Chapter 9

News of the police investigation quickly spread. Liam's company's stock price kept falling; the news was filled with pictures of him being mobbed by reporters. Maya was also implicated. Her design exhibition was abruptly canceled, and she faced massive compensation claims. Evelyn didn't follow their news anymore. She began sorting through her father's belongings and found a diary in an old wooden chest. Her mother's handwriting was elegant, recording how she and her father met and fell in love. The last few pages read: "Evelyn is too naive. I hope she meets someone who truly treats her well someday. It doesn't need to be passionate, just peaceful and stable." A tear fell on the diary, blurring a small patch of ink. Evelyn suddenly understood that what she had always pursued wasn't the "success" Liam talked about, but the "stability" her mother wrote about. Ian visited her every day, sometimes bringing a fresh bouquet of daisies, other times freshly baked cookies. They rarely men