Unmasking the Heiress

"See you later, Walter."

It was not a final goodbye, but a promise of another meeting.

There Walter stood, watching Evangeline leave the cruise ship, quickly shielded by a swarm of bodyguards.

Just then, David, looking worried, hurried over to Walter with an update. "Mr. Walter Gordon, we've figured it out. Ms. Kast took the cruise ship's lifeboat to shore. Our guys have been on her trail, and she was last seen in the Newstead Zone." "Did you find her?" Walter's voice was icy.

David went pale. "Not yet, but I'm about to lead a team there!"

Walter gestured dismissively at David. "Forget it, I'll go find Minnie myself. You take extra people and make sure Mrs. Gordon gets back to the Fosters' place safe and sound!"

Evangeline had slipped away like a shadow, and Holden, with a whole squad of bodyguards in tow, was a silent testament to one thing: The Foster family was on high alert, knowing she might be walking into danger. They were not taking any chances with her safety. The grapevine had not given him the full picture yet, but one thing was crystal clear: He was not about to gamble with Evangeline's well-being.

Evangeline was worried that something bad might happen when Walter and Holden met, so of course, Walter was not about to be the one to walk her into that. Lucky for him, David had just rolled back into town. Handing Evangeline off to David was a no-brainer-he was trustworthy.

David's eyes flickered with a hint of doubt, but one look at Walter's no-nonsense expression, and he was nodding like a bobblehead. "Got it, boss. I'm on it!"

He knew Evangeline's next move before she did-she would make a beeline for the Emerald of the Highlands' villas as soon as she shook off Walter. That meant Dannington Road was her path home, and David was going to shadow her every step of the way, just as Walter had ordered.

With the plan set, Walter and his entourage of guards peeled out.

Newstead Zone was not exactly the bustling heart of the city. Nestled among the mountains, it was a bit on the rough side and did not exactly have people tripping over each other. Minnie had picked that spot to lay low, probably betting on the seclusion and the rugged terrain to keep her out of the spotlight.

Walter knew he had to act fast to catch Minnie before she vanished into the mountains, where she would be nearly impossible to find.

However, as he arrived in the Newstead Zone, his mission was interrupted by a shocking news flash on an old TV in a local's house where he was gathering information.NôvelDrama.Org owns all © content.

"Urgent news update. A catastrophic multi-car pile-up occurred on Dannington Road in the heart of Avalon City at 12:38 p.m. today. Preliminary reports indicate that up to two hundred seventy vehicles are wrecked, with the number of casualties soaring past a thousand..."

"Which highway?"

Walter's gaze was glued to the flickering black-and-white screen, his eyes so red they looked like they might start bleeding.

His bodyguard, sensing the urgency, quickly looked up the news on his phone and handed it to Walter, who felt a wave of darkness wash over him.

If his memory served him right, Dannington Road was the exact route Evangeline would take to get back to Emerald of the Highlands from her sea trip!

The thought struck Walter like a lightning bolt, nearly shattering him.

The idea of Evangeline being one of the many victims, possibly lying lifeless and disfigured in his arms, sent a surge of panic through him, and his knees buckled.