Chapter 34
"Mom..."
Alexander finally understood where Evelyn got her stubbornness.
Eleanor Kingsley had actually brought Julian Ashford into the hospital room!
Was she deliberately stirring up trouble?
"Alex, this is unacceptable," Eleanor scolded without hesitation. "I found Mr. Ashford waiting outside when I arrived. He came specifically to see you, and you left him standing there?"
She pushed past Ethan Miller to sit beside Evelyn's bed. "Evelyn, what happened? I heard you fainted. No job is worth sacrificing your health."
She took Evelyn's hand and frowned. "Why are your hands so cold?"
Her sharp gaze immediately turned toward Alexander.
Isabella Winslow had already sprung away from his bedside, sitting rigidly upright.
The memory of Eleanor's previous public humiliation still fresh, the actress regarded the unpredictable socialite with visible fear.
"Hmph," Eleanor sneered. "When your heart turns cold, of course your hands would freeze."
Alexander found his mother utterly unreasonable.
"Mom—"
"Don't call me that! I should've birthed a dumpling instead!" Eleanor's temper flared.
She'd thought her son finally came to his senses by arranging their shared hospital room.
Only to find him cozying up with Isabella right in front of Evelyn!
"Mr. Ashford, sit here," Eleanor deliberately provoked, smiling sweetly at Julian. "Silly me—of course you're not here for Alex. Sit beside Evelyn. Poor girl has no one keeping her company during her hospitalization. Thank you for remembering her."
Even the usually composed Julian looked uncomfortable.
After Alexander forcibly took Evelyn away, he'd worried for her safety but was barred from entering.
Contacting Eleanor had been his last resort...
Her blatant falsehoods now made him flush with secondhand embarrassment.
"You called my mother?"
Julian hadn't even sat down before Alexander confronted him.
He'd specifically ordered his staff to keep Evelyn's condition from Eleanor.
Only Julian—this man would stoop to any level to get close to Evelyn.
Julian scoffed, redirecting the accusation: "Miss Winslow, I heard Ryan Holt signed a betting agreement with your company. Did you arrange that interview?"
Evelyn looked up in surprise.
Both Eleanor and Alexander instantly focused on Isabella.
Eleanor's eyes burned with undisguised hostility, though she didn't yet grasp the full situation.
Alexander's gaze turned glacial.
"I-I don't know..." Isabella trembled. "I never involve myself in company affairs... Mr. Ashford, what interview? I don't understand..."
She had to play dumb!
Without concrete proof, no one could confirm her scheme.
After coming this far, she couldn't fail at the final step!
Julian lacked solid evidence.
Ryan wouldn't dare talk.
Even if Alexander uncovered the betting agreement, it wouldn't prove she targeted Evelyn.
Gaining confidence, Isabella pressed: "Mr. Ashford, what exactly happened? Did Ryan cause trouble?"
Eleanor demanded: "Explain properly, Mr. Ashford!"
She hated these half-spoken accusations!
Julian's vague hints only confirmed Isabella's malice without specifics—infuriating!
Naturally, Julian wouldn't elaborate.
Evelyn's reputation was at stake, and he lacked complete information.
Yet he continued pressuring Isabella: "That anonymous tip came from you, didn't it? They knew the exact location. What were you planning, Isabella?"
He advanced step by step. "You notified Alexander too, didn't you?"
"Did you want to ruin Evelyn? Have us witness her humiliation?"
"Or when your plan failed, you needed me to clean up the mess?"
He'd stood close enough during Evelyn's blood test to hear the results.
"You set Evelyn up, wanting Alexander to see her compromised. When that failed, you panicked and called me to snatch her away... Isabella, you've mastered the Winslow family's scheming perfectly!"
Cold sweat trickled down Isabella's temples.
He'd deduced everything...
Julian had unraveled her entire plot.
No wonder he was Horizon Media's heir apparent—a media genius.
Yet this brilliant man remained hopelessly devoted to Evelyn.
How did that plain girl deserve this?
Eleanor abruptly stood.
"Isabella Winslow! Explain yourself!" Though only grasping seventy percent, Eleanor's fury ignited. "Shall I teach you the lesson your mother failed to?"
"Aunt Eleanor, I'm innocent!" Isabella shook like a leaf, tears cascading. "I'll investigate to clear my name... I love Alex, but I'd never break them up..."
Her pitiful weeping failed to move Eleanor. Desperate, she clutched Alexander's sleeve.
"Alex, you know me best. Would I do this? Anyone can doubt me, but not you... If you don't believe me, I'll jump from this window right now!"
"Then jump!" Eleanor sneered, gesturing toward the window. "If you won't, I'll gladly assist!"
Isabella had no real intention. Sobbing hysterically, she tried collapsing into Alexander's arms.
"Alex, I've worked so hard to reconcile you and Evelyn..."
Alexander raised an arm to block her.
"I'll investigate." His voice could freeze hell.
Isabella's blood ran cold.
He doubted her!
"How can you believe Julian over me?" She grew frantic. "Alex, after everything between us, you'd trust him instead? I... I..."
Eleanor stepped aside, clearing a path to the window.
"By all means," she said coolly. "Take the leap."