jaw tightened.

He considered ignoring it, but something—perhaps the memory of her pleading eyes the last time they spoke—made him answer.

"What is it, Evelyn?" His tone was colder than he intended.

"I need to see you," she said, her voice steady but laced with urgency. "It’s about Sophia."

Nathan’s grip on the phone tightened. His sister’s name was a trigger, a reminder of the tangled web of secrets and betrayals that had torn their family apart.

"Where?" he demanded.

"The café near your office. In twenty minutes."

He exhaled sharply. "Fine."

The café was quiet, the hum of soft jazz blending with the occasional clink of cutlery. Evelyn sat at a corner table, her fingers drumming restlessly against the polished wood. When Nathan walked in, his presence commanded the room—broad shoulders, piercing gaze, and an aura of barely restrained intensity.

He slid into the seat opposite her, his expression unreadable. "Talk."

Evelyn leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Sophia’s in trouble. Daniel Prescott is planning to take Liam away from her."

Nathan’s eyes darkened. "What?"

"She found out about Adriana," Evelyn continued. "She confronted Daniel, and now he’s threatening full custody."

A muscle in Nathan’s jaw twitched. "That bastard."

Evelyn reached across the table, her fingers brushing his wrist. "We have to help her."

Nathan pulled his hand back, his gaze flickering with something unspoken. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because," she said softly, "despite everything, I still care about your family."

The air between them crackled with tension—old wounds, unspoken regrets, and the undeniable pull that neither of them could escape.

Nathan exhaled sharply, pushing back his chair. "I’ll handle it."

As he turned to leave, Evelyn called after him, "Nathan—"

He paused but didn’t look back.

"Be careful," she whispered.

His shoulders tensed, and then he was gone, leaving Evelyn with the weight of what she’d just set into motion.

Meanwhile, across town, Victoria Hayes smirked as she scrolled through the latest tabloid headlines—another scandal involving the Blackwood family.

"Perfect," she murmured, tapping her manicured nails against her phone.

The game was far from over.

Evelyn Sinclair uncovered the truth—this entire mess had been masterfully orchestrated by Claudia Bennett’s lawyer, who had coached Gabriel Ramirez on exactly what to say. They had twisted the narrative, reducing a serious crime into nothing more than a petty lovers' quarrel.

In most cases involving former romantic partners, the approach mirrored domestic violence protocols—focused more on mediation and education than punishment. The only reason this case had gained traction was because of Vivienne Monroe’s suicide attempt.

Gabriel insisted he had no idea Vivienne would break under the pressure. How could he be blamed? It was her own family who had swindled her dry, leaving her with no escape.

The most damning detail? After being blackmailed, Vivienne hadn’t actually transferred any money. Worse, there was no concrete evidence linking Gabriel to gambling debts—just provocative photos and threatening messages, all sent by him. If he stuck to his story—claiming this was just a desperate attempt to win back his ex—then legally, it was hard to pin anything substantial on him.

Thanks to Claudia’s influence, Gabriel walked free.

The only consolation was that the police had scrubbed every trace of Vivienne’s private photos and videos from Gabriel’s devices. No backups, no cloud storage—nothing remained. At least Vivienne wouldn’t have to worry about those haunting her any longer.

But the fight wasn’t over. Vivienne would need a lawyer to pursue further legal action. The case was still open—just framed differently now.

Daniel Wright hadn’t given up, though. Behind the scenes, he was still digging into Gabriel’s gambling debts. The fact that the debts existed but left no paper trail suggested underground dealings. If Daniel could expose that, it would be a major win.

For now, he advised Evelyn and Nathan to inform Vivienne after the performance. They needed to handle this carefully.

When Genevieve Blackwood summarized the situation, Evelyn and Julian exchanged grim looks.

Claudia Bennett is a fool. Worse, she had the nerve to call Mrs. Harrison, arguing that Gabriel had only "lost his way" because of Vivienne. She insisted Vivienne shouldn’t have involved the police—that she had overreacted and traumatized her precious godson.

She still refused to believe Gabriel had a gambling problem. Her blind loyalty was staggering.

Julian and Genevieve remembered the first time Claudia had visited their home. Even then, her favoritism had been obvious. No wonder Gabriel turned out like this—with a godmother who excused every mistake, he knew he’d always have someone shielding him.

Wouldn’t it have been better if Claudia had just let him face the consequences?

But no. She’d rather enable him than admit the truth.

And now, Vivienne was paying the price.

