The living hall of the Miller Mansion felt more like a courtroom, with Kaden as the relentless prosecutor and both Erna and Jonathan as the silent, watchful judges.
At the center of it all, under the weight of their stares, stood Eveline—the one being questioned.
"Tell , why would you do that? Why would you drag yourself and Sherlyn into sothing so dangerous?" Kaden demanded, his voice sharp, his brooding eyes drilling into her.
Sherlyn stepped in quickly, her voice laced with urgency. "Kaden, I told you—it was my decision to help her, even after she tried to stop !"
Eveline cast a helpless glance at her parents, who exchanged uncertain looks between their daughter and the man now cornering her.
Kaden had arrived unannounced, his presence commanding and unrelenting. Yet, instead of offering any explanation for his sudden visit, he had fixed his piercing gaze on Eveline and demanded answers.
Eveline sighed, her head hanging low. "Uncle, she already told you, so why are you making a scene in the house?" she asked, her voice laced with exhaustion.
Kaden stilled for a mont, stunned by her response. Then, a humorless chuckle escaped his lips.
"She might have agreed, but what made you co up with such a reckless plan without consulting the adults first?" His tone was sharp, his gaze unwavering.
From his seat, Jonathan arched a brow. Kaden being harsh toward his daughter wasn't sothing he would tolerate.
"Kaden, lower your tone. You're scaring my daughter," he warned, his voice firm.
Kaden looked at Eveline, his eyes narrowing. She appeared perfectly composed—completely unaffected by Jonathan's concern. A scoff left his lips.
"You really think there's anyone who can scare her?" he muttered in disbelief.
Jonathan's blind love for his daughter had always made him overlook her faults. But this ti, it wasn't a mistake they could easily forgive. It was sothing tied to Jedrick—sothing far more dangerous.
Breaking the tense silence, Erna finally spoke, her voice gentle yet firm.
"Sherlyn, can you explain to us what's going on?"
Her words carried a sense of helplessness, making Sherlyn force an awkward smile. She exchanged a hesitant glance with Eveline, who gave her a subtle nod of approval.
With a quiet sigh, Sherlyn moved toward the couch, dragging Kaden along with her.
He wanted to resist, but the sharp glare she shot him left him no choice.
Jonathan's lips twitched into a smirk as he watched the exchange, clearly amused.
Kaden, however, sent him a brooding glare.
Don't laugh. His eyes warned.
But Jonathan simply ignored him.
"So, here's why Eveline needed my help..." Sherlyn began once the room had fallen into silence.
With asured words, she explained everything.
Eveline wasn't at fault—Valerie's case had landed in her hands without any knowledge of Jedrick's involvent. To her, it had simply been a rare and intriguing case she wanted to work on. Yet, sohow, it had beco entangled with the very person they had never expected.
As Sherlyn continued, she recounted her firsthand experience with Valerie, each revelation leaving the room in stunned silence.
By the ti she finished speaking, expressions had shifted—curiosity, concern, and disbelief flickered across their faces.
"I have a feeling that the woman Jedrick has been holding captive is none other than his mother. There's no other explanation," Eveline suddenly announced.
She had thought it through, analyzed every possibility, and this was the only conclusion that made sense.
They had explored every possible avenue to uncover the whereabouts of the woman who had given birth to Jedrick, yet no matter how deep they dug, there wasn't a single trace of her.
But after eting Valerie and piecing together every clue, Eveline could only co to one conclusion—
Valerie was Jedrick's mother.
Jonathan wasn't exactly confused—he recalled Eveline telling him about a woman who had jumped in front of her car and how they had helped her. But it had never crossed his mind that the sa woman was the one Sherlyn had been treating.
However, as realization settled in, his expression darkened. The thought of Eveline's relentless pursuit of a woman who had once been involved with his father left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"You think she'll help us?" Jonathan asked, his expression unreadable.
Sherlyn shifted uneasily. "I doubt it," she admitted. "The woman barely acknowledges anyone. Maybe it's because of her illness, or maybe the relentless traumas she's endured have completely silenced her."
The room fell into a heavy silence. The re thought of Jedrick torturing his own mother was disturbing enough, but dragging Sherlyn into the ss he had created in an attempt to help her was even more baffling.
"Is it true that Jedrick is being helped from the shadows?" Eveline asked, turning to Kaden. Sherlyn had ntioned his clear displeasure over the situation, and now she wanted answers.
He nodded thoughtfully.
"And you have yet to find them, am I right?" Eveline pressed.
Kaden frowned, sensing that sothing was brewing in her mind. But before he could voice his skepticism, she spoke again.
"Aunt Sherlyn, are you certain you haven't offended Jedrick?"
Sherlyn blinked in confusion. "How would I? He doesn't even know about ," she replied.
Kaden scoffed. "Exactly. He has no idea who she is."
Eveline arched a brow. "You really think so? When even our very breaths are being tracked by him?"
They both pressed their lips together, silently conceding to Eveline's confidence.
"Even if he does know, what's your theory behind him selecting Sherlyn?" Kaden asked, dismissing any other argunt.
Eveline pondered for a mont, her expression unreadable. Then, with a determined look, she said, "It's either he wants to fra her… or he already knows exactly what you're trying to find."
"And that soone is related to her," she concluded, her voice firm.
The weight of her words settled over the room like a thick fog. If Jedrick had singled out Sherlyn, it wasn't by chance—it was because she was connected to sothing, or soone, that he wanted to control.
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