Chapter 897

Evelyn Carter paused slightly as she stepped into the Anderson family villa.

During her last visit, this luxurious mansion had felt cold and empty like a showroom. Tonight was entirely different—warm golden light spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and faint laughter drifted from inside.

Alexander Hamilton stood beside her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Uncle Anderson," Evelyn nodded at Andrew Taylor who opened the door, "Sorry to disturb you so late."

Andrew's face still held traces of lingering joy. "Come in! Perfect timing for supper. I caught plenty of fish today—fresh as can be."

Alexander's stomach chose that moment to emit a quiet growl.

Evelyn couldn't suppress a small smile. She knew he'd barely eaten all evening but hadn't complained.

"You came at just the right time," Andrew rubbed his hands together, "So...do you play mahjong?"

A sudden cheer erupted from the side parlor.

"Mahjong!" Margaret Hamilton's voice rang out triumphantly.

Evelyn and Alexander exchanged glances before hurrying toward the sound.

Pushing open the parlor door, the scene before them made both freeze.

The mahjong tiles clattered as the machine shuffled them. Four elders sat around the table—Grace Anderson counting chips while Teresa Taylor handed Margaret tea. But most surprising was Baby Chloe sitting in an antique high chair, clutching half an orange with bright eyes watching the adults play.

That chair...

Evelyn's fingers trembled unconsciously.

"What's wrong?" Alexander murmured.

"This chair..." She stared at the carved patterns, "I think I've seen it before."

Teresa set down her tiles, eyes glistening. "Evelyn...this was yours when you were little."

She walked to a corner cabinet and retrieved a dust-covered photo frame.

The image showed a porcelain-skinned toddler sitting in the same high chair, grinning ear to ear. Behind the chair, a small boy's hand could barely be seen steadying it.

"This is..." Evelyn's throat tightened.

"Your hundredth-day celebration," Teresa's voice was feather-light. "Alexander had just learned to walk. The photographer had him stand behind to support you."

Alexander leaned closer to the photo and suddenly chuckled. "That's definitely my sleeve. Mom always loved dressing me in this bear-embroidered shirt."

Margaret wiped her eyes. "You were so well-behaved that day—no crying, just smiling at the camera. Alexander kept trying to shove toys into your hands."

Grace looked between the photo and Evelyn in astonishment. "You're the spitting image."

Andrew stood beside his wife, fingers tracing the frame's edge. "After you disappeared...we couldn't bear to display these photos. Too painful to look at, and afraid..."

His gaze flickered to Teresa's graying temples, leaving the thought unfinished.

Suddenly Evelyn understood why Teresa had seemed so familiar when they first met. These memories buried by time had always existed—just in another form.

Baby Chloe suddenly babbled excitedly, tiny hands slapping the chair's armrests. Orange juice splattered her rosy cheeks, mirroring the cake-smeared toddler in the photo.

With a decisive click, the mahjong machine began dealing a new round.