Evelyn looked around the hall, her brows furrowing. "Where is Leo?"
"He was right there." Elena pointed toward the sofa near the stage. "Where could he have gone?"
"Relax," Elias said calmly. "He might have gone to the lounging room with Grandpa. Besides, the entire place is under surveillance. Nothing will happen to him."
But the reassurance did little to ease the worry on Evelyn’s face. A mother’s instinct refused to let her relax when she couldn’t see her son.
"I’ll go look for him."
She turned and walked away.
Elena glanced at Elias, concern clouding her eyes. "I’m scared, Elias. Go find him."
Elias stepped closer and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Don’t be afraid. The guards are everywhere. No one can harm him." He gave her a reassuring smile. "But I’ll still go and check on him."
Elena finally nodded, letting out a small sigh.
"Stay here," Elias added. "I have a surprise for you too."
With that, he strode away.
Across the hall, Vivian watched him disappear into the crowd. A slow, calculating smile appeared on her lips. Her eyes shifted toward Elena.
She picked up a glass of champagne from a passing tray and approached Elena.
"Elena," she called sweetly. "Why is your hand empty? Have a drink."
She extended the glass toward her.
Elena glanced at it before slowly lifting her eyes to Vivian. She made no attempt to take it.
Vivian’s smile faltered. "I know you hate me," she said, lowering her voice. "I’ve done many things wrong. But I’ve realized my mistakes. I won’t come between you and Elias anymore."
She extended the glass again. "I want us to be friends. Have a drink with me."
Elena remained still. She simply stared at her.
Vivian’s eyes dimmed. "If you don’t take it, I’ll think you still haven’t forgiven me."
She put on a wounded expression. "Please, Elena. Can’t you let go of the past and make peace with me?"
Elena didn’t trust her. She never would. But she also knew how unpredictable Vivian could be. This was Evelyn’s celebration, and Elena had no intention of allowing Vivian to create a scene.
"I’m not upset," she said flatly.
Vivian’s eyes immediately brightened. "That means you forgive me?"
Elena would never forget what Vivian had done. Still, she gave a faint nod.
Vivian looked down at the untouched glass in her hand.
"Then why won’t you take it?" she asked. "Do you think I put something in it?"
The question immediately deepened Elena’s suspicion. Why would Vivian say something like that unless she wanted to plant the thought in her mind?
"I know you don’t trust me," Vivian continued, her voice suddenly soft. "It’s okay. I hurt you. I said terrible things about you. It’s only natural that you hate me."
She dabbed at the corner of her eye, pretending to wipe away a tear. "I’m sorry. I won’t bother you anymore."
Elena almost rolled her eyes.
Vivian’s performance was so obvious that it was almost laughable.
Yet Elena had no intention of exposing her. She simply wanted to avoid a confrontation.
"I’m not drinking because I’m still taking medication," she replied calmly. "The doctor told me not to drink alcohol for a while."
"But it’s just wine," Vivian protested.
"I’m avoiding wine too." Elena gave her a polite smile. "Enjoy the party. I need to check on the guests."
She turned and walked away.
Vivian’s fingers tightened around the glass. Her smile disappeared.
"How long can you stay safe, Elena?" she muttered under her breath. "I have hundreds of ways to ruin you."
Before she could think further, Evelyn hurried toward her.
"Vivian, have you seen Elias?"
Vivian’s expression changed instantly. "Elias? No." She glanced around. "Wasn’t he with you? What happened?"
Evelyn pressed her fingers against her forehead, her anxiety growing.
"I can’t find Leo anywhere. I don’t know where he went."
"What?" Vivian widened her eyes. "Where could he have gone? He must be playing somewhere."
She forced a reassuring smile. "Don’t panic. He’ll come back to you."
Evelyn was too anxious to think clearly. Without hesitation, she snatched the glass from Vivian’s hand and drained it in one gulp.
Vivian froze. Her eyes widened in horror.
That was the glass she had prepared for Elena. And Evelyn had just drunk it.
Her face instantly lost its color. She remembered exactly what she had done.
She hadn’t mixed anything into the champagne. Instead, she had secretly smeared a potent aphrodisiac around the rim of the glass. The moment Elena drank from it, the substance would enter her system and gradually take effect.
