Chapter 56

Evelyn's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She hadn't expected that the husband of Dylan's aunt was the head of the Cardiac Surgery Department at Grandview General Hospital.

"Really?" Evelyn responded with a faint, knowing smile.

Dylan and Serena exchanged glances, baffled by Evelyn's composed reaction. Both assumed she must be utterly shameless to remain so unruffled.

Serena pressed her lips together before speaking. "That can't be right. No one with the surname Caldwell or the name Evelyn? At the Caldwell family gathering, Mr. Caldwell himself announced that Ms. Caldwell was joining the Cardiac Surgery Department at Grandview General! Surely he wouldn’t lie about something like that?"

Dylan nodded in agreement. "Exactly. It was strange, so I looked into it. My uncle confirmed—no doctor or nurse by that name. Though, there is a caregiver named Caldwell."

Serena gasped dramatically, shaking her head. "A caregiver? That can't be!"

"Believe it or not, it's the truth," Dylan said coolly before turning to Evelyn. "So, Ms. Caldwell, care to explain what your real position at Grandview General is?"

Evelyn watched their synchronized performance with detached amusement, her lips curling into a scornful smile. "My employment at Grandview General and my role there—why is that any of your concern? Since when are we close enough for me to owe you an explanation?"

Dylan stiffened, caught off guard by her sharp retort.

After a beat, he scoffed. "Ms. Caldwell, does your defensiveness mean you're embarrassed about being caught in a lie? Imagine the scandal if people found out the Caldwells' goddaughter doesn’t actually work at Grandview General. What would that say about you—or the Caldwells?" His tone dripped with thinly veiled threat.

Evelyn let out a derisive laugh, as if he'd told a bad joke. "Oh, please. Go ahead, spread the word. See if I care."

Her defiance only deepened Dylan's scowl. Then, a smirk tugged at his lips. "Fine. Maybe you don’t mind being called a liar. But what about the scandal of seducing a married man?"

Evelyn tilted her head, feigning innocence. "A married man? You mean… Nathan?"

Dylan seized the opening. "So you admit it!"

Unnoticed by them, a middle-aged woman had been eavesdropping. At the mention of Nathan, her eyes gleamed with intrigue. Silently, she slipped away toward a private room at the end of the hall.

As she entered, a cheerful voice called out, "Beatrice! You're late! Three glasses as punishment!"

The room was filled with high-society women, all influential figures. Beatrice Waltham grinned as she took her seat. "Forgive my tardiness—I just overheard the juiciest gossip right outside!"