The recording ended. But the nightmare hadn't.
"But they found me," Rowan smiled, a bleak, desolate expression. "When I was planning to take my savings and Sunny to leave the Vance family, to get justice for Lydia... I got into a car accident."
Her words dropped like a bomb in the room.
Blanche's recent imprisonment was tied to hiring a hitman against Rowan, and now the two events connected perfectly.
It was never just about the antique shop Rowan owned. It was about silencing her to keep the truth buried.
Smack!
By the time anyone realized what was happening, a sharp slap echoed through the room.
Raelynn had shoved Julian aside, her eyes bloodshot. She raised her hand and struck Sylvia across the face with such brutal force that the older woman immediately collapsed to the floor.
A trail of blood seeped from the corner of Sylvia's mouth.
Raelynn's chest heaved. Her last shred of sanity snapped. Without a single word, she grabbed Sylvia's blocking hand and slapped her again, her face cold and relentless.
Her throat felt paralyzed. She was so consumed by rage she couldn't even force out a curse.
She could only mechanically, repeatedly vent her suffocating hatred.
Sylvia was completely defenseless. She took the beating until Raelynn's own hands were red and swollen.
Sebastian walked over and wrapped a firm hand around her wrist, gently pulling her back. Raelynn's legs gave out, her body too exhausted to stand. He slid an arm around her waist, letting her limp frame rest against his chest.
Raelynn couldn't even register who was holding her.
Every ounce of agony she had endured was brutally exposed in this very moment.
Both of her mothers had been secretly poisoned by this woman—one dead, one severely injured. And she herself had lost everything as a child, tossed into some remote, impoverished town to fend for herself, barely surviving the isolation.
The truth sent a bone-deep chill through her.
It shattered whatever control she had left.
Everything finally connected.
She had guessed the past wasn't simple. But she never imagined it was this severe.
Severe enough to involve murder. Severe enough that Rowan actually possessed the smoking gun to destroy everything.
She had thought cutting ties with Sylvia now—before things hit the point of no return—would be enough to secure her own position.
But now...
Dr. Evelyn Hayes clutched her chest, collapsing back into her chair.
It was too cruel. The truth made the grief even more excruciating.
Her sweet, wonderful Lydia had lost her life in such a horrific way...
Rowan watched the frantic Quentin and let out a manic, mocking laugh at his belated regret and deep devotion. "Quentin, what right do you have to put on this show? Didn't you enable all of this?"
Rowan's deliberate, vindictive verbal stab made Quentin freeze completely.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Boss, Your Wife Signed the Divorce Agreement Before the Wedding
I think for as slow as the beginning was, their turning point is just so fast... really hope we actually get to read about R and S and their rekindle.... we did not read 950 pages for their story to be sidelined. Im for this sideline story, but it if it's to separate from the main characters and their story, please make it separate book....
Author please update more chapters...
I really like Zella, she is becoming a good friend to Raelynn. Ian needs to go. The relationship with Chloe is confusing. Some chapters they are cousins, sometimes they're sibling. A little confusing....
Julians role as big brother- I feel comes from a genuine place, but in a relationship thats is just as stained as Raelynns and Sebastians. It hard for me to connect to his big brother role as he too was such a problem before. And while they talked a little bit, the conversation did not give me the believe there was resolution between Raelynn and Julian. For a brute, he should make his feelings clear about the situation to Raelynn and then step back, until there is more foundation for him to stand on....
Knife in my heart. I hurt for Raelynn. She has made it this far, but how much does she have in her, everyone has a breaking point. Some back of me hopes the author is joking to lighten the mood after so many intense chapters, but thats not this kind of story or couple....
My heart cannot take this. This, cannot be how it ends with these too. They need resolution with each other. Raelynn needs to be more humanize with Sebastian. We know she is hurt, but this is the branch. She needs all these answers, if not for them to be together, then for Lily to have both her parents. Stop with the mind games Raelynn!...
Its like the story is just repeating itself...
Timeline is getting lost for me. So many treasured little memories Raelynn has but yet, he was gone for years ? Anyways... still rooting for them! These two need a heart to heart. Lily "forgetting" someone, not possible in this day and age and I hope thats not their storyline....
Sebastian, the man of few words.... needs to find all the words! Needs to fight for her! On note, seven years seems like a long time for this master plan (which I am sure goes back much farther). Rereading this novel, and it seems like everything has played out in a 5-8 month time span. And I feel like all Sebastian's doings/ plan have not been revealed. I hope we get to see the whole picture and have the resolutions we hope. But seven years of mistreatment, I just don't see Raelynn fully coming back. If these was 2-3 years, maybe, and I know it changes some characters around, but it would still work. Rooting for them!...
Literally on edge!...