He turned the ring over in his fingers, the small diamond catching light one last time before disappearing into his palm. "I’ll find her, Trish," he said quietly. "I don’t care what it takes."

"Of course. Of course. I will," Trish said quickly, nodding. "How is Sylvia doing?" She leaned back in her chair, fiddling with the strap of her handbag.

Winn sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "As fine as she can be," he said finally. "We’re all just... hanging in there."

Trish’s eyes softened. "She isn’t picking my calls. Could you tell her to reach out?" she asked. "I don’t think now is the time for her to lock herself away. Just... tell her she’s not alone, okay?"

Winn gave her a small, grateful nod. "Of course. Sure. Thanks for looking out for her."

*****

When Ivy’s eyes fluttered open, the world was a blur of sterile white and the faint rhythmic beep-beep-beep of a heart monitor. Her throat was dry, her tongue heavy. She blinked back the harsh fluorescent lights overhead, her lashes trembling.

The ceiling swam above her, and a shadow loomed close — someone leaning over her, speaking softly.

"Winn?" she whispered.

"Hey, you’re awake."

That wasn’t his voice. She would have known Winn’s voice anywhere — the low, smooth rumble that used to slide down her spine when he said her name. No, she thought weakly. Not him.

She shut her eyes again, trying to ground herself, then opened them more slowly. Her vision cleared bit by bit until she could make out a face. "Mr. Everest?" she rasped. "What... what are you doing here? Where am I?"

"You’re in the hospital," Evans said gently, keeping his voice low. "You were badly wounded." He pulled the chair closer to her bed, leaning in just enough to make sure she could hear him clearly.

Ivy’s mind scrambled to piece together fragments. Her breath caught. "Winn," she whispered. "Where is... where is Winn?"

Evans hesitated, his jaw tightening for just a second. But before he could respond, Ivy’s eyes suddenly widened. A new wave of fear surged through her. "Oh my God!"

She tried to sit up — too quickly. Pain ripped through her abdomen. She let out a scream that tore from her throat. The heart monitor spiked.

"Hey, hey—don’t move, Ivy!" Evans was on his feet instantly, one hand on her shoulder. His grip was firm but gentle. "Breathe. Just breathe, alright? You’re safe. You’re safe."

"My mum? They have Trish!" Ivy gasped. Her eyes went wide, chest heaving. The beeping of the heart monitor sped up, echoing the chaos pounding in her veins. "They said they’d kill her—oh God—if I didn’t do what they said." Her trembling hands fisted the hospital blanket. "They have her, Evans. They have Trish!"

"Your mum is fine," he said, his gaze steady. "She’s undergoing surgery right now, and the doctors are optimistic. She’s strong, Ivy." He paused. "But tell me—who’s Trish?"

"My friend," Ivy breathed, her lower lip quivering. "She’s like a sister to me. She... she helped me when everything fell apart."

"Okay, okay, Ivy," Evans interrupted gently, leaning closer to the bed. "I will look into it, I promise. But right now, you need to relax. Let me do the worrying for both of us, alright?" His thumb brushed lightly over the back of her hand.

Her eyes darted up to his face, filled with confusion and a hint of distrust. "Why are you here, Evans? Where is Winn?" she asked.

Evans drew in a deep breath, straightening. "Before you passed out," he said carefully, "you told Mike — the man who saved you — that the men who attacked you did it because of Winn. I thought..." he hesitated, guilt flickering across his face,

"I thought it was only wise to not inform him yet. Let’s make sure you’re strong before anything else."

Ivy shook her head weakly, strands of hair falling into her face. "No," she whispered. "He’ll think I left him. He’ll think I just—vanished. I have to tell him, Evans. Please. I have to call him. He has to know I didn’t—"

"You get better first, okay?" Evans said firmly. "We’ll figure everything out once you’re stable."

Ivy studied him then, her brows furrowing. "You didn’t answer my question."

Evans frowned, feigning ignorance. "Which one?"

"Why are you here?" she pressed.

Evans let out a slow breath, his eyes dark and distant. "Because," he said quietly, pulling up the chair beside her bed, "there’s nowhere else I’d rather be."

Ivy blinked, confusion softening into disbelief. "Why?" she whispered again.

Evans leaned forward. The tension in his shoulders eased just a little, but his next words carried a gravity that seemed to shift the entire room. "Because, Ivy..." He paused. "...you’re my niece."

Her breath caught.

He let out a shaky exhale, the confession finally freeing itself. "Your mother is my sister."

The room seemed to tilt. Ivy stared at him.

"That’s not... possible. My mother never mentioned you."

"It’s a long story," Evans began, rubbing his temple. "I assure you, you will have all the information as soon as you are strong enough." He tried to sound calm. "Your mother is undergoing surgery to reverse the effects of the stroke she had. The doctors say she’s responding well." He smiled faintly, as if offering her a sliver of light in the storm.

"She will be back to her former self soon, Ivy. And when she’s ready, she’ll tell you everything—about me, about the past, about why things had to be this way."

He watched her closely. "Mr Everest, please," she said. "I need to call Winn. He needs to know I’m alive. He needs to know I didn’t just leave him."

Evans’s face darkened with tension. "Ivy, please be reasonable. All of this—everything that happened to you—was because of your relationship with Winn. Someone wants to keep you both apart and has gone to great lengths to make sure the world believes you vanished. They branded you the runaway bride, Ivy." He took a step closer.

"If you reach out to him now, you’ll only draw more attention. You’ll put yourself back in danger."