But now Evelyn had consumed it.
’Oh, God...’ Vivian stared at the empty glass in disbelief. ’What had just happened?’
Panic surged through her.
If something happened to Evelyn, everyone would suspect her.
’Should I tell her?’
For one fleeting moment, she considered warning Evelyn. But fear quickly strangled the thought.
’No. If I tell her, I’ll expose myself.’ She lowered her head and pressed her lips tightly together. ’I can’t let anyone know. I’ll pretend I have no idea what happened.’
"I’ll go find him," Evelyn said anxiously.
She hurried away.
Vivian remained frozen for a moment, one hand pressed against her chest.
"Damn it..." Her breathing grew uneven. "What am I supposed to do now?"
A part of her wanted to warn Evelyn. But another part screamed that doing so would expose everything.
"No..." She took a step back. "I can’t let anyone find out."
Turning abruptly, she stormed out of the banquet hall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Across the Hall...
Evelyn finally spotted Leo standing beside Elias.
"Leo!"
She rushed toward him and pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly. Relief washed over her.
Tears of relief welled up in her eyes. But when she pulled back, her expression turned stern.
"You! Where were you? I told you not to wander around. Where did you go?"
Leo stiffened.
His father had warned him not to tell his mother about their little meeting. He knew she might become upset if she found out. But now he had no idea what to say.
"Eve, you are scaring him," Elias intervened. "I told you, nothing happened to him. He was just playing with his new toys."
"New toys?" Evelyn frowned. "Where did you get new toys?"
Leo’s head snapped toward Elias. His mouth fell open.
His eyes silently screamed, ’What do I say now?’
Elias immediately remembered what Leo had told him earlier. "I bought them for him," he said smoothly.
Evelyn shrugged. "You are spoiling him."
Then she turned her attention back to Leo. "And you... don’t disappear on me like that again. Understood?"
"I’m sorry, Mommy." Leo lowered his head. "I won’t do it again. Please don’t be mad."
Evelyn’s stern expression softened. She reached out and gently caressed his cheek.
"I’m not mad at you." Her voice trembled. "I’m worried. I was scared. I thought..."
Her throat tightened.
Ever since the kidnapping attempt, the fear had never truly left her. Every time Leo disappeared from her sight, even for a moment, her heart immediately filled with dread.
Leo was her world, her reason to keep moving forward. If anything ever happened to him, she didn’t know how she would survive.
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she blinked them away.
"I thought you were lost."
"I’m right here, Mommy." Leo wrapped his little arms around her neck. "I’m not lost."
Evelyn hugged him tightly. A genuine smile finally returned to her face.
"Thank goodness..." She kissed the top of his head and held him even closer.
"Leo, go to your great-grandpa," Elias said. "He is in the lounging room."
Leo’s face lit up with a wide grin.
He remembered his father telling him that he would get to meet the old man. The thought of playing with both his great-grandfather and father made his heart race with excitement.
"I’ll show him my new toys."
"Don’t wander around," Evelyn cautioned.
"Okay, Mommy." Leo turned and ran off.
Evelyn watched him disappear before looking up at Elias, her expression turning serious.
"Where did you find him?"
Elias hesitated.
He had found Leo rushing into the hall with a bag full of toys, with Ian following close behind. He knew how upset Evelyn became whenever Ian was mentioned, so he decided not to tell her the truth.
"He never left the hall."
Evelyn released a deep sigh and pressed a hand against her chest. "Thank goodness. I was so scared."
She sank onto a nearby sofa.
"Hey, don’t worry." Elias walked over and gently caressed her hair. "What happened earlier was my mistake. I should have sent a guard with him. I won’t make the same mistake again."
Evelyn smiled through the remnants of her tears. "Thank you, Elias."
"God, Eve..." He threw his arms into the air dramatically. "Stop thanking me."
"Fine." She laughed softly and wiped away the last trace of tears. "I’m not thanking you. Now go and attend to the guests. I need to rest for a while."
Elias watched her for a moment. He hesitated, wondering whether he should tell her about Ian.
In the end, he decided against it. "Find me if you need anything."
With that, he walked away.