[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322E1C3D0-237":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},237,23,"Chapter 23: The Microphones in Her Handbags","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Look at this, who’s being such a baby, clinging to Mommy like that?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Edward’s voice boomed from the hallway. Evangeline poked her head out, calling, \"Dad!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His daughter’s sweet tone washed away the exhaustion of a long day. Edward loved this warm, domestic atmosphere; whenever he wasn't tied up with business dinners, he always made it a point to head home early.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Well now, look at you. Why the panda eyes, my sweet?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline pouted. \"I already took a nap, Dad. If I hadn't, I’d be looking like a dried-out fish right about now.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marilyn chimed in, \"Make sure you put on an eye mask before bed tonight, or those dark circles won't fade for two days.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You got it, Mom!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The laughter echoing from downstairs was like a knife to Cassidy’s heart. She had always walked on eggshells, never feeling truly comfortable around the couple. While they had treated her with a fair amount of affection, the recent lockdown had made things frigid. As she sat in her room, listening to them, a sneer twisted her lips. *Hmph. So much for 'family'—at the end of the day, I was never their real flesh and blood.*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The small shred of guilt she had been nursing vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, hard resentment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once Evangeline returned to her room, her fingers flew across her laptop keyboard. She organized the audio files, her expression hardening into one of cold disdain. It was time to close the trap.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The next day, Evangeline walked into Edward’s office with the technical reports and a dossier in hand.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Edward looked up at his daughter’s uncharacteristically serious expression. \"What’s wrong?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Dad, you need to see this.\" She set the documents down on his mahogany desk.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Edward frowned, flipping through the report. Within seconds, his face drained of color. \"What is the meaning of this?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Someone has been spiking our new product line with potassium sorbate. The dosage is nearly five times the legal limit.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Is this a production error or...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It’s sabotage,\" Evangeline interrupted, her voice steady. \"The quarterly safety audit is in less than a week.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Edward understood immediately. Someone was trying to sink him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Who!\" Edward roared, his voice trembling with fury.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Dad, just listen to the audio.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline tipped her chin toward the flash drive sitting on the desk.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Edward plugged it into his computer. His hand hovered over the mouse, shaking slightly. He already had a suspicion, but he was terrified that his intuition was right. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and clicked play.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’m trapped in the Montgomery estate! You have to get me out of here!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It’s just a tiny amount, it won't be a disaster!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Once the company is in chaos, they’ll be too distracted to watch me. I can slip away!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It’s only one batch. It’s not going to kill anyone.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Cassidy’s voice echoed through the speakers, chilling and indifferent.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Edward slumped back into his leather chair, his teeth gritted so hard his jaw ached. Ragged, pained breaths hissed through his nose. When the audio finally cut to silence, he slowly opened his eyes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What about that batch?\" His voice was raspy, hollowed out by betrayal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"To be safe, I’ve flagged all recent stock. It’s currently locked in the warehouse.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Do you know who helped her?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I do.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Edward looked at his daughter and suddenly felt like he didn't recognize her. The sweet, naive little princess he’d raised—when did she develop such a razor-sharp, calculating mind?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What do you think we should do?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Call the police. She’s looking at charges for evidence tampering and the intentional distribution of hazardous substances. That’s at least three to ten years in prison.\" Evangeline’s voice was ice.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Evie, when did you find out?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Dad, people don't just wake up one day and decide to be evil. They’ve been planning it all along.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"My child, what have you been through?\" Edward looked at her with profound pity. He wanted his daughter to grow up strong, to have the power to protect herself, but he never wanted her to pay such a brutal price for that growth. The raw, jagged hatred in her eyes told him she had been hurt—deeply, irrevocably.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It’s all in the past now...\" Evangeline buried her face in her father's shoulder, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That afternoon, a squad car pulled up to the estate.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Good afternoon. We're from the precinct. Is Cassidy Montgomery home?\" An officer held up his badge.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marilyn shrieked, clutching onto Edward’s arm. \"What is happening?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Edward gestured for his security team to lead the officers upstairs. Moments later, the sound of a struggle erupted from the second floor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Get your hands off me! I'm pregnant!\" Cassidy screamed. \"Mom! Dad! Help me!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Cassidy was hoisted into the squad car by two officers and driven away. The house fell into a deathly silence, though the phantom echoes of her hysterical wailing seemed to linger in the air.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline turned to comfort her mother, who was still trembling. \"It’s okay, Mom. It’s over.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What did she do?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline spoke softly, carefully navigating the explanation so as not to shatter her mother’s nerves. The memory of her mother suffering a nervous breakdown in her past life remained a fresh, painful scar. She watched Marilyn carefully, exhaling in relief when she saw only fury and crushing disappointment in her eyes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What a viper we raised! All those years of love... wasted on an ingrate.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It’s alright, Mom. The silver lining is that her plan failed. If she’d succeeded, the inspectors would have found the contamination, and it would have been Dad being dragged away instead.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marilyn wiped her tears, nodding shakily. \"You're right...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Tell me, Evie,\" Edward asked, \"how did you get this evidence?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Remember those designer bags I gave her? I hid high-fidelity microphones in the base studs of every single one. I put them in her car, her room, everywhere.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Edward looked at her with a mix of awe and pride. \"My daughter has grown up. She’s finally ready to shield this family from the storm.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Yes,\" Marilyn added, her voice stronger now. \"She truly is.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In the interrogation room, Cassidy remained mute. She offered no confession, no denial. She clung to the fact of her pregnancy like a shield, banking on the idea that they wouldn't dare touch her. But with the concrete evidence against her, they remanded her into custody regardless.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After settling her mother, Evangeline headed to the police station. She had questions, and she intended to get answers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Luca Lee.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The man looked up, his gaze meeting hers for a fraction of a second before he looked away.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I want to know why you did it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I just wanted to help her.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"By trading your own freedom for hers?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’m sorry, Evangeline.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I always thought you were tough. You stood tall among all those wealthy brats, never caring about what people thought. You had such a bright future, and you threw it all away for someone else. Was it worth it?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Luca Lee was silent for a long time before he finally spoke. \"Cassidy was the light I chased. She was so vibrant, so unapologetic... how could I let a rose like that rot in a cage?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"A cage? Do you really think that without the Montgomery name backing her, she was ever anything more than a decorative flower?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Consider it my way of settling a childhood obsession.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He dropped his gaze, refusing to speak further. As Evangeline walked away, she felt a heavy, hollow weight in her chest.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Born from obsession, dying by it. To let go is to be reborn.* That was true for Luca Lee, and it was true for Marcellus Alexander.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline didn't visit Cassidy. There was nothing left to say. She would let the court’s verdict be the final period on this chapter of her life.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272911666]