Secrecy? How would he ever repay the debt?

Julian and Genevieve exchanged puzzled glances at the revelation.

Oh, I see. Because he’s under police scrutiny, he can’t demand a large sum of money. He’s trapped. Hah. I can’t help but wonder—what would happen if debt collectors showed up at his door?

Suddenly, Evelyn realized that Gabriel not being arrested might not be such a good thing after all. Who knew what those shadowy figures pulling the strings would force him to do?

Meanwhile, Claire had just ended the call with Claudia’s relentless nagging. Claudia had berated her, accusing her of trusting a stranger over her own godson. She claimed Claire had failed to help Gabriel out of his mess and had even sided with the "culprit." She’d even threatened to confront Vivienne in person later.

Claire couldn’t be bothered with Claudia’s tantrums. She was just… disappointed. She had hoped that by now, her son would have acknowledged his mistakes and faced the consequences honestly. But instead, he had lied to the authorities.

Claire relayed the outcome to Vivienne, her voice firm. "Don’t worry. I won’t let them harass you. As for the case, pursue it to the end. He needs to understand he can’t just walk away from this unscathed."

Vivienne hesitated, unable to meet Claire’s gaze. "Mrs. Harrison…"

"If possible, I want the details of this matter made public. He needs to learn that actions have consequences—that he can’t keep hurting people and expect no repercussions. And don’t worry. I’ll stand with you."

Vivienne was stunned into silence. She had ignored the online speculation, knowing silence wasn’t ideal for her as the victim. She could have exposed everything, painting herself as the wronged party. She had considered it—striking back at Gabriel for everything he’d done.

After all, no more compromising photos or videos would surface now.

But doing so would utterly destroy Gabriel. It wasn’t that she pitied him—it was Claire, who had always protected her, that made her hesitate.

As if sensing her conflict, Claire said bluntly, "Don’t overthink it. These issues will come to light eventually. You might not realize it, but his godmother could go to extreme lengths to attack you. Instead of waiting for the storm to hit, it’s better to face it head-on."

Having spent decades in the entertainment industry, Claire knew every dirty trick in the book. She wouldn’t let Claudia and Gabriel continue wreaking havoc. It was time to take control—to knock him down and rebuild him from scratch.

Claire understood the harsh truth: No destruction, no rebirth. If she didn’t act decisively now, Gabriel might spiral into worse mistakes. And by then, it might be too late to pull him back.

"Alright," Vivienne finally said, resolve hardening. "I’ll sign the contract with Isabelle. I’ll ask her about the specifics later." Seeing Claire’s unwavering determination, Vivienne steeled herself. In a way, this was her final act of mercy—her last attempt to steer Gabriel back onto the right path.

Claire forced a smile, but the exhaustion in her eyes was unmistakable. Yet within seconds, she had slipped back into the role of the stern mother.

She delivered her final ultimatum to Gabriel: No matter how deep in debt you are, I’ll help you settle it this time. But on one condition—you take responsibility for your mistakes and stop running. As long as you acknowledge and correct them, it’s never too late to change.

Vivienne studied Claire, a bittersweet thought crossing her mind—if they were mother and daughter, their story might have had a fairytale ending, like something out of a Broadway play. It would have been proof that a single mother could build a loving home and raise a child with strong values.

But fate had paired them all wrong.

Gabriel, who had just received the message, sat stiffly in Claudia’s car.

His fingers hovered over his phone, hesitation gnawing at him, when suddenly, an anonymous message flashed on the screen. His breath hitched, his body going rigid as his eyes widened in shock.

Claudia’s voice cut through the silence. "Gabriel, don’t be afraid. I’m here to fight for you. Your mother has gone too far. You did nothing wrong. And even if you did—so what? You’re her flesh and blood. She should stand by you unconditionally. But instead, she humiliated you—letting you get arrested, letting the whole world know. How could she watch you suffer like this? Maybe it’s time to cut ties. Stay with me from now on. I’ll take care of you, protect you. And when the time comes, I’ll make sure your father answers for choosing such a cold, heartless woman."

"Aunt Claudia, can we stop at the gas station?" Gabriel blurted.

"Hmm? What’s wrong?"

"I… I need to use the restroom."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he quickly typed out a reply to Claire: Mom, you’ve got it all wrong. Gambling debts? That’s ridiculous. Both you and Vivienne misunderstood me. She misread me last time too. I only threatened her because I wanted her back—I just went about it the wrong way. I’ll explain everything later.