Evelyn froze for a moment, then quickly moved to untie the tie from his wrist.

Alexander watched her, amusement glinting in his eyes. "Grace was skilled at hiding her talents, but she never learned martial arts. Evelyn, you've given yourself away."

She freed his wrist, her peach-blossom eyes lifting slightly. "Mr. Vance, I don't know what you mean."

"Is that so?"

He flexed his wrist and walked to the sofa, sitting down. His gaze remained fixed on her.

Uncomfortable under his stare, she looked down. "Mr. Vance, it's quite late for you to be here. It's inappropriate."

He lowered his eyes, a slight smile touching his lips. "Miss Nan, you bear a striking resemblance to my late wife. I miss her terribly. I hope you don't mind me visiting."

"...Suit yourself."

Ignoring him, she began searching the master bedroom for the diary Mina had mentioned.

She had lived in this room for a month but had never found any trace of a diary.

Evelyn stood by the desk, deep in thought.

Where would Grace hide a diary?

The closet had been organized long ago. Nothing.

The desk drawers had been thoroughly searched. Nothing.

Over the past month, she had not only cared for Mrs. Davis but also cleaned the entire house, searching for any clues about Grace.

Every item had been sorted through. She had even read Grace's ordinary diaries. Nothing seemed unusual.

If Mina hadn't mentioned a private, locked diary, she would never have known it existed.

She felt around the bed and checked under it. Still nothing.

Alexander's low voice broke the silence. "When I was a child, if I wanted to hide something, I usually buried it in the ground."

Buried in the ground...

Evelyn turned sharply, her eyes landing on the villa's small garden.

The villa had a small yard. Grace loved gardening. Flowers of all colors grew in the corner, and there was a tree...

Evelyn immediately stood and hurried downstairs.

Chloe and the nanny were already asleep. Mina was resting in the guest room.

Evelyn grabbed gardening tools and walked to the tree. She tested the ground with her foot and noticed one spot was unusually hard.

She began digging with a small shovel.

After a few strokes, she hit a small metal box.

The box was just large enough to hold a book. It wasn't locked.

Evelyn dropped the shovel, pulled out the box, and brushed off the dirt. Inside lay a notebook with a floral cover.

A small lock secured the notebook, but the key wasn't in the box.

After a moment of silence, she reburied the box and went back upstairs.

As she was about to close the door, she noticed Alexander had followed her.

She had almost forgotten about him.

She shot him an annoyed look and entered the room.

"Finding the key might be difficult," he said.

She glanced at him. "Who said I need to find a key?"

He paused, surprised.

Evelyn picked up a pair of scissors. With two sharp cuts, she snipped off the locked portion of the notebook.

Alexander was speechless.

She checked to ensure the contents were intact and sighed in relief.

But she didn't open it immediately. Instead, she looked at Alexander. "Mr. Vance, aren't you leaving? Trespassing is illegal."

"Is it?"

He took a step forward, closing the distance between them.

Suddenly, he bent down and pulled her into a deep embrace.

Evelyn tried to struggle, but he whispered, "If you push me away, you prove you're Evelyn, not Grace. Grace would never have the courage."

She froze, stiffening in his arms.

He was right. Grace, feeling inferior, would only try to please him. She would be too afraid to resist...

As she thought this, he buried his face in her neck.

His warm breath against her skin made her shiver. Her heart raced.

She pushed at his chest, mimicking Grace's timid tone. "Mr. Vance, please don't..."

He chuckled softly. "Don't what? This isn't how you refused me that time at the San Francisco hotel..."

Evelyn went rigid.

His large hand cupped her face. "Evelyn, last time, I undid your clothes like this..."

His fingers hooked the belt of her robe. It fell open, pooling at her feet.

Her eyes widened. Instinctively, she moved to cover herself, but he caught her wrists. "You were very cooperative last time, too..."

He leaned in, pressing her down onto the bed. He loomed over her. "You were so passionate..."

Evelyn said nothing.

He lowered his head, his hot breath making her heart pound even faster.

But he went no further. He simply rested against her neck. "Evelyn, how can you be so cruel? Why won't you acknowledge me?"

His voice was full of hurt and confusion.

It tugged at her heart.

She knew she couldn't hide it any longer.

Her eyes slowly lowered.

After a long moment, she gave a soft laugh. She pushed him away and retied her robe. "What difference would it make if I did?"

Hearing this, seeing her finally admit it, Alexander stood frozen.

A low laugh escaped him, but his eyes reddened.

He had been sure it was her, but until Evelyn admitted it herself, he couldn't be certain.

For this past month, he had watched her from afar countless times.

He saw her play the part of Grace flawlessly. Sometimes, he even doubted his own judgment.

Until now.

His anxious heart finally settled.

It was her...

It really was her...

He was about to speak when she turned her back to him. Her voice was complex with emotion. "You couldn't stand by and watch your unattainable love die. I can't tolerate you playing both sides. Since that's the case, why does it matter who I am? We're getting a divorce anyway."

Hearing this, Alexander reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring...