Chapter 117

Several cars were already parked outside the Hawk estate. White floral wreaths and standing sprays had been arranged near the entrance, their ribbons bearing simple messages of condolence.

As Evelyn stepped out of the car, several middle-aged men standing by the door turned to look at her.

Their gazes held scrutiny, curiosity, and an indefinable wariness. During her three years at Ashford Group, Evelyn had attended countless events like this. She knew these looks all too well—these people were sizing her up, gauging who she was, how much weight she carried, whose territory she might encroach on.

Nason came out to greet her. He wore a black suit, his face more haggard than it had been two days ago, but when he saw Evelyn, a flicker of relief crossed his eyes.

"Ms. Kendall, you came."

"My condolences." Evelyn bowed slightly.

Nason led her inside. Cedric followed half a step behind, not putting his arm around her waist or holding her hand, but his presence was impossible to ignore. At around six feet tall, with a face everyone in the business world recognized, his arrival silenced the whispers in the hallway for a moment.

The memorial hall had been set up in the main parlor.

Frederick's portrait sat in the center. In the photograph, the old man wore a dark suit, his expression stern, his gaze sharp. It was a picture from his younger days, around sixty years old, when the Hawk family was at its peak.

Evelyn walked to the altar and bowed three times.

As she straightened, her gaze fell on the offering table beside the portrait. On it sat a plain white ceramic vase holding three white lilies.

Evelyn's breath caught.

Who put those there?

She turned to Nason. He followed her gaze and paused, equally surprised.

"I didn't arrange those flowers," he said quietly. "They were already there this morning when we set up."

Evelyn stared at the three lilies for several seconds. The petals were fresh, the stems still had dew on them—they hadn't been there overnight.

Someone had placed them there early this morning.

Someone had been here before her.

Evelyn looked away without pressing further. She stayed in the memorial hall for ten minutes before stepping out.

In the hallway, a middle-aged woman in a formal dress blocked her path.

"So you're Evelyn?" The woman's voice was sharp and thin, the corners of her eyes creased with a cruel smile. "I heard you're Lily's daughter?"

Evelyn met her gaze. "Yes."

The woman looked her up and down, her smile deepening. "Back then, the scandal with your mother was all over town. Who would've thought her daughter would make such a comeback? Latching onto the Parker family, then getting recognized by the White family—it's really quite—"

"Auntie." Nason's voice cut through coldly from behind. "Today is my father's funeral."

The woman's smile froze. She stepped back awkwardly.

Evelyn didn't lose her temper. She simply looked at the woman, her gaze as cool and still as deep water.

"The accusations my mother carried have been proven false by forensic evidence and a public statement from the White family." Evelyn's voice wasn't loud, but every word was etched clear as stone. "If you still have questions, you can check last month's news."

The woman's face turned ashen. Her lips trembled, but she said nothing more and turned away.

Cedric stood in the shadows at the end of the hallway, his eyes on Evelyn. He didn't step forward, but his hand had come out of his pocket—a stance ready to intervene at any moment.

Evelyn shook her head slightly at him. Not necessary.

Cedric put his hand back in his pocket. But his jaw remained tight, the faint line between his brows still drawn.

The funeral ceremony ended at eleven in the morning. Guests gradually dispersed, and the Hawk estate grew quiet.

Evelyn was the last to leave the memorial hall.

She stood on the porch steps, sunlight pouring down from above, illuminating her completely. The air carried the cold fragrance of white chrysanthemums and the lingering smoke from burned incense.

Cedric walked to her side and stood shoulder to shoulder with her. Their shadows overlapped on the steps, forming a single shape.

"You okay?" His voice was low.

"I'm okay." Evelyn looked at the two osmanthus trees in the courtyard. The leaves were still green, but tiny buds had already appeared on the branches.

"Those three flowers—"

"It was her." Evelyn said.

Cedric didn't ask who 'she' was.

He simply reached out and took hold of her fingers hanging at her side.

Evelyn's fingers were slightly cool—anyone coming out of a memorial hall carried that subdued temperature. Cedric wrapped her hand completely in his palm and squeezed firmly.

Evelyn looked down at their clasped hands. His knuckles were pronounced, the lines of bone rising beneath his skin like a miniature ridge.

"Cedric."

"Yeah."

"Lillie was here."

Cedric's fingers tightened slightly.

"She came to see Grandfather off." Evelyn's voice held a strange calm. "She didn't see anyone. She left three flowers and went. She didn't dare face anyone."

Cedric was silent for a moment.

"Do you want to find her?"

Evelyn shook her head.

"No." Her thumb traced across the space between his thumb and forefinger, the same gesture she'd made in the car yesterday. "I'll wait for her to come back on her own."

Cedric turned to look at her. Sunlight outlined her profile with a thin halo, the line of her face both soft and resolute.

He didn't know when Evelyn had become so certain. Maybe it was the day she uncovered the truth about her mother. Maybe it was the moment she signed the divorce papers. Maybe it was that afternoon in the demolition office on Peace Alley when she found that old registry.

Or maybe it was the second she first took his hand and said, "I'm not leaving."

A breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling the leaves of the osmanthus trees.

Evelyn let go of his hand and took the white jade seal from her pocket.

She walked back to the entrance of the memorial hall, bent down, and gently placed the seal on the offering table.

Next to the three white lilies.

Side by side with the flowers Lillie had brought.

Like two sisters who had never shared a frame, finally meeting at their father's altar.

---

Three days after returning from the Hawk estate, everything seemed to settle back into calm.

The Phase Three signing in the northern district proceeded as scheduled. Linda signed the contract in Parker Group's conference room. Evelyn stood in front of the screen and finished presenting the final slide of her proposal. The applause wasn't thunderous, but every person in attendance wore an expression that said 'impressed.'

After the signing ceremony ended, Evelyn pulled out the USB drive and slipped it into her pocket. As she turned toward the door, something in her peripheral vision caught her attention—the back row of the conference room.

Someone was sitting there.

Not someone on the guest list.

A young man she'd never seen before.

Around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wearing a dark blue shirt, his hair cut very short, his features so ordinary he'd disappear in a crowd. But the way he looked at Evelyn—the way he watched her—sent a ripple of goosebumps across the back of her neck, like a hunter confirming his prey's movements.