Chapter 259

Liam Blackwood's forehead creased with worry. "How could she vanish without leaving a single clue?"

Victoria Hudson turned away, irritation flashing in her eyes. "Let's search again," she muttered under her breath. "She's nothing but trouble for you."

Though Blackwood Manor wasn't sprawling, a dozen people combed through every inch of the gardens—inside and out—after Evelyn Carter's mysterious disappearance earlier that evening.

Liam was beside himself with distress.

As night fell, two women sat side by side on a bench in a deserted park, the air filled with the rhythmic chirping of cicadas.

One of them wept intermittently, her emotions swinging wildly between joy and sorrow.

Evelyn, growing impatient, finally cut in. "Enough. Can you please stop crying? Who are you? How did you manage to get into Blackwood Manor and take me so easily?"

"You're supposed to know me—to know who I really am. Is it true?"

"I was just overwhelmed," the woman sniffled. "I thought you were dead! A few days ago, I saw your video online, searching for your family."

Evelyn's head throbbed relentlessly. It was already dark, and she had been unconscious for two hours after being taken. Despite enduring half an hour of sobbing, she still couldn’t make sense of the situation.

Exhaling sharply, Evelyn suggested, "How about this? Take me back. Come find me again once you've calmed down. My husband will be frantic if I don’t return."

The woman sniffled again and clutched Evelyn’s hand tightly. "M, I've been searching for you for three years! After all this effort, I’ve finally found you. You can’t leave me again—not even for a second!"

Evelyn blinked. "What did you just call me?"

Seeing Evelyn’s confusion, the woman’s tears spilled over again. "You really have lost your memory. What are we going to do? You’ve forgotten everything—even me."

Evelyn sighed, studying the woman who appeared to be around her age. She was dressed sharply in fitted black pants and a sleek cap, looking nothing like the emotional wreck before her.

She waited in silence, letting the woman compose herself.

After another half hour, the woman finally steadied her breathing. Lowering her voice, she began, "M, I'm Rosalind Baskins. I'm your assistant and bodyguard—I handle everything for you and make sure you're safe."

"Three years ago, when that incident happened… we all thought you were dead."

"But then, a few days ago, a video surfaced online. When I saw you, I cried for an entire day."

"I reported your survival to our superiors immediately. They were overjoyed and sent me to bring you home."

Evelyn was completely lost. "Our superiors? You’re saying you work for me?"

She struggled to keep her voice steady, masking her rising excitement. "Then tell me—who am I? Who are my parents?"

Rosalind pulled out a sleek, high-tech tablet from her backpack and handed Evelyn a pair of headphones, placing the device in her lap.

"This is classified, provided by our superiors. It contains everything about you—and only your iris scan can unlock it. No one else can access it. Try it."

Evelyn took the tablet, watching as the screen prompted for an iris scan. Aligning her eyes with the camera, she heard a soft beep. The screen unlocked instantly.

Meanwhile, Rosalind stood guard, scanning their surroundings with sharp vigilance.

As Evelyn scrolled through the information, her hands began to tremble. Tears welled in her eyes, shock rooting her to the spot.

She couldn’t move.

She couldn’t breathe.

The truth was staring back at her—and it changed everything.