Evelyn's gaze was sharp.

"Speak."

Leo Lowell leaned closer, lowering his voice.

"This secret is worth two million. You're getting a bargain. The Ashcroft fortune is so vast..."

"Is it about the Ashcrofts?"

Evelyn's jaw tightened.

"Exactly."

Leo grinned.

"Actually, you are—"

His words were cut off by a sharp shout.

"Leo Lowell! Evelyn Ross! What are you doing?!"

Evelyn turned to see Isabella rushing over, her evening gown gathered in her hands.

Leo smiled cheekily.

"Just discussing business with my dear niece!"

Isabella clenched her fists.

"I already paid you!"

Leo shrugged.

"But I'm short on cash again~"

"...How much?"

Isabella took a deep breath.

"I'll give it to you!"

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"Your sister just offered two hundred thousand!"

Isabella's nails dug into her palms.

Leo tutted.

"Well, I suppose I'll make the deal with her then."

"I have it!"

Isabella spoke through gritted teeth.

"Go back now. I'll give you the money tomorrow."

"Deal."

Leo turned and ran, shouting back to Evelyn.

"Consider that twenty thousand a loan, dear niece..."

He fled quickly, afraid Evelyn would demand repayment.

...Scoundrel.

Evelyn wasn't worried.

She had countless ways to get that money back.

She turned and walked toward the inpatient building.

Behind her, Isabella's phone rang.

She answered, "Julian~"

Julian Evans asked, "Isabella, isn't Mrs. Ashcroft from New York? Could you ask if she knows the Roland family?"

"The Rolands?"

"Yes, the head is Ryan Roland. I just got word that my uncle wants to push for a Vance Group collaboration with them, but he hasn't found a way in yet."

Isabella understood immediately.

Julian wanted to use the Rolands to improve his standing at Vance Group.

She replied, "I'll ask my mother later."

Hanging up, Isabella took a calming breath.

Two hundred thousand was nothing if she could marry into the Vance family.

She needed to find a way to connect with the Rolands!

Mrs. Ashcroft was in a VIP suite on the second floor.

Eleanor Vance was on the third.

Evelyn and Isabella took the stairs together.

Just as they reached the second-floor landing, they overheard a mother and son talking in low voices.

The mother looked delighted.

"Your aunt just called. She found a wealthy girl for you... You need to go back for a blind date now!"

The son complained, "Mom, my wife will be fine after her surgery. Why would I go on a blind date?"

The mother grew anxious.

"The nurse said the surgery will cost fifty thousand, and there's recovery after. Where will we get that kind of money?"

The son hesitated.

"Let's sell the house. She bought it with her dowry."

The mother was exasperated.

"We can't sell the house! If she dies, you'll still have the house and can find someone better. If the house is gone, we have nothing! Two years of her youth—consider the house compensation!"

The son paused.

"That doesn't seem right. She cut ties with her family for me."

The mother sneered.

"Exactly because of that. She hasn't been in touch with them these two years. No one will back her up. Who cares if she lives or dies?"

She lowered her voice.

"Just say we have no money. Bring her home. She won't last three days. Bury her when she's gone, then marry the blind date girl... This one has wide hips, good for bearing children! Much better than her. A noble lady's airs but a servant's fate!"

The son narrowed his eyes, tempted.

"Then we won't treat her!"

Their voices were low, but the stairwell was quiet and echoed.

Evelyn heard every word.

She stopped walking.

She found the mother-in-law vicious and the husband even more disgusting.

She wondered which unfortunate girl had ended up with such trash.

As she thought this, she sensed something and looked down the hallway.

A pale, frail girl in a hospital gown stood in a doorway.

The mother and son noticed her too, their faces changing instantly.

The son spoke.

"Chloe..."

The girl named Chloe said weakly, "Call my dad. He'll pay for the surgery..."

The mother laughed scornfully.

"We already called. He hung up as soon as he saw it was my son's number. You cut ties. Why bother them now?"

Chloe leaned against the wall for support, trembling all over, barely able to speak.

She said to the son, "Then give me the phone. I'll call my brother..."

The son avoided her gaze.

"Stop making trouble. The doctor said no phones in your condition."

He decided firmly.

"Mom, go check her out. I'm taking her home."

Chloe tried to escape, but she was too weak and collapsed to the floor.

With her last bit of strength, she grabbed Isabella's ankle, begging faintly for help.

"Please... call my brother for me..."

Isabella, heading to the second floor, was closer to the hallway than Evelyn.

Instead of sympathy, she pulled her foot away with disgust!

She rolled her eyes in contempt.

"What are you doing? You cut off your family for a man. You deserve this for being lovesick. You brought this on yourself!"

Seeing she wouldn't interfere, the mother and son relaxed.

The son picked Chloe up.

"Chloe Roland, your parents don't want you anymore. I'm your only guardian now. You have to listen to me!"

Chloe felt despair...

She knew going home with them meant death...

But she didn't want to die.

She knew she was wrong.

She wanted to see her brother, her parents...

Tears of regret streamed down as Chloe closed her eyes.

Just as she thought her life was over, a cool voice spoke.

"Wait."

Chloe opened her eyes to see a beautiful figure emerge from the shadows of the stairwell.

The woman had a cold, stunning face and walked directly to her.

"Phone number."

Chloe burst into tears!

The mother yelled, "What are you doing? Mind your own business!"

The son added, "It's no use calling. No one will answer."

Evelyn kept her eyes on Chloe.

"The number."

Chloe weakly recited a string of digits.

Evelyn took out her phone and dialed.

The call was answered quickly.

A young man's cool voice came through.

"Hello, this is Ryan Roland."

Evelyn said immediately, "Chloe Roland is seriously ill. She needs surgery right away."

The voice on the other end became panicked.

The sound of hurried footsteps followed as the man asked anxiously, "Where is she?"

Evelyn gave him the hospital's name.

The man replied instantly, "I'm actually in San Francisco on business. I can be there in half an hour!"

"Okay."

Hanging up, Evelyn looked at the mother and son, her tone firm.

"No one takes her anywhere until her brother arrives."

Isabella snorted dismissively.

"Meddling in others' affairs. Be careful her family blames you when they get here!"