Chapter 233

The morning sun cast golden rays through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Evelyn Sinclair’s penthouse, illuminating the scattered scripts on her coffee table. She sighed, running a hand through her tousled auburn hair as she reread the latest revisions. The role was challenging—a woman torn between love and ambition—but something about it felt incomplete.

Her phone buzzed, and Lillian Graves’ name flashed on the screen. "Evelyn, Preston Whitmore wants to meet you at the studio in an hour. He says it’s urgent."

Evelyn frowned. Urgent? Preston wasn’t one for dramatics unless it was absolutely necessary. She quickly typed back, "Tell him I’ll be there."

Nathan Blackwood leaned against the polished mahogany desk in his office, his sharp blue eyes scanning the financial reports in front of him. The numbers were solid, but his mind kept drifting elsewhere—specifically, to the woman who had occupied his thoughts more than he cared to admit.

A knock interrupted his musings. "Mr. Blackwood, your sister is here to see you," his assistant announced.

Before he could respond, Sophia Blackwood strode in, her designer heels clicking against the marble floor. "You’ve been avoiding my calls," she accused, crossing her arms.

Nathan exhaled. "I’ve been busy."

"Too busy for family?" Sophia arched a perfectly sculpted brow. "Or just too busy avoiding the fact that Evelyn Sinclair is back in town?"

His jaw tightened. "That’s none of your concern."

Sophia smirked. "Oh, it is when you’ve been moping around like a lovesick puppy for months."

Nathan shot her a glare, but before he could retort, his phone rang. It was Donovan Sharpe.

"Blackwood, we have a problem," the producer said without preamble. "The lead actress just dropped out of Midnight Echoes. We need Evelyn Sinclair, and we need her now."

Nathan’s grip on the phone tightened. Of all the actresses in Hollywood, why did it have to be her?

Evelyn stepped into the studio, the familiar scent of fresh paint and coffee filling the air. Preston Whitmore stood near the director’s chair, deep in conversation with Donovan Sharpe.

"Evelyn," Preston greeted, his expression unreadable. "Thanks for coming on such short notice."

She nodded. "What’s this about?"

Donovan cleared his throat. "We want you for Midnight Echoes."

Evelyn blinked. "The Blackwood Productions film?"

"The very one," Preston confirmed.

Her pulse quickened. Working with Nathan’s company again—after everything that had happened—was a risk. But the script was brilliant, the kind of role that could redefine her career.

Before she could respond, the studio doors swung open, and Nathan himself strode in, his presence commanding the room.

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, the past five years of silence and unspoken words hung between them.

"Evelyn," he said, his voice low.

She lifted her chin. "Nathan."

Donovan glanced between them, sensing the tension. "So… do we have a deal?"

Evelyn hesitated, then smiled. "Let’s talk terms."

Nathan’s gaze darkened, but he said nothing.

The game was on.

When Nathan announced his intention to find Daniel, Evelyn didn’t need any prompting—she eagerly followed.

Talk about perfect timing. Though maybe I shouldn’t watch what happens next. Some things can’t be unseen.

Nathan’s expression twisted in disgust. He had interacted with Amelia a handful of times, but this just proved you could never judge someone by appearances.

The Blackwoods, overhearing the plan to catch the cheating pair, were instantly intrigued. They began discreetly observing, though without knowing the exact location, they had to wait for Nathan and Evelyn to locate Daniel first.

Meanwhile, the pre-wedding festivities were in full swing. A professional emcee held the microphone, working the crowd into a celebratory mood.

Though the bride and groom weren’t set to appear just yet, Victor and Serena occasionally stepped in to humor the emcee with a few words.

Victor stood at the center of the gathering, but Serena was nowhere in sight.

Evelyn and Nathan headed to the lounge in search of Daniel but found it empty.

Where is he? Oh, right—the garden. He must be cooling off. Starting to have doubts, isn’t he? He’s sensing something’s off. And yet, he still hasn’t called off the wedding. Is he really that afraid of wronging Amelia? A woman who plays the victim is like poison to a man’s common sense!

Nathan didn’t waste time deliberating. Instead of heading to the garden, he simply pulled out his phone and dialed.

The ringing came from nearby.

They turned. Down the corridor, Serena stood lost in thought, Daniel’s phone in hand as she walked toward the ballroom.

Huh? Why does Serena have Daniel’s phone? Oh—Stephanie picked it up and gave it to her. Wait… isn’t she heading toward the restroom where those two are…?

The Blackwoods, watching from a distance, exchanged glances. Restroom? Which one? There are restrooms in every direction—north, south, east, west. Which one is it?

