Chapter 288: Has Michael Started to Suspect Her?

Chapter 288: Has Michael Started to Suspect Her?

Evelyn: "Lavern, how did you know I slept at Michael's place last night?"

Lavern gave her the quick version of what happened:

"I was going to carry you back to your own place. Michael wouldn't let me. He chewed me out pretty good too. Playing your boyfriend? Yeah, that was a real joy."

"Evelyn, are things better between you and Michael now? You two aren't thinking about getting remarried, are you?" Lavern asked curiously.

"Never." Evelyn's voice was firm. "We're divorced. We're not getting back together. Last night was an accident. It won't happen again."

"Alright. Oh, by the way—I booked a private room at Diamond Oasis Hotel tonight. I'm taking Landon to dinner. Last night when you and Michael suddenly went to Silvercrest Medical, it scared the hell out of him."

Evelyn smiled. "Okay."

Considering how understanding Landon had been yesterday, helping her keep the pregnancy under wraps, she really did owe him a meal.

The Johnson Group.

Michael sat behind his desk, listening to Chase's report:

"Mr. Johnson, too much time has passed since then. There were no other witnesses at the scene. There's no way to uncover the truth now. At this point, we can only work the angle between Elysia and Evelyn."

Michael wasn't surprised by this outcome.

If this had been easy to investigate, he wouldn't have spent so long searching for answers in the first place.

Because every detail Elysia had told him matched up with what he'd experienced, he'd never doubted her story.

But now? Now he had doubts.

After a moment's thought, Michael spoke: "Call Elysia. Tell her I'm taking her to dinner tonight at Diamond Oasis Hotel."

"Yes, sir."

Michael added another instruction: "Just mention the dinner. Don't say anything else."

He needed to test her himself—to see if Elysia had been lying all along.

"Yes, sir."

That evening, Elysia arrived at Diamond Oasis Hotel wearing a long dress with cutouts at the waist.

When Chase had told her Michael wanted to take her to dinner, she'd been absolutely thrilled.

She reached the private room quickly. Michael was already there. She sat down across from him, beaming:

"Michael, I thought you were swamped with work. What made you want to take me to dinner tonight?"

Michael stood and poured her a glass of juice. "A lot has happened recently. There have been some misunderstandings between us. I felt like I owed you an apology, so I thought dinner together might help you feel a little better."

Elysia was deeply moved.

She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Michael, I really don't need much. As long as you know I love you, that's enough for me. I don't care about anything else."

Just then, Evelyn and Lavern arrived.

They passed by Michael's private room. Through the crack in the door, Evelyn caught sight of Michael and Elysia's hands clasped together.

Lavern followed her gaze and chuckled. "Mr. Johnson sure is a considerate gentleman. Though he seems to be spreading that consideration around a bit. Just last night he carried you home, and tonight he's already having dinner with another woman."

Evelyn's lips twisted into a bitter smile.

"Last night he carried me home because he didn't want to see me sleeping next to another man. Tonight he's having dinner with Elysia because he genuinely cares about her. A lot."

Evelyn and Lavern moved on.

Inside the private room.

Michael withdrew his hand. He picked up a shrimp with his chopsticks and placed it on the plate in front of her, then said casually:

"Lately I've been thinking back on our history together. Elysia, do you remember the first time we met? In the woods?"

Elysia had just been about to eat the shrimp. At his question, her hand trembled. The shrimp nearly slipped off her chopsticks and onto the floor.

"Michael, why are you suddenly bringing that up?"

"With everything that's happened recently, I've been revisiting our past. For me, that was one of our most beautiful memories. Elysia, have you really forgotten?"

Elysia's voice took on a nervous edge. "Of course I haven't forgotten. How could I forget something so important? I'm just surprised you're bringing it up so suddenly."

"I remember you told me your parents had brought you to that area for a vacation. You wandered off because you were being mischievous, and that's when you found me and saved me. Later, you went looking for food for me and got lost again. That's when your parents found you, and you had to leave. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right." Elysia nodded.

The truth was, she'd never gotten lost. She'd never even been to those woods.

Back then, it was Evelyn who'd been scolded by Scarlett and run crying into the forest—Evelyn who'd saved Michael.

When Evelyn came back, she'd developed a high fever and been delirious. From Evelyn's feverish ramblings, Elysia had learned every detail.

Later, when Michael sent people to find his rescuer, she'd simply used those details to pretend she was the one who'd saved him.

Michael asked, "Do you remember the bracelet I gave you? I specifically told you it was something my mother left me."

Elysia's expression shifted again.

She knew every detail from back then.

Except for this bracelet. No matter how much she'd pressured Evelyn, Evelyn had never told her about it.

Michael stared into Elysia's eyes. "Elysia, that bracelet was something my mother left me. I haven't seen it in years. Could you bring it out and let me see it again?"

"I... Michael, the thing is, that bracelet, it..."

Elysia scrambled for an excuse.

But Michael's patience was wearing thin. "Elysia, don't tell me you can't find it. If you don't have the bracelet, how are you going to prove to me that you're the one who saved me all those years ago? How can I believe you haven't been lying to me?"

Alarm bells went off in Elysia's mind.

Was Michael starting to doubt her?

No. That couldn't happen. Absolutely not.

All these years, the only reason her life had been comfortable was because of her identity as Michael's savior.

Without that identity, she'd have nothing.

"Michael, don't overthink this. Let me explain. That bracelet, it..."

Elysia tried to defend herself.

Michael cut her off. "Elysia, I don't want to hear a bunch of excuses. I just want to see the bracelet I gave you back then."

"Elysia, you can't produce that bracelet, can you? You haven't been... lying to me all these years, have you?"

"No. Michael, how could I... How could I possibly lie to you?" Elysia's body went rigid, her voice trembling uncontrollably.