Chapter 805: Behind Him, There Is Someone Else

Chapter 805: Behind Him, There Is Someone Else

This sentence instantly jolted Evelyn's grief-stricken thoughts back to clarity.

Some things, you just can't help thinking about in that direction, and the more you think about it, the more suspicious yet reasonable it seems.

"We analyzed this before—with Neil and Jessica's capabilities, they couldn't find such a skilled accomplice, so someone must be backing them up."

Edward's eyes gleamed sharply as he analyzed with cold logic, peeling back the layers. "What if it's Gilbert, setting up a trap to get revenge? It's not impossible.

Besides, Peter just said that the hitman is most likely foreign. Gilbert has been entrenched in Aurora Isle for years—getting someone like that to help Neil and the others wouldn't be too hard for him."

"Revenge? If Gilbert wants revenge, it would be against us! What does this have to do with Eric and Molly?"

Evelyn was furious. "Why would he stick his nose into the Clark Group's business for no reason?"

"Molly is my sister. Eric is my best friend."

Edward's lips twitched, his voice hoarse with suppressed rage. "Evelyn, do you understand now?"

With Molly present, he couldn't spell things out too bluntly or cruelly.

Someone like Gilbert—devoid of humanity, constantly flip-flopping between being a beast in gentleman's clothing and a cold-blooded demon—was entirely capable of taking revenge on Edward's loved ones when he couldn't get to Edward himself.

He knew full well that what Eric cared about most was Molly.

So he'd hand the Clark Group a knife, use them to kill with borrowed hands, destroy the relationship between Eric and Molly, and make the people Edward cared about suffer the agony of losing their love!

This empathetic heartache was like cutting Edward's flesh with a dull blade!

Evelyn's breath caught. After thinking it over, she raised another question:

"Edward, your analysis makes some sense. But the two situations are different. Would Gilbert really need to use the same trick twice? He keeps a woman who looks like me by his side to scheme against you, to have her show her face and muddy the waters. But why would he send a hitman who looks exactly like Mark? There's no need for that.

Plus, Gilbert is pretty careful in how he operates. If he used the same trick twice, wouldn't that make it easy for people to connect it back to him? Would he be stupid enough to deliberately leave us clues?"

"Edward's analysis actually makes sense."

Peter's gaze was coldly sharp, returning to his usual commanding presence. "Using the Clark Group to target Eric—Gilbert has that motive. But Evelyn has a point too. He has no reason to plant someone who looks like Mark. Once this man shows up, it could easily create complications, just like now."

Molly, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up, her watery eyes tensely focused on Peter's resolute face. "Peter, do you mean... the person who hurt Eric might not be Gilbert? It could be... someone else?"

Evelyn and Edward were momentarily stunned!

The old Molly had been cautious and timid, living obediently and humbly, appearing naive and fragile.

Eric had always pampered her like a precious flower in a greenhouse, but actually, she understood everything clearly.

"Yes, Molly, you're very smart."

Peter looked into the girl's clear eyes, his lips curving gently, though his heart felt bitter. "It's related to Gilbert, but that hitman might not be his man. Someone else might be helping him."

She was paying such close attention and caring so much because it involved the person she loved most.

"Behind Gilbert, there's someone else." Edward and Evelyn said almost in unison!

Things were getting complicated and even more confusing.

So was this a signal that this person was surfacing?

Could it really just be a coincidence that this man who looked so much like Mark got tangled up with people around them?

Gilbert was already an extremely difficult enemy to deal with. What kind of terrifying big shot could control him?

...

After discussing business, Peter didn't linger and prepared to leave.

Edward and Evelyn walked him out, but didn't expect Molly to rush out without even putting on a coat.

"Peter, wait!"

Peter watched the girl run toward him, his heart trembling. "You're wearing so little—what if you catch cold? Go back inside!"

"I'm not cold, it's okay."

Molly's face was flushed red, her eyes full of sincerity. "Peter, I finished all the pastries you brought me last time. They were really delicious."

"Hey, it was nothing. I'm glad you liked them." Peter's smile was bright.

