Chapter 399

Mr. Whitmore's words hung in the air like a heavy fog.

Evelyn's lashes fluttered as she pressed her lips together. "Are you feeling any better?"

"What's the point of getting better?" Mr. Whitmore let out a bitter laugh. "My wife and daughter are both gone now. Why should I keep living?"

The truth was too cruel to bear.

No parent should ever have to face such devastation.

Evelyn lowered her gaze. "Deep down, you know exactly how this tragedy came to be."

Mr. Whitmore stiffened. His shoulders slumped as shame washed over him. "Yes... I admit our greed led us here."

He swallowed hard before continuing. "When we first heard about Winifred's death, we were shattered. Discovering she'd taken her own life at that training camp... we couldn't think straight. The camp offered compensation and put us up at Bassburgh Grand Hotel while waiting for the autopsy results."

"Then one day," his fingers clenched as if carrying an invisible weight, "a woman came to us. She claimed you were responsible for our daughter's death - that you drove her to it."

"She gave us your work address. My wife and I... we went after you. The money blinded us. Our daughter was already gone, we thought... why not take it? But we never imagined—" He buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking. "That woman wanted us dead too. I suspected something, but... we still couldn't escape."

Regret poured from every word.

But what good did regret do now?

Evelyn gave him space, slipping quietly from the ward. Nathan had just ended his call when she approached.

"How did things go with Father Goldmann?" she asked, resting a hand on his back.

Nathan's expression darkened. "Grandfather let Rosalind go. Out of respect for the Summers family's past kindness."

Evelyn squeezed his cold fingers. "Now that your grandfather knows her true nature, she won't escape consequences if she acts again."

Nathan turned, pulling her into his embrace. His lips brushed her forehead. "Zoe, you don't need to comfort me."

She averted her eyes. "I'm not."

After a beat, she asked, "Why did you have Father handle this? Were you worried your grandfather wouldn't believe us?"

Nathan's arm tightened around her waist. "That foolish girl Chloe told Rosalind all our plans. If we'd confronted her directly, she would've weaseled out of it with some excuse."

Evelyn toyed with his tie absently. "Yet she still walked away unscathed. What a shame we couldn't send her to prison."

A dangerous smile curved his lips. "Prison would be too kind. Grandfather may have spared her, but Father won't."

The next day...

Viana Jewelry officially rebranded as Soul Jewelry, drawing massive crowds on opening day.

The showroom divided into two distinct sections:

Section A featured exclusive custom designs available by appointment only. Each breathtaking piece carried a staggering price tag, their unique designs justifying every penny.

Section B operated as a traditional boutique, selling ready-made collections that flew off the shelves.

As Bassburgh's sole Gothic-inspired jewelry brand - and with Zara as its celebrated designer - the store overflowed with customers.

Evelyn barely left her seat despite only handling custom orders. After seeing off one client, she turned to find Madam Nora approaching in her wheelchair, assisted by an attendant.