Chapter 19 - What Evelyn Wanted
I almost refused.
Then I looked at Daniel sleeping under hospital lights and decided I wanted one thing from Evelyn.
The truth without an audience.
Not harmless.
Just human.
"Why did you hit me?" I asked.
She blinked. "You know why."
"I know the plan. I want to hear you say it."
Her jaw tightened.
"You had the recording. Victor told me he saw you near the study. If I accused you first, Daniel would doubt anything you said afterward."
"And the five hundred dollars?"
"I put it in your coat pocket."
I laughed softly. "You didn't even check whether I was wearing that coat."
For the first time, she looked embarrassed.
"I panicked."
"No. You calculated. Then the calculation failed."
She looked down.
"Daniel always believed me."
"That was the part you counted on most."
Her eyes filled, but I did not rescue her from the feeling.
"Did you ever love Robert?" I asked.
"Once."
"Marcus?"
"Once."
"Victor?"
She gave a bitter laugh. "I loved what he promised."
"And what did he promise?"
"A life where I didn't have to be Evelyn Bennett."
I leaned back. "You could have left."
"Not with nothing."
There it was again.
The belief that wanting more excused taking everything.
She looked at my bruised face.
"I'm sorry I hit you."
"You're sorry it didn't work."
She started to object, then stopped.
I stood.
"Daniel may forgive you someday. Claire may too. That's their choice. But you don't get to decide when I stop being angry."
At the door, Evelyn called my name.
"Emma."
I turned.
"There's something Daniel doesn't know. Robert's documents name the real owners, but there is one final trust. It was created by Robert's father."
"For who?"
She swallowed.
"For Daniel. Not because he's a Bennett by blood. Because Robert's father knew he wasn't."
I stared at her.
"He knew?"
May you like
Evelyn nodded.
"He knew everything."
