Chapter 555 No One Cares
Seeing the two of them nestled together so lovingly, Ulysses felt a wave of emotions but ultimately let go.
After all, they had spent their entire lives trying to ensure Evelyn's happiness.
And that happiness shouldn't be measured by others but chosen and decided by her.
Now, after all she's been through, she has chosen Edward without hesitation. If they were to forcibly take away Evelyn's love, that would be truly heartless and would destroy her happiness.
"Gilbert has been secretly manipulating and controlling Jessica. At that dinner party, we pressured her to confess, but even then, she didn't reveal Gilbert."
Edward's eyes darkened. "I think it's not that she's particularly loyal to Gilbert, but that she genuinely doesn't know who is behind her, giving her advice and directing her."
Evelyn nodded in agreement.
Eric's eyes were bloodshot with anger, his hands trembling as he clenched them tightly on his knees. "Edward, Evelyn, I'm sorry. It's my fault and my mother's for spoiling Jessica too much, making her so obsessive!"
"Eric, don't say that. This isn't your fault," Edward said gently.
"A perfectly good person, and she chose to be Gilbert's lapdog!"
Eric slammed his fist on the coffee table, cracking a ceramic cup. "If she wants to follow Gilbert so badly, I'll kick her over there and let her lick his boots all she wants!"
Evelyn bit her lip, unsure how to comfort him.
After all, having someone as despicable as Jessica in the family was truly unfortunate.
"Oh, I'm not trying to be harsh, but just look at Sarah's looks. You can tell Gilbert has taste and an eye for beauty."
Ulysses crossed his arms and leaned back on the sofa. "With Jessica's appearance, even if she went to him, Gilbert wouldn't give her a second glance."
"I think that woman named Sarah is probably a tool Gilbert keeps around for transactions. After all, there's a lot of filth and corruption in those high society circles."
Evelyn looked at the photo of the woman who resembled her, her eyes darkening. "This woman must have been with Gilbert for quite some time. Her face is likely something Gilbert meticulously crafted for her. Their relationship must be quite special. I think Miss Morgan knows a lot of Gilbert's secrets."
Eric's jaw dropped, his limits once again shattered. "Oh my God, Gilbert couldn't have Evelyn, so he kept a woman who looks like her to satisfy his twisted desires? So this Sarah is basically Evelyn's..."
"Stand-in."
Edward was stunned, his anger boiling over.
Thinking of Gilbert keeping that woman as a stand-in for Evelyn, using her in the shadows as a sexual fantasy, all his unfulfilled desires and love for Evelyn being vented on that stand-in!
He felt a wave of nausea and pulled Evelyn closer.
Evelyn couldn't help but gag. "He's disgusting. But even as a stand-in, he doesn't deserve her!"
Ulysses continued, "I've been following them to Taypira, watching them enter a hidden private club. The club has a password-protected entrance and strict membership rules. To avoid alerting them, I didn't go in."
"Taypira? A club?"
Edward wasn't familiar with such places, and Evelyn, not being from Mugden, was even less so.
So, they both looked at Eric.
"Are you talking about... the Rose Club?" Eric asked tentatively.
"Bingo! Mr. Clark, the expert on the high life!" Ulysses snapped his fingers playfully.
Eric's expression soured. It didn't sound like a compliment.
He regretted his past wild ways, but the stigma was hard to shake.
"I've already checked the system. The owner behind the Rose Club is Gilbert."
Ulysses' brows furrowed. "Not only does he frequent the place, but he also has close ties with many high-ranking officials in Mugden."
"The Rose Club appears to be a club, but it's actually a place for power and sex transactions, a hub for political and business collusion. Gilbert is essentially a pimp."
"Are you serious? You used your agency's system for this?"
Evelyn's eyes widened. "Ulysses, don't risk your career for this. It's not worth it!"
"Evelyn, for you, what isn't worth it?"
Ulysses' deep eyes narrowed as he leaned over and gently took Evelyn's hand. "Don't worry, using it occasionally isn't a big deal. Besides, I don't want to waste any more time on Gilbert. I want to help you solve this problem quickly."
Not for him, but for you...
Edward was moved, his throat tight with emotion.
Evelyn's eyes reddened, her fingers curling in Ulysses' palm. "Ulysses... thank you so much."
"I know you want your family to know that Edward was framed by Gilbert, and you want Charlie to know that this guy is actually innocent." Ulysses glanced at Edward with a cold snort.
Evelyn frowned. "Ulysses!"
"Edward is devoted to Ms. Taylor, and he won't marry anyone but Evelyn. No matter her status, as long as it's Evelyn, he doesn't care! Haha!" Eric laughed heartily, slapping Edward on the shoulder.
