Margaret Blackwood shivered at Theodore Vance's tone.

"What are you implying, Mr. Vance?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Had she misread the situation?

Did Theodore Vance not harbor any genuine feelings for Evelyn?

Were her actions tonight the reason for his cold fury?

A flicker of panic crossed Margaret's face.

Theodore's lips curved into a faint, chilling smile.

"How do you plan to fix this with Evelyn?" he inquired.

He exhaled slowly, his expression icy and unreadable.

"Evelyn is precious to me. I would never intentionally harm her."

"Yet tonight, you drugged her. You made her fear me."

"What punishment do you think is fitting for that?"

Margaret's entire body trembled with dread.

She never imagined Theodore would go to such lengths to protect Evelyn.

"You can't blame me entirely, Mr. Vance. I was trying to assist you," Margaret argued, biting her lip.

"I recall you wanted to drive a wedge between Evelyn and Alexander, to end their marriage."

"With that goal, I devised a plan. It brings you closer to Evelyn while pushing them toward separation."

"Don't you think it's an effective strategy?"

Tears welled in her eyes as she observed Theodore's stony expression.

"If I hadn't taken action, given Alexander's stubborn nature, he would never let Evelyn go," she pressed on.

Theodore's eyes filled with contempt, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"He's a cripple. How is he worthy of keeping her?"

Shocked, Margaret exclaimed, "That's the crucial point! Alexander isn't disabled! He's been pretending all these years!"

Theodore's expression darkened instantly upon hearing this.

"You're telling me Alexander's disability is a fraud?"

The revelation stunned Theodore.

So, Alexander Blackwood was not actually crippled.

As Theodore's attention shifted to Alexander, Margaret seized the opportunity to explain further.

"I was at The Regal Crestwood earlier. I saw Alexander rushing to Evelyn's aid."

"He was walking perfectly, without any wheelchair."

"When I confronted him, he admitted the truth himself."

Margaret's voice brimmed with righteous anger.

"For years, Alexander has pretended to be disabled. It shows how deceitful he is."

"He played this role to lower my guard, to compete with my son for the family fortune."

"He might already be more powerful than we anticipated."

Her anxiety grew as she spoke.

"Now that Alexander has developed genuine feelings for Evelyn, he becomes a direct threat to you."

"You must be extremely careful."

Margaret offered a placating smile.

"Believe me, my intentions are to support you."

"The incident tonight was merely a miscalculation on my part."

"From now on, I will be more cautious."

Theodore was deeply unsettled by the news that Alexander's disability was a sham.

Had Alexander really been using this lie to gain Evelyn's sympathy all along?

What a despicable man.

Yet, Theodore still did not consider Alexander a significant threat.

"He may not be disabled, but he remains an insignificant fool in my eyes," Theodore said coldly.

"Alexander is simply not deserving of Evelyn."