Derek's mother sat in her bedroom, staring at her phone. Her heart pounded as she scrolled through the countless files and messages Derek had left. Everything was there—recordings, texts, videos—each one unraveling the lies she had believed. It felt like a nightmare she couldn't wake from.

She had trusted Michael and loved him like a son, but now she felt foolish. Unable to stay still, she rose and paced, her fury growing with every step. How had she been so blind? How had she let Michael manipulate her for so many years? How had she been so gullible as not to see through Sandra? Every conversation, every lie felt like a dagger. Her thoughts raced: How could she have been so cruel to Evelyn? How could she have pushed away her own son, siding with Michael while Evelyn—the mother of her granddaughter—suffered?

Just then, the bedroom door creaked open, and her husband entered, concern etched on his face. "I guess you've seen everything," he said, his voice steady, but his eyes scanned her tense figure. She continued pacing, her eyes wild with disbelief.

"I can't believe it," she said, her voice trembling. "I can't believe Michael has been playing me for years! How could I have been so blind? How could I have let this go on right under my nose?"

Her husband sighed and approached her, hands outstretched. "Relax, dear. He fooled us all. Don't let this get the better of you. We'll figure it out," he said softly.

"Relax?" she almost screamed, stepping back. "How can I relax when I've been an idiot? I've been fighting with my own son because of Michael! I believed everything Michael and Sandra told me. And now look where we are! I almost forced Derek into marrying that witch!"

Her husband nodded patiently. "I get it. You feel betrayed. You believed Michael because he's your nephew. You loved him like your own son."

Mrs. Stone shook her head violently. "No! That's not an excuse! I should have seen through him! I should have known!" She threw her hands up, pacing again. "I'm not going to let this slide. I'm going to deal with him! I'm going to deal with those two shameless animals! I'm going to confront him tonight!"

Her husband quickly moved to her side, gently taking her arm. "No. You can't do that."

She whipped her head around. "Why not? What are we waiting for?"

"I don't think it's time yet," he said quietly. "Let's think this through. If you confront him now, you'll only tip him off. We need to be smart. We don't know how far they're willing to go."

"So, what? We should let them continue? For how long? I'm not interested in playing games. I want to handle this right now!"

Before he could respond, her phone rang. The shrill sound cut through the tension. She looked at the screen, her face twisting with anger when she saw it was Michael. "Answer it calmly," her husband urged. "We need to be careful."

She hesitated, then took a deep breath, accepting the call and placing it on speakerphone.

"Hello, Aunt," Michael's smooth voice came through. "I just wanted to thank you again for dinner. And I wanted to let you know I've dropped Sandra off, and I just got home." Mrs. Stone clenched her jaw. "That's good," she forced out, trying to keep her tone even.

Michael continued, his voice too casual. "Also, I hope you'll forget everything we discussed at dinner. I really don't want to get Evelyn arrested, Aunt. I know she hurt me, but she's not worth it."

"Why not?" Mrs. Stone asked, her voice sharp.

There was a pause, then Michael spoke again, with false humility. "I'm ashamed to admit it, but I still have feelings for her. I just want to move on now that I understand why she did what she did. Let's just leave it in the past. I want her out of our lives for good. That way, I can really move on." Mrs. Stone shot a glance at her husband, who nodded subtly.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "If that's what you want, I'll let it go. But I'm only doing this for your sake, you know that."

Michael let out a breath. "Thank you, Aunt. I appreciate it."

The call ended. A heavy silence fell. Mrs. Stone lowered the phone, her hands shaking. Had she not seen Derek's evidence, she would have fallen for Michael's lies again. How could Michael be so deceptive?

Her husband stepped closer. "I know you're upset, but you need to calm down. Michael is family, and for that reason, we can't act rashly."

She turned to him. "Why doesn't he want me to investigate what happened?"

"That's because he's worried the truth might be revealed if you look too deep. Do you see now?" he asked softly.

She stared at the phone. "First thing in the morning, I'm going to visit the hotel and look into this," she said firmly.

Her husband frowned. "Are you sure? You don't need to get involved. Derek and I will handle it."

But she shook her head. "No. I've let Michael make a fool of me for long enough. I need to see the truth for myself."

The next morning, having reviewed the evidence, Mrs. Stone stood before the hotel. The receptionist, after a brief wait, brought out a young man.

"I need to confirm an incident that took place last Thursday night," she said, calmly but firmly. After describing Derek's account of a woman taking an unconscious woman to a suite, the receptionist nodded. "Yes, I remember."

"Can you tell me the name of the person who booked the suite? Male or female?" The man hesitated.

"Actually, a man booked the suite," he said. "But the unconscious lady arrived first, took the key, and was later joined by the man."

"So, Evelyn didn't book the suite," she said.

"No, ma'am. The man booked it. They both paid me and asked me to use the woman's name on the registration."

Mrs. Stone's breath caught. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," he replied. "You can check the CCTV; I made sure it was recorded."

"Why did you do that? Did Evelyn ask you?"

"No, ma'am. Mr. Derek Stone was here. He helped her carry the unconscious lady inside. He said someone might ask questions, and I should show them the evidence."

Mrs. Stone thanked the receptionist and left. As she stepped into the sunlight, her phone buzzed—it was the lab.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice shaky.

"Mrs. Stone, the results are out," the voice said.

"And? What does it say?"

"It's a match."

The weight of the truth crashed down on her. This, along with the hotel receptionist's testimony and the phone evidence, confirmed Derek's story and Michael's lies. Nephew or not, she would deal with him. But first, she needed to see Evelyn.