If Lucas hadn't deceived him and Serena truly was alive somewhere, he vowed to exhaust every means to find her and spend his lifetime making amends.
She was his wife, and his wife could only be her.
If she was dead...
Even if a wedding ceremony were to take place, it would be solely for her.
Throughout his life, he had never believed in gods or spirits.
Yet now, he only hoped that the god, in their benevolence, would let Serena live on, with all consequences and punishments falling upon himself.
Those two soft-spoken sentences silenced everyone present, none daring to inquire further about the Nightingale family's daughter from this esteemed man.
The focus eventually returned to the center of attention, Amelia.
With both men, heavily speculated to be potential suitors, explicitly stating they wouldn't marry her, the media grew even more excited.
Was this a genuine conflict or simply a publicity stunt?
Logically, with Evan having elevated Amelia's status, she didn't lack resources to boost her exposure, rendering such a tactic unnecessary.
Another theory emerged:
Amelia had been deluding herself.
Assuming she held sway over J city's two elite men, unaware that these noble families had no intention of marrying her.
The reporters regained their audacity, "Miss Monahan, is the announcement of your engagement today a publicity stunt or something else? Have you not thoroughly considered such a significant life event, treating it too lightly?"
This line of questioning was unfamiliar territory for Amelia.
She had always sailed smoothly, previously shielded by Evan and Phoenix. When Phoenix withdrew, Evan’s support for her became unwavering.
That's why she sought help from Evan this time.
"Evan," she whispered, her voice tinged with resignation, "it's my birthday. Help me out. Even if you don't want to marry me, wait until the hype dies down before announcing our incompatibility to the public."
Evan frowned, torn, his voice still gentle, "But if my girlfriend finds out, she'll be upset."
"You have a girlfriend?" Amelia asked, incredulous.
Of course not.
Evan didn't respond; he merely smiled at Amelia, implying that it was true.
Realizing her lapse, Amelia quickly recovered, "Evan, really, not telling me about having a girlfriend, aren you still take me as your best friend?"
Evan smiled faintly, scanning the media below. As he was engaged with Amelia, they dared not interrupt.
Amelia continued, "After all, we grew up together. I thought you'd share everything with me, especially something as important as having a girlfriend."
Lowering her head, her face obscured, her unseen expression wasn't pleasant.
Evan grew impatient, "Is there anything else? If not, I'll be going. Handle the media yourself."
Amelia grabbed his arm, "You're abandoning me?"
Evan momentarily wanted to shake her off but restrained himself, maintaining a warm smile.
He was adept at concealing his feelings, just as he did with Serena, and certainly with Amelia, whom he disliked even more.
Warm fingers gently disentangled themselves from hers, and Evan nearly reached for a handkerchief to wipe his hand clean in front of her.
"How can I intervene in your personal affairs?" Evan asked with a smile, reminding her that it was Amelia who announced the engagement, not him.
He had never agreed to anything; thus, he wasn't obligated to manage it.
Amelia, who had never bowed her head before, could almost feel what Serena must have experienced when she laid down her pride.
But it was far from the pain Serena endured.
Evan gazed down at her, his eyes icy.
"Evan, consider it a birthday gift, please?" Amelia pleaded, "I'll explain to your girlfriend myself."
Evan seemed to recall something, "Ah, right, the birthday gift."
Amelia was taken aback, hearing Evan chuckle, "I almost forgot, I've prepared a grand gift for you. You'll love it."
"But..." She needed to deal with the reporters.
"Don't worry, this gift will silence them," Evan glanced at Phoenix, and after a brief eye contact, Phoenix turned and walked towards... the woman enjoying the spectacle.
"Really?" Amelia stared at him, "Evan, you're the best! I knew you wouldn't abandon me!"
What girlfriend? Didn't she know Evan well enough?
For years, he had acquiesced to her every wish, even when it came to striking against the Nightingales.
She must have been too busy ignoring him lately. After tonight, she would make it up to him.
With such thoughts, she looked at the man before her with anticipation, oblivious to the chilling smile on his face.
Suddenly, the screen at the center of the hall went dark, followed by the extinguishing of the lights. The scene, which should have erupted in chaos due to the unexpected turn, fell silent as a voice emerged from the screen:
"Serena, did you think you could escape?"
It was Amelia's voice, cold and sinister, a stark contrast to her genteel screen persona.
"Does it feel good to glimpse hope before falling into hell?"
Following those words, images began to appear on the black screen.
The woman on the screen was indeed Amelia. Her usually glamorous and graceful smile, under the dim lighting of the video, transformed into a horrifying visage.
Though the footage was somewhat blurry, seemingly captured from inconspicuous locations like street corners or other hotels, those familiar with Amelia could instantly recognize the 'heartthrob' for who she truly was.
Bar brawls, assaulting employees, stealing others' work...
Most reprehensible was her role, as the adopted daughter of the Nightingale family, in orchestrating their downfall, causing the death of the woman who raised her, and driving her childhood sister to suicide!
One by one, her dirty deeds were exposed to the public.
Especially since most of the audience were media journalists.
Collecting such explosive material must have required immense effort. Many original records had been deleted, necessitating the retrieval of backups or alternative methods, costing both time and money.
In all of J city, only Phoenix and Evan could pull off such a move.
Looking up, Phoenix was nowhere to be seen.
As for Evan, he grinned at the stunned Amelia, his slender fingers tracing her face as he smirked coldly.
