Chapter 489

Sebastian Valdemar and Evelyn Roland had barely left the hospital when Scarlett Galatea fled in panic.

Her knuckles turned white around the steering wheel. Evelyn's knowing gaze haunted her. A sudden brake sent tires screeching across asphalt, nearly slamming into the roadside barrier.

"Miss Galatea? You look unwell—"

The housekeeper gasped as Scarlett staggered through the front door. Ignoring her, Scarlett stumbled up the staircase, heels clattering against wooden steps.

The bedroom door slammed shut.

She collapsed onto the bed like a drowning woman clutching driftwood, burying her face in the down comforter. Evelyn's words—"I'll get to the bottom of this"—echoed like a cursed mantra, accelerating her pulse with each repetition.

"It's over..."

Nails dug into her palms as she curled into a fetal position. For the first time in her privileged life, the Galatea heiress tasted the terror of impending doom.

——

At Château Blanc's entrance, Bianca Savigny stood on tiptoe, scanning the road.

"Master!" She sprinted forward to grab the suitcase, eyes sparkling. "Everything settled in S City?"

Evelyn massaged her temples and accepted the offered lemon water. Condensation dripped onto her fingers, triggering a memory of Sebastian's constant warnings about catching cold.

"How's the winery been—"

She cut herself off, noticing Bianca's hesitant expression. Leaning against the bar counter, Evelyn crossed her long legs and tapped the glass rim.

"Speak."

"Mr. Valdemar came daily." Bianca whispered. "Sat in your usual booth for hours."

The ice cubes cracked audibly.

Evelyn straightened, eyes darkening. "What else did he ask?"

"Kept probing about your schedule." Bianca pouted. "I didn't breathe a word!"

The lemon water turned bitter. Evelyn set down the glass, frost crystallizing in her gaze.

"Prepare the car."

"You're leaving right after arriving?" Bianca clutched her sleeve.

"Massachusetts General Hospital." Evelyn unlocked her phone, displaying Melanie Linton's medical records. "Time to settle accounts."

Bianca's eyes darted. "Let me come! I... I want chestnuts from the hospital vendors!"

"Suit yourself."

Evelyn strode toward the exit, her trench coat slicing through the air like a blade. Outside, the blood-red sunset stretched her shadow endlessly across the vineyard.