Charlotte frowned slightly, Genevieve’s words echoing in her mind–Evander was in the ICU?

But hadn’t his surgery been a sess?

Judd noticed her unease. “What’s wrong?”

She snapped back to the present and tucked her phone away. “It’s nothing.” Turning to Julian, she asked, “Does my brother need to see

me?”

Julian nodded. “He’s waiting for you in the upstairs dining room.”

Charlotte nced at Judd.

He smiled gently. “Maybe it’s urgent. Go ahead.”

Charlotte followed Julian into the elevator. When they reached the restaurant upstairs, Julian led her to a private room. Inside, only Wesley was waiting.

“Hey, Charlotte greeted, walking over.

Wesley motioned for her to sit, then slid a folder across the table. “This is the ident investigation report. It looks like your suspicions were

right–Loretta wired money to this person.”

Charlotte flipped through the documents. Judging by the photo on the driver’s ID, she was certain she’d never met this person before.

She frowned. “Loretta and I have no real conflict. She’d have no reason to want me dead–unless…”

“Unless someone else was pulling her strings,” Wesley finished, calmly pouring her a ss of water. “I’m not sure yet if this has anything to do with whoever tampered with the DNA test.”

Charlotte fixed her gaze on him. “You know who did it, don’t you?”

Wesley nodded and pushed a business card her way. “It was her.”

13.06

The name “Zoe” stared up at Charlotte, sending a jolt through her. Wesley’s voice echoed, “To be precise, she’s our aunt–our mother’s younger sister.”

Charlotte reached into her purse, pulling out a business card forparison. It was identical. “The director of Gracewell Aesthetics Institute is actually Mom’s sister?”

“You’ve met her?” Wesley looked surprised.

Charlotte nodded absently, connecting the dots. So that “chance meeting” the other day hadn’t been by chance at all–Zoe had recognized her from the start.

She brushed a hand through her hair, recalling how her strands had gotten tangled in Zoe’s ring. The realization dawned. “She used my hair to switch Loretta’s DNA test results. But why?”

Wesley’s gaze dropped. “Her situation isplicated–I don’t know all the details. When youe back to Eldermere with us, you can ask the family elders yourself.”

The mention of returning to Eldermere City made Charlotte uneasy. She wasn’t sure what to expect from the Rayburn family’s elders. After all, the rest of the Rayburns were stillplete strangers to her.

She stood to leave, but Wesley stopped her. “The Howards have been keeping everything about Evander under wraps. There were rumors a few days ago that he’s gravely ill. Did you hear about it?”

Her steps faltered. She didn’t reply.

Back in her room, Charlotte was distracted, her mind circling the trending rumors online.

Gravely ill…

It was just a surgery. The ss shards hadn’t even damaged his heart. The hospital director had brought in a top cardiac surgeon for the operation. With an expert like that, routine procedures should’ve gone smoothly, with no risk of infection orplications.

13:06

Still, she remembered how pale Evander looked that night when she

visited him.

Hesitating, Charlotte called Dr. Chase.

No answer–just a busy signal.

With the Howards blocking all information, it wasn’t surprising. Dr. Chase probably couldn’t pick up even if he wanted to. Charlotte pressed her lips together and, after a moment’s hesitation, dialed that familiar number…

She wondered what she’d say first. Should she ask about his condition? Or use him of pulling another vanishing act, like he did back in Riverspire?

She had her words ready, but before she could speak, a stranger’s sharine voice answered on the other end. “Hello? Who is this?”

It wasn’t Natalie, Genevieve, or Tricia…

Charlotte paused, frowning and double–checking the number.

No mistake.

“Hello? Are you there?”

“Who’s calling?” a man’s low voice rumbled in the background.

“I don’t know, they’re not saying anything. Maybe it’s a wrong number?”

As the phone was about to be handed over, Charlotte hurriedly hung up, a wry smile tugging at her lips.

She really shouldn’t have made that call.

b3/3 /b