Isabella's thoughts were a frantic whirlwind.

How was this possible?

Since when could Alexander afford such extravagant presents?

He was supposed to be a worthless cripple.

Evelyn stared at Alexander, utterly stunned.

Her hand trembled slightly as she reached out, her fingers brushing his sleeve.

"Alexander," she whispered, her voice low and urgent. "Tell me this is all real."

He wouldn't... he couldn't have brought fake items just to save face in front of her old classmates, could he?

A faint, knowing smile touched Alexander's lips as he heard the worry in her voice.

"Every single item is authentic," he assured her, his tone firm. "My purpose here is to ensure no one ever dares to humiliate you again."

Evelyn's confusion only deepened.

"What have you found out?"

It suddenly made sense.

His perfectly timed arrival.

The lavish gifts.

Seeing the dawningprehension on her face, Alexander's brow furrowed slightly.

"Why are you so surprised?" he asked softly. "You were the one who invited me, weren't you?"

Her mind went blank.

"What? No, I didn't. When did I invite you?"

Given his condition, she would never have asked him to make such an effort for a simple class reunion.

It was just a casual gathering.

Nothing more.

Alexander's expression darkened instantly, sensing something was wrong.

His voice dropped to a serious, low pitch.

"You sent me a text message. About an hour ago."

"A text?" Evelyn was shocked. "I haven't even looked at my phone all night."

She let out a nervous laugh, trying to dismiss the absurdity.

"Unless I texted you in my sleep?"

She quickly pulled out her phone, scrolling through her messages.

She showed him the screen.

"Look. There's nothing here. No sent messages."

Alexander's face became grim.

Wordlessly, he retrieved his own phone and displayed the message he had received.

The screen read: "I'm in trouble! Come quickly!"

Beneath it were the address and private room number for The Oakwood Manor.

Evelyn waspletely flabbergasted.

She checked his phone, then hers again.

"That's impossible," she insisted, her voice firm. "I swear to you, I did not send that."

Alexander's voice was calm but held a steely resolve.

"I came here immediately because of that message. My only concern was your safety."

The truth was now painfully clear.

This was a setup.

Evelyn quickly connected the dots.

Her gaze snapped towards Rebecca.

She turned to face Rebecca, her expression turning icy.

"Rebecca," Evelyn's voice was sharp with accusation. "Explain yourself. Why would you do this?"

Rebecca flinched, caught off guard.

Panic flashed across her features.

"What are you talking about? I haven't done anything! Evelyn, don't you dare accuse me without proof!"

A murmur rippled through the gathered classmates.

"Evelyn, what's going on?"

Evelyn stood up, her posture rigid with contempt.

"Accuse you? Look at who's been orchestrating this entire scene. Rebecca, it takes real audacity to use my phone to send a fake distress signal."

Rebecca's face paled significantly.

Her voice rose, shrill and defensive.

"This is ridiculous! I have no idea what you're talking about! You can't just blame me! Where's your evidence? Maybe your phone sent it by itself! What does any of this have to do with me?"