The air suddenly grew quiet, as if crows were flying by.
Evelyn lowered her eyes. "Eric, you sure know how to lighten the mood. Next time, don't."
Eric instantly fell silent.
"Since this woman is important to Gilbert, we shouldn't act rashly. It's best to monitor her every move," Edward suggested seriously.
"Monitoring isn't enough."
Evelyn's mind was a step ahead. "We need to bring Sarah over to our side. Investigate her, understand her, and then win her over."
Edward couldn't hide his concern. "Evelyn, that might be difficult. Gilbert has been in Aurora Isle for fifteen years. If he didn't have loyal followers, his power wouldn't have grown so much. That woman knows she's your stand-in and that Gilbert is using her, yet she still stays with him. Their relationship might be hard to break."
"Why can't it be broken?"
Evelyn's meaningful gaze fell on Ulysses. "Ulysses can handle Sarah. That night, she came to kill Ulysses, armed and dangerous, determined to end him. But in the end, she betrayed Gilbert and let him go. She must have feelings for Ulysses. If that's the case, Ulysses seducing her could be the key to breaking this."
Edward and Eric swallowed nervously.
They both thought Ulysses would be angry, but instead, he raised an eyebrow with interest, a mischievous smile on his lips.
"Alright, let me see what Sarah's made of."
"Evelyn, isn't this too dangerous?"
Edward couldn't help but worry. "That woman failed last time, but she'll definitely try again. She's under Gilbert's control and could use any vile means. We can't guard against everything."
Before Evelyn could speak, Ulysses scoffed, a wild and arrogant smile on his handsome face. "Hmph, the person who can kill me hasn't been born yet!"
...
"Ah—!"
Heart-wrenching screams echoed from the dark, damp basement of the Rose Club, making even the guards at the door frown.
Inside, the scene was even more horrifying.
Sarah's wrists were shackled, her body suspended in mid-air, wearing only a thin, nearly transparent lace nightgown. The pure white silk was almost entirely stained with blood.
Gilbert, exhausted from beating her, slumped lazily on the sofa, tossing the whip to Curtis and downing a glass of red wine.
"Mr. Alexander... I..." Curtis held the whip, his hand trembling.
"What, feeling sorry for her?"
Gilbert's lips curled into a cruel, bloodthirsty smile. Behind his blood-splattered glasses, his eyes gleamed with a terrifying light. "Or do you want the same fate as her?"
Curtis had no choice but to grip the whip, gritting his teeth as he approached the battered Sarah.
"Ms. Morgan... please bear with it. Mr. Alexander's orders, I..."
Sarah struggled to breathe, lifting her heavy eyelids. "Don't hold back... hit me to death... better yet... just kill me... No one cares anyway..."
Her words reached Gilbert's ears, and he suddenly seemed to snap, rising in a fury!
He strode over and shoved Curtis aside, then viciously grabbed Sarah by the throat!
"It seems you've fallen for that Ulysses."
Gilbert's eyes blazed with rage, his fingers tightening around her neck. "Are you resisting me with this passive attitude? The Sarah who would do anything to survive now wants to die? Sarah, your life belongs to me. Only I can decide your fate. Not even you have the right to choose!"
Sarah's eyes fluttered shut, her face turning from red to purple like a withering rose.
In the past, she would have explained to Gilbert.
She loved no one else. Since that fateful glimpse at fifteen, her heart had belonged to the man who now wanted to kill her, her Gilbert.
But now, she felt that explaining was a futile joke.
Even if she could clarify that night with Ulysses and the stomach medicine he gave her, which Gilbert had thrown into the fire.
She couldn't explain away the tender, romantic kiss they shared.
Curtis was terrified. "Mr. Alexander! Please, calm down! You'll strangle Ms. Morgan!"
"She dared to betray me and get involved with Ulysses. Doesn't she deserve to die?" Gilbert roared.
"Ms. Morgan has used her charms to solve so many problems for you over the years. This time, it's just the same tactic!"
Curtis, having worked with Sarah for years, had some affection for her and racked his brain to defend her. "And Ulysses is the hardest of the Taylor family heirs to deal with! Now that Miss Morgan has made a good impression on him and can get close to him, we won't have trouble finding a chance to take him out!"
This seemed to snap Gilbert out of it.
His violent eyes darkened, and his grip on her neck loosened slightly.
"Ms. Morgan! Stop being stubborn and apologize to Mr. Alexander!" Curtis urged.
"I'm sorry."
Sarah suddenly let out a bloody laugh, her whole being shattered and desolate. "But Gilbert... what exactly am I sorry for? I've done everything you asked. You never cared about me, and I accepted that. What else am I sorry for? Tell me, say it!"
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