Chapter 178: WHAT? She Belongs to the Lawrence Family!
Deep into the night, Evelyn’s studio was still bathed in bright light. Ryan hadn't left. He sat on the sofa in the outer office, processing documents on his laptop, occasionally glancing through the glass wall at the silhouette of the woman hunched over her drafting table.
Suddenly, Vincent entered silently and leaned down to whisper in Ryan’s ear. "Boss, we caught her."
A cold glint flashed in Ryan’s eyes. He snapped his laptop shut and walked toward the breakroom. In the corner, a young female assistant was trembling in a chair, held in place by two bodyguards. She was clutching a black USB drive, her face a mess of smeared makeup and panic.
"Miss... Miss Bell was so good to me. I didn't want to do it," the assistant sobbed. "But Miss Astor said if I didn't give her the designs, she’d send my gambling father to prison and make sure I never worked in New York again."
Valerie Astor. Even while out on bail and under police investigation, the woman was acting like a rabid dog, desperate to deal Evelyn a lethal blow before the Star Awards began.
Ryan took the USB drive from the assistant’s hand, twirling it between his fingers.
"This is the second time she’s tried to steal," Ryan said, his voice flat but terrifying. "Since she wants something so badly, it would be rude not to give her a little gift, wouldn't it?"
"Boss, what do you mean?" Vincent asked, confused.
Ryan walked to a nearby computer and inserted the drive. His fingers flew across the keys. He didn't delete the files. Instead, he replaced the core design with a "discarded draft" that looked almost identical but contained a fatal structural flaw. It was a sketch Evelyn had tossed out yesterday because the tension points were miscalculated. Once made into a garment, the skirt would literally split open if the model took more than three steps.
"Let her take it," Ryan said, pulling out the drive and handing it back to the assistant. "Tell Valerie this is Evelyn’s most prized secret weapon. I want to watch her humiliate herself in front of the entire world."
The assistant froze, then nodded frantically before running out of the room. As she disappeared, the murderous intent in Ryan’s eyes slowly faded. He turned toward the workspace, his gaze softening instantly.
Evelyn was still drawing. She was completely immersed in her own world. Dozens of discarded sketches were scattered across her desk. Her brow was furrowed as her pencil traced lines over and over, searching for a connection that remained just out of reach.
"Continuation... it's not just about the shape. It's about the connection of blood and soul," Evelyn muttered. Frustrated, she put down her pencil and took a sip of water.
The movement caused the silver ring around her neck to slip out from her collar. It swayed in the light, casting a faint metallic glow. Evelyn’s gaze fell on it. Ryan had said this ring was precious and insisted she wear it at all times.
She set down her glass and held the ring up to the lamp. When Ryan had looked at it before, his expression had been so grave. At the time, she had been too panicked to look closely. Now, under the strong light, she saw it clearly. Under the worn letter "L," there was a hidden, intricate pattern.
It was a Fleur-de-lis.
Three petals pointing up, three pointing down. The lines were elegant and mysterious, like a silent guardian of an ancient secret. Evelyn’s mind went numb. This ring was the only thing Dean Worth had left her. He said it was tucked into her swaddling clothes when he found her.
If this was a Lawrence family heirloom, then her biological parents...
"What are you looking at?" Ryan’s voice came from behind her.
Evelyn jumped, nearly dropping the ring. she spun around to meet Ryan’s deep, searching eyes.
"This ring..." Evelyn held it up. "Ryan, you already knew, didn't you? This pattern is the Lawrence family crest."
Ryan didn't answer immediately. He sat in a chair beside her, his gaze fixed on the pattern with an unreadable complexity.
"I knew," Ryan admitted. He reached out to gently stroke her cheek. "But I haven't uncovered the whole truth of what happened back then. Marcus is targeting you and returned the ring precisely because he discovered this as well."
"I'm a Lawrence?" Evelyn shook her head, the idea feeling absurd. "How is that possible? I grew up in an orphanage. My parents—"
"Some bloodlines can't be hidden." Ryan took her hand, pressing the ring into her palm. "No matter who you are or whose blood is in your veins, remember one thing." He leaned in, his forehead resting against hers. "You are Evelyn, the woman I chose. I will tear the Lawrence family apart for you if I have to."
Ryan didn't give her long to process the shock. He walked to a safe in the corner of the office and entered the code. He pulled out a thick, worn leather book.
"This is a copy of the Lawrence family tree," Ryan said, laying it on her table. He flipped to a page with a vast, complicated family tree. His long finger slid past prominent names until it stopped at one circled in red: Madeline Lawrence.
Beside the name was a faded portrait. The woman wore a vintage lace gown. Her eyes were melancholic, and she was playing with a ring. Even though the photo was blurry, Evelyn recognized it instantly. It was the exact same ring hanging from her neck.
"Madeline was my aunt by name, and the most rebellious member of the family in a century," Ryan explained. "Thirty years ago, she was the only daughter. She was supposed to marry an oil tycoon. But she fell in love with a wandering painter. The night before her engagement, she ran away with the family’s most precious heirloom—this Fleur-de-lis ring, which represents the female heir's identity."
Evelyn gripped the edge of the table.
"After that, the family erased all records of her and claimed she died of a sudden illness," Ryan continued. "But the elders never stopped looking for her. That ring isn't just jewelry. It's one of the keys to the Lawrence family’s private vaults in Switzerland."
"Am I... am I her daughter?" Evelyn whispered.