Chapter 472

Amelia's eyes shimmered with vulnerability, tugging at heartstrings. "But—"

Gabrielle slammed her palm on Evelyn's desk. She crossed her arms, chin tilted defiantly.

"Listen up, Evelyn. Ethan's napping on Nathaniel's office couch. Amelia and I are stepping out briefly." Her voice dripped with condescension. "If anything happens to that boy while we're gone, it's on you."

Evelyn didn't bother glancing up, already forming a refusal.

Gabrielle didn't wait for rejection. She grabbed Amelia's wrist. "Let's move."

The elevator doors swallowed them before Evelyn could protest.

Evelyn's brow furrowed. What mother would abandon her child with someone she barely tolerated? Something smelled fishy.

Not her circus, not her monkeys.

Except Nathaniel had stepped out for a call. Leaving a toddler unattended was downright reckless.

With a sigh, Evelyn grabbed her laptop and marched into the office.

Just as described, little Ethan lay curled on the sofa, Amelia's coat draped over him like a blanket.

Evelyn tiptoed past, setting her laptop on the coffee table.

This was her chance. She pulled a miniature camera from her pocket, snapped a photo of the framed picture on Nathaniel's desk—her mother's portrait—and stashed the device away.

Resuming her seat near the sleeping child, she immersed herself in document translation, periodically checking that Ethan hadn't rolled onto the floor.

An hour slipped by. Finished with her work, Evelyn stretched her stiff shoulders.

The boy still slept soundly. She leaned back, closing her tired eyes.

A sudden wail jolted her upright.

Ethan sat up, rubbing his eyes. When his gaze landed on Evelyn, his face crumpled in terror. Sobs erupted like a siren.

Evelyn froze. Pregnancy hadn't come with a manual for calming hysterical toddlers.

"Hey, your mom's coming back soon. Shh."

The one-year-old only wailed louder, incomprehensible babble mixing with tears.

When Evelyn reached toward him, Ethan scrambled backward as if she were Medusa herself.

"Okay, okay! I'll stay right here." She held up her palms in surrender.

Ethan didn't care. He tumbled off the couch and bolted for the door on unsteady legs.

"Wait!" Evelyn lunged after him. A toddler loose in corporate headquarters? That was a lawsuit waiting to happen.