Chapter 183
Evelyn Roland had just unrolled her design sketches when her phone rang abruptly.
The screen flashed "Olivia Valdemar."
"Evelyn!" Olivia's frantic voice came through the receiver. "I finally got through to you."
"What's wrong, Olivia?"
"Sebastian has a high fever, but he refuses to go to the hospital." Anxiety laced Olivia's words. "Could you come take a look?"
Evelyn suppressed an eye roll. The mighty CEO of Valdemar Group was acting like a petulant child over an illness.
Thirty minutes later, a taxi pulled up to the Valdemar estate.
The moment Evelyn pushed open the heavy carved doors, a chill swept over her, making her shiver. The mansion was eerily silent, the plush carpets swallowing even the sound of footsteps.
"Miss Roland, please wait here." The butler gave a slight bow. "I'll inform the young mistress."
Evelyn glanced around. The vast living room was empty except for a few servants moving quietly about their tasks.
"Evelyn!" Olivia came rushing down the spiral staircase in loose loungewear, a stark contrast to the cold opulence around her. She grabbed Evelyn's hand. "Come with me."
At the end of the third-floor hallway, Evelyn froze in the doorway.
On the nightstand, a familiar Booker doll tilted its head at her.
"That was the last gift Mother gave Sebastian before she passed," Olivia explained softly, following Evelyn's gaze. Her voice dropped. "After our parents' car accident... his condition worsened."
Evelyn's heart clenched.
A phone ring shattered the silence. Olivia checked the screen, her face apologetic. "I have to go for my prenatal checkup—"
"Go ahead." Evelyn gave a reassuring nod. "I'll take care of things here."
When the door closed, only Sebastian's labored breathing filled the room.
He lay curled under black satin sheets, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. Evelyn gently placed a cooling patch on his brow and dabbed his feverish neck with a damp towel.
As she reached to replace the patch, a burning hand suddenly seized her wrist.
"Don't go..." Sebastian murmured in his delirium. "Mother... I'm scared..."
Evelyn went completely still. The ruthless business titan now looked as vulnerable as a lost child.