Chapter 343

Dark clouds seemed to gather around Nathaniel's imposing figure as his irritation grew palpable.

Robert took a deep breath before delivering his report. "According to our hotel source, the man in question is staying in the penthouse suite."

"The police were called when his girlfriend discovered him cheating with another woman," Robert continued carefully.

Nathaniel's piercing gaze intensified. "Who's the other woman?"

A cold sweat broke out on Robert's forehead. This was the dangerous question he'd been dreading.

Swallowing hard, Robert answered, "It's Mrs. Whitmore." The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.

After a long silence that stretched Robert's nerves thin, Nathaniel finally spoke. "Let's go."

Robert blinked in confusion.

Go? Where exactly?

Evelyn and Christopher spent the entire afternoon exploring the city's landmarks.

It had been years since Evelyn allowed herself such simple pleasures. Financial struggles had kept her working multiple jobs just to survive.

As dusk approached, they decided to end their excursion.

Evelyn caught a glimpse of something in the rearview mirror as she settled into the passenger seat.

Christopher noticed her distraction. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing important," she replied quickly.

"It's getting late. There's a highly-rated restaurant nearby - shall we try it?" Christopher suggested.

The timing was perfect as Evelyn realized she was growing hungry.

Upon entering the elegant restaurant, Evelyn froze. Was that Jonathan sitting near the entrance?

Jonathan sat beside his mother Judith, across from a stunning brunette. He was pouring wine for the woman with practiced elegance, while a lavish bouquet of roses adorned the empty chair beside them.

The scene screamed "arranged marriage meeting."

Averting her eyes, Evelyn followed Christopher to their reserved private dining room upstairs.

Later that evening, Christopher handed Evelyn a black credit card. "Take this. Consider it your unlimited shopping fund from now on."

Evelyn laughed lightly. "Business must be booming. I heard your music academy is preparing for IPO. Are piano classes particularly popular?"

Christopher studied her face. "Interested in learning?"

She shook her head. "Just curious. I'm probably too old to start now."

Margaret chose that moment to emerge from her room. "She showed remarkable talent as a child."

"Our downstairs neighbor had an electric keyboard. Evelyn could play entire pieces just by reading the sheet music."

"The neighbor said she had a natural gift," Margaret continued, eyes misty. "If she'd grown up with your family, she would have had every opportunity..."

Christopher's expression darkened at the painful truth.

Had that wretched nanny not lost baby Evelyn, she would never have endured such hardships.

With quiet determination, he said, "It's never too late. I established this music academy precisely for such purposes. You should enroll, Evelyn."

"Really? You think I could still learn?"

"The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago," Christopher said with a gentle smile. "The second best time is now."