Chapter 209

The crowd turned their heads in the direction of the voice.

Tall and effortlessly charming, Finn strode forward, his lips curled in a disarming

smile.

“Old Mrs. Fawkes, wishing you a long and healthy life,” he said, bowing

respectfully before glancing over at Poppy.

He didn’t say a word.

Poppy fell silent at just the right moment, her face pale.

She still remembered how Finn had left her speechless not long ago; arguing further would only make her look worse.

But Finn’s arrival was an unexpected blessing. With both a witness and evidence present, Evangeline’s alleged affair during her marriage was now an established fact—and with someone from the Lockridge family, no less.

By any measure, Evangeline and Soren were finished.

A fake divorce would have to become a real one.

The thought brought the faintest smile to Poppy’s lips.

She lifted her gaze and caught Liam’s eye across the room.

He tapped his chest and flashed her an “OK” sign.

Exactly the effect they wanted.

If Soren couldn’t bring himself to do it, Liam, as his brother, would step in and help.

Now that Evangeline had caused a scandal this big, even if Old Mrs. Fawkes wanted to protect her, the rest of the family would never allow it—not with the Fawkes name at stake.

Their divorce was all but certain.

And once Evangeline was out of the picture, Poppy could take her place in the Fawkes family without opposition.

This thought made Liam cast a look at Soren, the picture of someone quietly proud of his own behind-the-scenes efforts.

But Soren’s mind was completely occupied by Evangeline and Finn.

His knuckles whitened, veins standing out as he clenched his fists.

Now he understood the unease he’d felt before the birthday celebration.

He’d expected trouble from the Lockridge family.

But he hadn’t expected them to come for him and Evangeline personally.

Strangely, seeing Finn instead of Glenn made him oddly calm.

He swallowed his anger and spoke, “Evangeline, I know you’re upset with me, but today is my grandmother’s birthday. Let’s not make a scene. Apologize to everyone, and we can put this behind us p>

Evangeline had expected him to use this chance to distance himself from her, not this.

Should she praise him for his magnanimity?

She smiled wryly at the thought.

Honestly, even she hadn’t predicted things would go this far.

She’d never intended to cause a scene at Old Mrs. Fawkes’s birthday.

She’d planned to reveal things gradually, but after that video, there was no rolling it back.

Turning to Old Mrs. Fawkes, Evangeline apologized, then faced the crowd, her voice calm and clear. “I’m sorry for taking up everyone’s time. Mr. Fawkes and I finalized our divorce a month ago, and today we’ve made it official p>

“So, there was never any infidelity p>

“My relationship with Mr. Lockridge began naturally, after my marriage ended p>

Her words fell like a thunderclap.

A wave of chatter and exclamations rolled through the guests.

Not far away, Liam’s hand trembled so badly he almost spilled his drink.

Flora, who had been sneering at Evangeline, froze in disbelief.

Helena and Clyde exchanged startled glances.

They looked at their son, Soren, clearly shocked.

Everyone had known a divorce was coming, but no one expected it to happen so suddenly—or that it had been finalized for a whole month without Soren ever mentioning it to the family.

Soren had no idea what they were thinking. He stood rooted to the spot, staring at Evangeline.

She looked utterly composed, as if she were discussing something trivial. “Evangeline, say that again.” Soren almost didn’t trust his ears.

At that moment, Old Mrs. Fawkes, silent until now, finally spoke. “Evangeline has served this family well all these years. Even after the divorce, I’ll still regard her as my granddaughter p>

Soren’s heart pounded violently.

He stared at his grandmother in disbelief.

“Grandma, she’s lying to you. She would never agree to a divorce.” His fists clenched tighter.

But even as he said it, he knew Evangeline had no reason to lie anymore.

Old Mrs. Fawkes shot him a glance. “Evangeline isn’t lying p>

His throat tightened.

So his grandmother knew about the divorce? She’d even agreed to it?

But why? Hadn’t she always adored Evangeline, always wanted them to stay married? Why would she approve of this?

As if reading his mind, Old Mrs. Fawkes leaned in and spoke so only he could hear, “Remember when I asked if you truly loved Poppy? Do you remember what you said p>

Soren hesitated, realization dawning.

He’d said he did.

Back then, Old Mrs. Fawkes had told him, “You’ll get what you wish for p>

Was this what she meant by that?

Soren let out a bitter chuckle. “But I only said that because I was angry p>

“All these years, you’ve said plenty of things in anger. You’ve acted on impulse more times than I can count. But while you always calm down, have you ever considered how the person you hurt feels?” Old Mrs. Fawkes asked gently.

Soren was left speechless.

The scene had taken so many turns, no one could look away. The crowd was practically leaning in, eager for the next development.

Feeling overwhelmed, Soren called for security, ready to clear the room.

But Old Mrs. Fawkes stopped him. “There’s one more thing I’d like to announce p>

She looked at Evangeline and smiled kindly. “Evangeline’s mother once helped me—and this family-a great deal. I’ve already made arrangements in my will: after I’m gone, all my shares in Fawkes Enterprises will go to Evangeline p>