No way. Serena saw the surveillance footage on Daniel’s phone and went looking for Amelia. When she couldn’t find her, she checked the cameras and saw Amelia and Mason slipping into the same restroom one after the other. This is explosive! Hah, those two are in deep trouble now. Do we even need to find Daniel anymore? I’d rather just follow Serena and watch the fireworks.

Nathan, however, was adamant about finding Daniel quickly. He remembered Daniel’s mother’s fragile health—she wouldn’t handle this kind of shock well.

Turning to Evelyn, he said, “Mrs. Reed is probably just trying to return Daniel’s phone. Evelyn, go tell her I’ll bring Daniel to her. She can wait here.”

If Serena suddenly took a turn for the worse, Evelyn would be there to notice immediately.

This request aligned perfectly with Evelyn's intentions, so she nodded without hesitation.

The two parted ways. The moment Evelyn was out of sight, Nathan immediately headed to the secluded garden, where he found Daniel waiting.

Daniel's expression darkened when he saw Nathan. "Any updates?"

He was genuinely afraid that Nathan's suspicions might be true, and the weight of it made his chest tighten.

Ignoring Daniel's grim demeanor, Nathan cut straight to the point. "Your mother seems to be frantically searching for you—with your phone in hand."

Daniel froze. Only then did he realize his phone was missing. Panic surged through him. Had his mother discovered something? Without wasting another second, he followed Nathan back toward the ballroom.

Meanwhile, Nathan caught fragments of Evelyn's thoughts through their connection.

Wait… Is Serena eavesdropping at the door? She looks pale—like she just heard something devastating. She’s practically trembling with rage.

Nathan frowned, concerned for Serena’s state.

At least she’s holding it together. But why isn’t she storming in to confront them? Does she really intend to endure this humiliation just to avoid a scandal at the wedding? She’s actually walking away? Then… should we still bring Daniel to witness the truth?

Nathan hesitated. Perhaps Serena wanted to preserve the family’s dignity, but Daniel needed to see the betrayal for himself. If he didn’t, he might remain blind to the deception forever.

Just as Nathan was weighing their next move, Daniel suddenly stopped. "Mom?"

They had just re-entered the ballroom, intending to take the quickest route to Evelyn, when they spotted Serena weaving through the crowd near the wedding staff.

Daniel moved to rush toward her, but by the time he pushed past the guests, she had vanished again.

Nathan caught another wave of Evelyn’s thoughts.

What is she doing? Why is she coming and going like this? And why isn’t she dragging Daniel in there to expose them? Wait—is that a microphone? No way… Did she just unlock the restroom door and plant a mic inside? Oh my god… Is she—

Before Daniel could chase after his mother again, Nathan grabbed his arm.

"What’s wrong?" Daniel demanded, anxiety lacing his voice. He was terrified that Serena might do something drastic—like halt the wedding entirely—regardless of whether Amelia was a victim or not.

Even now, doubt gnawed at him, but he couldn’t abandon his mother in the middle of such a public event.

Just as he was lost in thought, the wedding setup underwent a sudden, dramatic change.

The massive screen, which had been displaying romantic wedding photos, flickered—then split into eight separate surveillance feeds.

Gasps erupted across the ballroom.

The truth was about to be exposed.

The surveillance footage played across the massive screen, revealing hotel corridors from different dates. In each clip, Amelia Bennett and Mason Wright could be seen pulling at each other as they made their way toward a room.

The once lively ballroom fell into stunned silence as guests gradually noticed the scandal unfolding before their eyes.

Victor Reed, who had been holding a microphone and chatting with the host, his back turned to the screen, sensed the shift in the atmosphere. Confused, he turned—only to freeze, the microphone slipping from his grasp and hitting the floor with a sharp, echoing clang.

Then, all eyes landed on Daniel Wright.

Whispers erupted like wildfire.

"Isn't that his fiancée?"

"Wait—wasn’t that the same guy he just punched?"

"Were they really going to a hotel room together?"

"This can’t be real. Back in school, Mason used to torment Amelia."

"Do you think she was forced? She doesn’t look willing."

"Even if she was, it doesn’t change the fact that she betrayed Daniel."

"Hold on—they said they got married because she was pregnant. So… whose child is it?"

"I don’t even want to say it. This is beyond humiliating."

"Who leaked this? Is Mason trying to ruin Daniel?"

"No, Mason came with his girlfriend tonight."

At that moment, the crowd remembered the other key player in this scandal.

Sophia Reed had been searching for Mason, growing increasingly frustrated when she couldn’t find him. She had just asked the butler for help when she stepped into the ballroom—and saw the damning footage.

First, she’d learned that her boyfriend had been a bully in his youth. Now, this.

Her mind reeled.

Slowly, she approached Daniel, who stood frozen in shock.

"What is this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is that… them? Did Mason force her?"

Despite everything, Sophia still wanted to believe the girl was innocent.