Isabella jolted.

Her face lost all color in an instant, consumed by sheer panic.

The man standing before her was unmistakably Alexander's personal assistant.

A cold dread washed over her.

She couldn't bring herself to look at him. Her eyes darted nervously to the polished floor. "I... I was merely passing through."

Her voice was a fragile whisper.

Her head remained bowed, a defensive shield against his probing gaze.

Even to her own ears, the excuse sounded hollow and weak. The thought of being discovered now, after everything, made her feel sick.

The unshakable trust Alexander placed in Evelyn only amplified her terror.

Isabella's mind scrambled for an escape route. The urge to run was overwhelming.

"Please, you must let me pass. I have other patients waiting," she insisted, her voice trembling as she fought to sound professional.

The assistant's eyes narrowed. A deep sense of unease settled in his gut. Something was very wrong.

With the surgical mask obscuring most of her face, he didn't immediately connect her to the nurse who had confronted Evelyn outside Alexander's ward earlier.

"Your behavior is highly suspicious," he stated, his tone turning stern. "Explain your presence here."

His voice was sharp, his stance immovable. He blocked her path completely.

Isabella flinched at his authoritative tone. Her body went rigid with fear. A hot flush of panic spread across her cheeks, and tears of desperation welled in her eyes.

"Why are you accusing me? I told you, I was just walking by!" Isabella cried out.

She instantly adopted the tone of a victim. She played the innocence card without hesitation, hoping to divert his suspicion.

Nearby, Evelyn and Alexander heard the escalating confrontation and moved to investigate.

"What is the meaning of this?" Evelyn asked, her gaze sweeping over the tense scene.

The assistant never took his eyes off Isabella. "Mr. Blackwood, Mrs. Blackwood. This woman was acting strangely. I believe she was eavesdropping."

"That's a lie! You're fabricating stories!" Isabella snapped back, her voice shrill.

Evelyn studied the nurse's face intently. The moment their eyes met, recognition flashed.

"It's her!" Evelyn exclaimed, pointing directly at Isabella. "The nurse who delivered the medication from the pharmacy earlier!"

Alexander's expression transformed instantly upon hearing this. A dangerous darkness clouded his features.

Isabella saw the shift and knew she was in grave danger. She turned to flee.

But the assistant was faster. His hand shot out, clamping around her wrist like a vise. "So it was you! You're the one who tried to harm Mrs. Blackwood!" he growled, his grip tightening.

In one brutal motion, he tore the mask from her face.

Her identity was laid bare.

His eyes widened in recognition. "You!"

Evelyn's eyes narrowed, a frown etching onto her face as she watched Isabella's panic. "You're the nurse Theodore ejected from the ward days ago. And the one who accused me of eavesdropping this morning. You've been holding a grudge. You intentionally switched the medication with poison, didn't you?"

Before Isabella could form a reply, Alexander's anger erupted.

"This fool caused the commotion at my door this morning?" Alexander's voice was dangerously low, his gaze cutting toward his assistant. "Why was I not informed immediately that my wife was being harassed?"

"My deepest apologies, Mr. Blackwood. That oversight is entirely my responsibility," the assistant replied, bowing his head in remorse.

Evelyn gently placed a hand on Alexander's arm. "It's alright. The incident this morning seemed trivial. I didn't think it warranted concern. How could I have known this nurse harbored such bitterness toward me?"

Isabella watched Evelyn's calm composure, and her own frustration boiled over.

All pretense vanished. Isabella shot Evelyn a look of pure venom.

"Evelyn! You shameless whore! You deserve this! This is your karma for being a cheating slut!" she spat, her voice dripping with hatred.