The girl pressed her lips together and held out a rolled-up piece of paper. "This... is for you. Thank you for buying me those pastries."

Peter froze for a moment, took it, and carefully unrolled it—

It was actually a self-portrait of him, though a Q-version, but it captured his spirit, lively and adorable. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it.

"Wow... it really looks like him! Peter in person!" Evelyn leaned over to look and couldn't help exclaiming.

Edward nodded. "It does look like him."

"I drew it too hastily, too roughly. It could have been more detailed." Molly was embarrassed, feeling that such a crude thing wasn't good enough as a return gift.

"Not at all, it's great, really great."

Peter tried hard to control himself, but his voice still shook with joy, low and hoarse. "Thank you, Molly... I really love it.

Oh, right!"

His tall figure leaned back into the car, pulling out a wrapped candied apple and handing it to Molly. He tried to sound casual, though his ears turned impossibly red. "On the way here, I saw someone selling candied apples and couldn't resist buying one. I haven't touched it yet, so here, you can have it."

Evelyn narrowed her eyes meaningfully.

This was clearly bought specially for Molly—he'd just been too shy to bring it out until now.

"Candied... apple?" A flicker of light appeared in Molly's dim eyes.

Hard as it might be to believe, despite being a wealthy heiress, she had never eaten this common street snack.

Because of her condition, she'd been kept at home by Patrick and Tiffany since childhood. Even for school, she was chauffeured back and forth, rarely having the chance to go out and have fun like ordinary girls with friends.

Plus, Patrick had always sneered at this kind of common people's food, so candied apples—she'd only seen them, never tasted them.

Peter unwrapped it and held a skewer of crystalline, plump candied apples in front of Molly, asking gently:

"Want to try?"

Molly was shy at first, but the candied apple was too tempting. She couldn't resist sticking out her little tongue like a kitten and taking a lick of the fruit coated in gleaming sugar.

"Mm... so sweet."

Peter couldn't help but smile.

A warm smile from the heart spread across his eyes and brows. The girl's innocent face was like the crystalline sugar coating the fruit, quietly melting in his burning gaze.

I'll buy them for you often from now on, okay?

Words like a confession tumbled through Peter's chest, but in the end, he crushed them bit by bit, carefully.

Along with his gentle smile, he let them scatter in the wind.

...

That night, after the couple bathed together, Evelyn, wrapped only in a towel, sat before the mirror while Edward dried her thick, dark hair.

Her hair was thick and didn't dry easily, but he always had enough patience to slowly dry it and carefully comb through it.

After finishing, the man gripped her round shoulders, gently biting and kissing her shoulder blades, leaving a trail of marks that belonged only to him.

Evelyn's jade-colored skin flushed with spring, and she couldn't help tilting her chin up to seek his lips.

The moment their desire-filled lips touched, they fell irresistibly into bliss...

After their intimacy, Edward carried the small woman back to the bathroom, pinching her slender waist and setting her on the counter, picking up the handheld shower to clean her.

"Edward." She called his name softly.

"Mm?" Edward rinsed her body while leaning in for a kiss.

"Do you think... Eric is better suited for Molly, or Peter?"

Evelyn traced his lips with her fingertips. "I want your honest opinion."

Edward's eyes darkened. "Evelyn, are you trying to set Molly up with Peter?"

"Not exactly." Evelyn shook her head. "I just want Molly to be happy."

"Eric is passionate like fire, Peter is gentle like spring breeze. In looks, ability, family background... they're evenly matched. Neither would wrong Molly."

Edward's hands gripped her waist, caressing upward inch by inch, finally placing a kiss on that alluring expanse of snow-white skin. "But I think my sister has every right to be completely carefree about love. What matters most is what she likes."

Evelyn pressed her rosy lips together and nodded slightly.

Yes, no matter how good everything else was, what mattered most was what Molly thought was good.

But in her heart, she still felt a lingering fear—afraid the Clark Group would strike this poor girl again.

Back in the room, they had just lain down to rest when Edward's phone vibrated.

"Who is it?" Evelyn yawned.

Edward's pupils suddenly contracted. "It's Eric!"