Chapter 837
Chapter 0837
Dylan was visibly surprised by Suzy's suspicion. "Why would you suspect Evangeline?"
Suzy gave a hollow laugh. "Yeah, why would I? She's my sister-in-law. Of all the people to doubt, why her? I don't know... Maybe
I'm overthinking it. But something about her feels... off."
"What do you mean?"
Suzy hesitated, gathering her thoughts.
"It's hard to explain. She keeps bringing up how much my brother cares about me.
If she'd mentioned it once or twice, I wouldn't think much of it.
"But lately, it's like she can't stop talking about it. And today... you should've seen the look on her face."
"What kind of look?" Dylan pressed.
Suzy took a slow breath before answering. "That look you get when you're consumed with jealousy. The kind of twisted, burning
envy that makes people do irrational things."
She recognized it all too well.
She'd seen that same expression on Anne's face back when everything fell apart. "But even if that's true, it doesn't prove she's
done anything," Dylan said gently. "You're exhausted, Suzy. Maybe you just need a good night's sleep."
"Maybe." Suzy exhaled and rubbed her temples.
"She did say her jealousy wasn't about how much my brother loves me. She said she just envies me for having a brother at all.
"Maybe I'm reading too much into it. She's married to my brother-he loves her more than anything. Why would she ever try to
hurt me?"
Suzy shook her head. "I've probably just been too on edge lately, seeing enemies everywhere."
"Exactly," Dylan said.
"You've been pushing yourself too hard trying to unmask the person behind all this.
"But Evangeline? No way. Your brother's sharp as a hawk. If there were
something wrong with her, he'd have picked up on it by now."
Suzy pressed her fingertips to her forehead and gave a faint nod.
"You're right. My brother's no fool. He didn't earn the nickname Hawk for nothing.
If there were something off about her, he'd have noticed long before I did."
"Exactly," Dylan said softly.
"Now stop thinking so hard and get some sleep."
Maybe she really was overthinking everything.
But that night, Suzy had a dream.
In it, everything unfolded just as she feared: Evangeline was the mastermind, driven by nothing more than jealousy.
Jealousy of how much her brother cared for her.
Her jealousy was so intense that she orchestrated everything just to get rid of her.
The dream felt disturbingly real-so
vivid that when Suzy jolted aso
her
t was racing, her bock
cold sweat.
She sat up in bed, breathing hard.
It had been years since she'd last had a nightmare like that.
For a long time, Suzy simply didn't dream. Or if she did, she never remembered.
Her mind had learned to protect
itself from the kind of dreams sheet have-dreams all?e
in
blood and terror.
Those nightmares haunted her after her family's tragedy more than twenty years ago.
Back then
after she'd lie awake night horrific images replay behind
watching the same
closed eyes.
The helplessness. The crimson-stained floor. The sounds she'd never unhear.
It nearly destroyed her.
Her body, too young to endure such relentless fear, started to shut down from exhaustion.
In desperation, her mentor had given her a sleeping aid-just a mild, plant-based supplement.
But it had worked like magic.
From that night on, no matter how bad things got, sleep came easily and peacefully until tonight.
Suzy ran a hand through her hair and let out a bitter laugh.
"What's real anymore?" she whispered into the silence.
Everything she'd once believed in had turned out to be a lie.
Charlotte's gentle affection. Claude's protective concern. Her mentor's guidance.
All of them were fake.
They were all part of a deception she hadn't seen coming.
So how could she be sure about Evangeline?
Sure, they'd grown close.
They shared laughers and supported each other through tough times.
But was that genuine? Or just another illusion?
Suzy squeezed her eyes shut.
Trust wasn't something she gave easily, especially after what she'd been through.
And she'd only known Evangeline for a few short years.
Was that really enough to trust her over the instincts honed by years of survival?