Chapter 804: Avoiding It at All Costs

Chapter 804: Avoiding It at All Costs

"Got it." Molly nodded firmly.

At this moment, the usually calm and experienced Peter stood staring at the portrait, frozen and rigid, a trace of redness forming in the corners of his eyes.

"Peter, are you... okay?" The attentive Molly noticed Peter's unusual state and asked gently.

Peter spoke hoarsely, "Sorry, where's the restroom? I need to go."

Edward raised his hand and pointed the direction. Peter immediately turned and strode away.

"Evelyn, do you know this person?" The man put his arm around her waist and asked nervously.

Evelyn took a deep breath, trying to calm her surging emotions:

"This person looks very much like my Mark, who died in a plane crash."

Edward and Molly's eyes widened in disbelief!

Thinking of Mark, who had been dead for years, became a permanent wound in the Taylor family's hearts that could never heal. Evelyn's tears instantly gathered on her lashes.

"In all these years since he left us, our family has never dared to mention or remember him. Especially in front of Mother and Peter."

Evelyn slowly closed her eyes. As memories were uncovered, the pain from the deepest part of her heart surged like a flood threatening to drown her. "Even now, I still remember that morning when Mark had his accident. He was wearing his captain's uniform, carrying his suitcase, standing confidently in the courtyard filled with warm sunlight, waving goodbye to us.

We never imagined that would be the last time we'd see him."

A brief goodbye had become eternal.

Edward's hand on Evelyn's waist kept tightening. The overwhelming sadness felt like a huge stone pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

He wanted to comfort her with something.

But any consoling words seemed so pale and powerless in the face of a loved one's death.

Molly suddenly understood and couldn't help but look back worriedly in the direction Peter had left.

"The person in this portrait can't just be said to resemble my Mark—it's like... they're identical!"

Evelyn's fingertips holding the drawing trembled again. "But... but the plane Mark was piloting that year—the news that all crew members and passengers on board died with no survivors was officially confirmed. It's impossible..."

"It is indeed hard to believe."

Edward's voice was slightly hoarse, his large hand gently rubbing her shoulder. "In this kind of plane crash, even if no body is found, the chance of survival is close to zero.

And if your Mark had survived and been rescued, how could he not contact home all these years without any word?"

"So, is it just a coincidence?"

Peter returned to them again. Although he was trying hard to control and hide his emotions, his slightly reddened eyes still betrayed his sadness. "Just by chance, he and Mark look almost identical? Can there really be two people in this world who look so alike?"

"It's not impossible." Edward said thoughtfully.

"Actually, after the plane crash, the elders in the family refused to give up for a long time and used their connections privately to search for Mark's whereabouts for a long time. Especially Mother—she never saw her son's body, so even when everyone told her there was no hope, she still couldn't move on for a very long time. She held onto that tiny, slim hope that her son might still be alive, and that hope supported her through the darkest time of her life.

So she didn't mark the day of the crash as Mark's memorial day. She only celebrates Mark's birthday, as if Mark just went on a long trip and will... come back sooner or later."

Evelyn felt a sharp pain in her chest. "I really can't imagine how Mother would feel if she saw this person. I'm afraid she'd want to find this man even more than we do, right? Even if just to see him once."

Peter stared deeply at the handsome face of the man. "This person has a face similar to Mark's, but these eyes don't belong to Mark at all."

The air fell into an oppressive silence.

Edward suddenly thought of something, his jawline tightening.

"Edward, if you want to say something, just say it. It's okay." As a couple in sync, Evelyn could now fully read the man's subtle expressions.

"Evelyn, remember that woman who looked almost exactly like you? The woman Gilbert kept by his side."

"You mean Sarah? Of course I remember."

"At that time, Gilbert used Sarah to set a trap, making me mistake her for you, and I fell for his scheme."

Edward's gaze darkened, shrouded in doubt. "And this man also happens to look very much like Mark, and also happens to play a crucial role in this scheme against Eric and Molly.

Is there a possibility that behind Neil and Jessica, there's still Gilbert's shadow?"