Chapter 57

"What kind of gossip?" someone asked eagerly, leaning forward with undisguised curiosity.

Beatrice Waltham tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her lips curling into a knowing smile as her gaze settled on one person in particular. "This little tidbit involves... Mrs. Olivia Sinclair."

The room instantly hushed, all eyes turning toward Olivia, who sat poised among them. Olivia didn’t so much as flinch. She merely lifted her chin, her expression cool. "Oh? Something about me?"

Beatrice nodded, her eyes gleaming. "Exactly."

"It concerns you and Mr. Marcus Donovan’s goddaughter, Evelyn Hartley."

"What do you mean by it involves Evelyn?" Ethan Caldwell, seated beside Olivia, cut in sharply. The atmosphere grew tense, every ear straining to catch Beatrice’s next words. After all, until now, Evelyn had only ever been spoken of in glowing terms.

Beatrice savored the attention, straightening her posture as a sly smirk played on her lips. "I had a chat with Dylan Reeves. His uncle, who happens to be the chief of Cardiac Surgery at Grandview General Hospital, told him... Well, there isn’t a single doctor or intern by the name Hartley—or even Donovan—in that department."

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in before continuing, "And it’s not just the doctors—none of the nurses, either. But here’s the interesting part—there is a caregiver with the last name Donovan working there. Could that possibly be your goddaughter Evelyn, Mrs. Sinclair?"

"A caregiver? That can’t be right!" someone gasped, feigning shock.

"Absolutely preposterous," another murmured, though her eyes sparkled with scandalous delight.

"I overheard it myself in the hallway," Beatrice declared confidently, eager to cement the rumor. She had long resented Olivia, envying her marriage to Marcus, the respected head of the Donovan family, especially given Olivia’s well-known struggles with fertility. Beatrice, too, had faced similar struggles, but her husband had never let her forget it. Now, with the perfect opportunity to humiliate Olivia, she wasn’t about to let it slip away.

Yet, Olivia and Ethan remained unshaken, their expressions betraying nothing.

With false concern, Beatrice turned to Olivia, her voice dripping with faux sympathy. "Mrs. Sinclair, perhaps you could clarify this little... discrepancy?"

She gave a light, mocking laugh. "Of course, I’m sure you and Mr. Donovan would never deceive anyone. But could it be... your goddaughter has been less than truthful with you?"

Just then, Ethan spoke, his voice firm. "Evelyn hasn’t lied. She did start working in the Cardiac Surgery Department at Grandview General today."

Beatrice pressed a hand to her chest in mock surprise. "How strange! If that’s the case, why would the chief physician claim otherwise? Mr. Caldwell, perhaps it’s unwise to place such blind trust in her."

Her tone turned conspiratorial. "I fear her motives might not be as pure as you think."