Chapter 34

Elora attempted to counter, but Cary intervened,"Mom,let it be."

Had the Russell family not attended today, Cary and Elora might have swayed Demi to coerce Evelina into absolving Margot.

Yet,it was evident that Mr. Russell supported Evelina.

Cary remained puzzled over why the prestigious Russell family would align with Evelina.

"It's all your fault for raising such a 'wonderful child'who dared to do this to Evelina?" In a burst of anger,Demi struck Elora across the face in front of all present.

Elora could only gaze at Demi in shock.

Demi's focus remained solely on Evelina, comforting her. "My dear, you've suffered injustice at the hands of the Gibson family."

Elora's look towards Evelina was one of sheer loathing,as though she wished to destroy the latter with her gaze alone. Cary attempted to defend his mom. "Grandma, this isn't on her, it's all-"

"AlL what?" Demi interjected sharply. "Your mother has spoiled her children into blindness. And you, would you overlook it if Margot had been abducted by her sister-in-law?"

Certainly not!

Cary was adamant-any threat to his sister would be met with fierce revenge.

As Elora's tears flowed more freely, she pleaded,"Demi, Margot is your own granddaughter! Can you really stand by while she rot in jail?"

Demi scoffed dismissively, "Clearly, she needs to learn her lesson. Why else would she stoop so low against Evelina without provocation?"

"Please, Demi, don't worry about me. I'm not really going to let Margot face jail time," Evelina interjected,choosing to appease Demi by offering Margot forgiveness.

Demi looked at her with a mix of gratitude and sorrow."You're too kind, my dear, after all you've endured."

Yet, Elora was relentless, pressing Evelina to immediately formalize her forgiveness in writing. Infuriated by her daughter-in-law's audacity, Demi dismissed Elora from the room.

Subsequently, Cary, seeking to soothe his mother,quickly followed Elora out.

Once the room had quieted, Demi invited Evelina and lan to join her for coffee. She eyed lan thoughtfully before asking, "You're not MMr. Russell,are you?"

Demi had her suspicions during lan's last visit; given her mild illness now, it was unlikely Jasper would have visited personally.

lan acknowledged Demi's keen observation with a nod."Indeed, Mrs. Gibson, your perception is correct. I am lan Payne, Mr. Russell's aide. Ms. Marsh is a friend of Miss Russell, the latter specifically requested my assistance to escort Ms. Marsh here."

Upon learning this, Demi's tension eased. "It's no wonder;Evelina's reputation as an outstanding doctor and a person of integrity precedes her. It seems everyone she meets becomes a friend."

This was a stark contrast to her family's misjudgment of Esme, whom they valued as a gem despite her being nothing more than a counterfeit.

Evelina, with a soft touch, grasped Demi's hand."Margot isn't inherently evil. My suspicion is that Esme has orchestrated much of this trouble. You must watch out for her, Demi." シ

"That thought has crossed my mind too!" exclaimed Demi, one of the few in her family to remain discerning. She had already entertained the notion of Esme's deceit.

With a sigh, she asked, "When will Cary open his eyes to the truth and win you back?"

Evelina merely bowed her head, sipping her coffee.One chaotic entanglement was more than enough.

"Demi is clearly letting her imagination run wild,"thought lan as he rolled his eyes.

As they departed the Gibson residence, to their surprise, Cary awaited Evelina in the parking area.

His approach was patronizing as usual. "There's something I need to discuss with you."

Evelina, tired of endless disputes, saw this as an opening. Perhaps this was her chance to accompany him and finalize their divorce once and for all.

lan made the prudent decision to wait in the car,respecting his boss's directive to guarantee Evelina's safe return.

"You're transparent to me now," Cary replied, his voice heavy with accusation. "All your manipulations,your deceitful tactics-they're just a ploy to extract money. But | won't be fooled. The initial divorce terms are canceled. Whether you sign this or not,I'm pushing forward with the divorce."

With that, he threw a new set of divorce papers at Evelina before turning on his heel to depart.

This revised agreement stripped away all the financial benefits previously offered, leaving her with nothing.