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Jade Carlson had not a trace of joy on her face.
Her eyes wide open, she stared at Evelyn Willard in shock and anger.
âWhat exactly have you done?!â Jade Carlson demanded.
She was no fool. Nathaniel Summers detested her to the extreme; how could he possibly get engaged to her?
It must have been Evelyn Willard doing something behind her back!
âI told you not to set your sights on him!â Jade Carlson said angrily. âI can handle my own matters. You donât need to interfere!â
âHow do you handle it?â Evelyn Willard said scornfully as she looked her up and down. âYour way of handling it is to hide like a rat, unseen, staying in my place every day?â
Jade Carlson was at a loss for words.
Evelyn Willard patted her shoulder, âMrs. Farrellâs child was saved by the Summers family; she wonât fail to give them face. You only have a way out if you get engaged to Nathaniel Summers. I did all this for your own good.â
Jade Carlsonâs heart softened slightly.
Seeing her calm down a bit, Evelyn Willard told her all about her meeting with Nathaniel Summers, sparing no detail.
After hearing this, Jade Carlsonâs face turned as pale as paper.
âAre you out of your mindâ¦â At this moment, Jade Carlson no longer felt anger, only extreme fear. âHow could you tell him these things! Youâre going to get me killed!â
âGet you what?â Evelyn Willard crossed her legs and took out a cigarette from her pack. âAfraid that the mastermind behind it all will come after you, to commit murder as a cover-up?â
Jade Carlsonâs body swayed, and she looked at Evelyn Willard in utter horror. âHow⦠how do you know?â
Upon hearing this, Evelyn Willard laughed softly. She took a light drag of her cigarette, exhaled the smoke, and spoke unhurriedly, âOf course, I know. Iâm your mother. When you suddenly disappeared and came home, you were not right in the head, as if you had been deeply frightened. You begged me to live with you, wouldnât dare to sleep with the lights off at nightâall these, have you forgotten?â
Jade Carlson opened her mouth to say something, but her lips were numb.
Evelyn Willard said, âYouâve always hated me, yet you asked me to stay with youâyou must have been scared out of your wits, right?â
Jade Carlson was utterly confused. She snatched the cigarette from Evelyn Willardâs hand, took several hard drags, her body still trembling.
âYou donât understand. Those people are very powerful; they cannot be offended!â Memories began to resurface in her mind, and Jade Carlsonâs sense of fear remained undiminished. âWhen they let me go, they instructed me to make Nathaniel Summers get a divorce! And to never leak a word!â
âThe one offending those people is Nathaniel Summers, not you. Telling you not to let the news out was probably just to keep Nathaniel Summers from getting suspicious,â Evelyn Willard said, trying to reassure her with a smile. âJade, fortune favors the bold. If you want to marry into the Summers family, you have to take drastic measures.â
Jade Carlson was still hesitant.
She wasnât sure if, after everything that had happened, she could still win back Nathaniel Summersâs heart.
Someone came through the door; it was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, accompanied by two workers.
âMake it clean,â Evelyn Willard instructed.
The middle-aged man led the two workers to the washroom to fetch water and gather tools, moving about the house as if he knew it well.
Yet, Jade Carlson felt as if she had been struck by lightning; she froze completely.
She saw her own reflection on the middle-aged manâs faceâ¦
Jade Carlsonâs neck, as if frozen, turned stiffly⦠and she looked at Evelyn Willard.
Evelyn Willard asked, âWhatâs wrong?â
Jade Carlson gazed at her, asking, âAm I⦠not George Carlsonâs daughter?â
Evelyn Willardâs smile was meaningful and long, âI never said you were.â
Jade Carlsonâs mind was in a haze. Indeed, Evelyn Willard had never said so, but Jade Carlson had calculated the timing; when Evelyn Willard was pregnant, she was with George Carlson! Thatâs why, when she found out George Carlson had become mayor, she changed her name immediatelyâfrom Evelyn Carlson to Jade Carlson!
She did all this to be acknowledged by her biological fatherâhow could she end up not being his daughter?!
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