Chapter 743
Chapter 742:
Arrogance had once blinded Eva—she’d believed Sophie was beneath her brother’s brilliance. When Sophie’s illness surfaced, Eva’s scorn had only deepened. Learning that Cole carried the same genetic fate had made her recoil, creating a rift she never bridged.
Shock rippled through Eva when Cole abruptly arrived at the Campbell house with a marriage proposal for Wanda. The whole thing seemed impossible to understand. Cole had never warmed up to her, so what on earth had made him suddenly desire to marry the adopted daughter she’d raised? Yet, against all logic, he had.
Nothing else made sense to Eva except the possibility that Cole truly loved Wanda—enough, perhaps, to bury every lingering resentment between them.
Initially, Eva had been hesitant, worried that Cole’s Psychephrenia might one day resurface. Her investigations revealed his illness had been cured by Milena, his memory of the illness forgotten along with his recovery. With her fears quieted, she didn’t hesitate to give her blessing to the match. Should Wanda marry Cole, she’d become his mother-in-law on top of being his aunt—a dual bond that would anchor her to the Evans family’s power without a flicker of hesitation.
Not a single word passed Eva’s lips as she watched him, and Cole, for his part, was content to let the silence stretch. Never had he harbored warmth for his aunt. If not for his mother’s final wish, he wouldn’t have set foot in the Campbell estate, let alone proposed to her adopted daughter.
An uncomfortable pause filled the study before Cole finally spoke, his tone bone-dry. “Eva, are you going to keep staring at me until sunrise p>
Eva jolted from her thoughts, forcing an awkward smile. “Sorry. My mind wandered. When I married into the Campbell family, you were just an infant. I blinked, and here you are, a grown man, the Evans family’s most impressive heir p>
She’d gushed over those very same feelings a hundred times over, back when Cole had gone to the Campbell home to propose.
A placid mask hid Cole’s feelings. “It’s late. You didn’t come just to reminisce p>
Raw worry broke through Eva’s poise. “Cole, I’m in serious trouble. I need your help p>
He met her anxious gaze with cool detachment. “What happened p>
Experience told Eva that Cole had little patience for theatrics. She slid a folder across his desk and told the whole ugly story between herself and Arthur. His face barely changed as he pieced things together.
“So you want me to track down this woman and her daughter before Arthur does,” he said flatly. “You want them gone, so you can keep your place as Mrs. Campbell p>
“Exactly.” Eva nodded, urgency in every line. “It needs to be done quietly. Arthur can’t find even a trace p>
She figured that leaving no traces behind meant Arthur would reach a dead end, and her comfortable life would continue undisturbed.
Cole did not answer, but inside, revulsion swept over him. Had they not been family, he might have struck her for the audacity alone. In the past, Eva had used her status as an Evans to force her way into Arthur’s relationship, sending his pregnant partner running for her life. Now, with Arthur on the verge of locating his missing partner and daughter, she wanted to erase them for good. Nothing about her plea hinted at remorse. Not a sliver of guilt. How did the Evans bloodline produce someone so venomous?
There was no chance Cole would ever do her bidding. Instead, he would use the information she offered and find Arthur’s missing ones, not to harm them, but to bring the rightful heiress of the Campbell family back where she belonged.