Chapter 60

Evelina stood silently, her eyes sharp as daggers fixed upon Esme, radiating dominance without uttering a single word.

Under Evelina's intense scrutiny, Esme sat rigidly, barely daring to breathe, her knuckles pale from gripping the chair's armrests.

A heavy, oppressive silence lingered, thickening the tension in the air..

Esme finally cracked, her forehead glistening with nervous sweat. Unable to withstand the pressure any longer,she shifted uneasily.

"Well, get on with it-what are your three demands?" Evelina demanded, slicing through the silence.

Aurora's assistant had guessed correctly: Evelina's compassion was her greatest vulnerability, and she wouldn't forsake hundreds of innocent orphans.

"It didn't have to be this difficult," Esme said smugly, believing she'd finally gained the upper hand.

Evelina leaned closer, eyes glittering dangerously. "If you dare push this too far, Esme, that fifty million you invested will evaporate. And believe me, the Russell family won't hesitate to make your life miserable."

Though Evelina chose compromise, her threat was far from empty. She held enough influence to make Esme regret her actions deeply.

"Quit trying to intimidate me!" Esme spat, her voice shaking despite her defiant stance.

"I'm not bluffing. I pushed Aurora so hard she passed out, and the Marsh family still can't touch me-because I've got the Russell famnily behind me."

There was no way Esme had suddenly grown a backbone and a sharp mind overnight.

She'd clearly found a weak spot in the orphanage and used it well, which meant someone powerful had to be pulling the strings.

Only Aurora had the money and influence to go head-to-head with Evelina. Everything Evelina said was meant to push Esme, to see how she'd react.

Esme stumbled, failing Evelina's test spectacularly. "You're deluded! Ms. Marsh is engaged to Jasper Russell. If you upset her, the Russell family will crush you!"

But then, Esme paled considerably. Clearly, if the Russell family had intended to crush Evelina, the woman wouldn't be standing confidently before her.

Evelina scoffed at Esme's foolishness, "Did Aurora feed you that line? You've been tricked."

Esme's thoughts were a whirlwind, yet she managed to steady herself.

Regardless of whether Aurora had deceived her, Esme knew she had to maintain her stance.

"Firstly, repairing my relationship with Cary is essential. Thus, it's crucial that I be the one to save Margot."

Esme aimed to claim the credit for rescuing Margot, although the real effort would have to come from Evelina.

"Alright," Evelina answered, hoping Cary and Esme would keep their problems to themselves and not bother others.

"Secondly, I require that the Russell family fully absolve me of my deceit and not implicate the Gibson family."

Evelina paused before reluctantly saying, "Alright."

She considered Demi's advancing age and preferred not to burden her with the Gibson family's issues.

"Thirdly, I refuse to make a public apology at Landen's grave."

"That's out of the question!" Evelina interjected before she could continue.

"I'll provide you with a list of those impersonating you; isn't that sufficient? If you're that bored, chase them down!" Esme retorted in exasperation.

"I don't need your list to locate them. Both they and you will face consequences. That's final!" Evelina said firmly, making it clear there was no room for negotiation.

Esme had no other options left, so she replied, "Okay, I'Il apologize in private, but I won't go public in front of the media."

Evelina was resolute. "No, that's not acceptable. We can't negotiate on this. Incompetent doctors cause harm,and those who fake their credentials must face public consequJences."

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" Esme exclaimed.

Esme then adjusted her demand. "I secured the land rights for fifty million. You'll need to buy them back from me for one hundred million."

She added shamelessly, "Including the twenty million you took from me before, that makes one hundred and twenty million in total. Pay up!"

Was this just about the money?

Evelina, who had never entered a bad deal except during her brief marriage, wasn't bothered.

"Alright," Evelina responded. "You'll handle Cary's twenty million surgery fees. Plus, I'll sell you the video of you faking surgery for fifty million. Sounds fair,right?"

In the end, Evelina would only need to pay Esme fifty million, rendering her an ineffective broker who made no profit.

Seething with rage, Esme picked up a thermos from the desk and hurled it at Evelina.

Evelina caught the thermos with ease and unscrewed the cap, dousing Esme's hand with the hot water from within.

Esme screamed in pain, "Ah! It burns!"

Calmly replacing the thermos on the desk, Evelina's face was stern. "You need to settle your debt with Kamryn."

While the water wasn't as hot as what Esme had inflicted on Kamryn, pride prevented Esme from admitting it.

Reconsidering her stance, Esme said angrily, "Forget ourdeal. I'm evicting all the orphans immediately!"