"I did not sleep with him! The photo was probably—"
PAK!
Evelyn's words hung in the air, unfinished, as her father's hand connected with her cheek. The sharp slap echoed through the hall, leaving everyone momentarily stunned. The maids, pretending to be busy with their chores, paused to watch. Some smirked, believing Evelyn deserved it after last night's scandal. Others, especially the older staff, pitied her.
Evelyn's life had never been that of a pampered princess, contrary to the image her parents projected to the world. In reality, she was treated more like Cinderella—barely acknowledged by her father and secretly loathed by her stepmother. And now, her situation had crumbled further since that maid's shocking confession.
Six months ago, Belly, a former maid had appeared at their door with Annabelle by her side. Everyone recognized Belly instantly; she had been kicked out of the house for trying to pin her accidental pregnancy from her adulterous affairs on William. Driven by revenge, Belly claimed to have swapped the babies in the hospital, leading her daughter to live a life of luxury while she tormented the true heiress.
Belly added that her karma had caught up with her in the form of incurable cancer, prompting her to come clean after 25 damn years. As suspicious as it sounded, DNA tests confirmed her story to be true. Annabelle was indeed the real daughter of the Wright family, and Evelyn was declared fake.
"We are ashamed to even acknowledge that we have raised you all these years!" Sophia spat, her voice dripping with disappointment. Fake tears glistened in her eyes, fueling the farce. Evelyn scoffed at her words and tried to fight back her tears as her father glared at her.
"Please don't be mad at her, papa," Annabelle mumbled from the couch, her left leg in a cast and her right hand bandaged. "Maybe she was drunk, and Uncle Nicholas took advantage of her. Maybe—"
"You will marry Nicholas Blake this weekend. Prepare for the wedding," William interrupted, sending another shockwave through the room. As Evelyn looked at him, hurt evident in her eyes, he continued, "Even Elder Blake believes this is the best way to salvage our reputation."
William referred to Vincent's grandfather, Edmund Blake, who was very fond of Evelyn. While her parents claimed to still treat her as their daughter just to maintain their 'humble' reputation, Edmund believed Evelyn to be as innocent as Annabelle. He even insisted on resuming her marriage arrangements with Vincent, and somewhere Evelyn knew his firm stance was the root cause of the recent scandal, orchestrated to dig more dirt on her.
"You have caused enough chaos, Evelyn. You destroyed everything I've built over the years in just a few months," William added, referring to the scandals that erupted after her true identity was revealed. New articles accusing her of abusing employees, seducing shareholders, and plotting against her father for the CEO position circulated weekly.
"This is the least you can do for us," William continued, his tone firm, devoid of any kind of empathy.
Evelyn suppressed a bitter laugh, mocking herself for ever thinking that though he acted indifferent, he still loved her secretly as other dads did. The scandal of her true identity had indeed been a slap for all such delusions, waking her up to the reality that she had been just a cherished pawn in his business.
Before Evelyn could muster a response, a voice echoed from upstairs. "No! She won't marry that useless jerk!"
It was Elias Wright, her seventeen-year-old stepbrother and the only person who truly acted like a family. In his school uniform, backpack slung casually over one shoulder, he descended the stairs, his tousled blonde hair bouncing with each step.
"Elias, stay out of the elders' affairs," Sophia snapped, grabbing his arm to guide him toward the door. Her plans were finally falling into place, and she couldn't let her own son trample on them.
But Elias ignored his mother, effortlessly breaking free to stand beside Evelyn. If anyone had the nerve to glare at William, it was Elias, and he did so now, his deep brown eyes ablaze with rebellion.
"What else do you think is the best way to clean up her mess?" William demanded, frustration evident in his voice.
"You could clear it up by investigating the rumors properly and holding a press conference," Elias suggested, making Sophia grit her teeth. "But if you're more worried about your partnership with the Blakes," he turned to Annabelle, and added, "you could marry her off to him. She's your real daughter anyway."
Annabelle, who had been silently relishing the drama until now, shivered at her younger brother's gaze. Fear flickered across her face, lips pressed into a thin line at his remark. Marry a rotten deadbeat? No, never, even if her sponsor paid her millions!
Sophia's face twisted in anger at his words. "Elias, you don't understand—"
"Eli, wait for me in the car," Evelyn intervened, cutting off her stepmother.
"No, I—"
"Elias. Now." Evelyn's commanding tone and icy glare left Elias huffing in frustration before he stormed out of the house.
Annabelle sneered at Elias's departure, while Sophia watched with a troubled expression. Her bratty son never listened to anyone, not even his father, except Evelyn. He was like her lapdog, and that terrified her the most.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again," Evelyn's voice drew back everyone's attention. As they looked at her, she continued, "I did not sleep with him, nor did I meet him that night. Give me a day or two to find the culprit and clear this mess."
Sophia's heart raced as Evelyn locked eyes with her as if warning her to be ready for a surprise. This girl was more resilient than she had anticipated!
"But if you can't wait," Turning to Annabelle, Evelyn continued, "you can follow Eli's suggestion and marry your real daughter to him." With that, she bowed slightly to William and walked out.
Fuming with rage, William kicked the glass table in front of him, sending tea cups clattering to the floor. He pulled out his phone and dialed his assistant, storming into his study.
"Oh my goodness!" Annabelle gasped as he left before bursting into laughter, dropping her innocent act. She glanced at Sophia, and teased, "Trust me, this is more entertaining than any movies I have acted in."
As Sophia glared back, Annabelle, or rather Laila, couldn't resist teasing further. "So, what's your plan B now?" Faking a gasp, she mused in a low voice, "Don't tell me, you're planning to murder her too."
Sophia gritted her teeth as Annabelle innocently blinked at her. This woman's loose tongue would ruin their plans someday!
"Go to your room!" Sophia screamed, her voice echoing through the halls and reaching even the maids hiding in the kitchen.
"Bruh, you are no fun!" Annabelle muttered, grabbing her crutch. She stood from the couch, and sarcastically added, "Yes, Mom," before pretending to hobble her way upstairs.
Liked it? Don't forget to add the book to your library \^o^/
Evelyn navigated the bustling streets of Vespera City, stealing glances at Elias in the passenger seat. He wore headphones and a grim expression, clearly pissed off.
Growing up, Evelyn had always been her parents' least favored child, a convenient target for their frustrations. But things slowly changed when Elias turned six and began shielding her from their wrath, even to the extent of bearing their blows. And he had never once given up on that role.
To Elias, it didn't matter if Evelyn was his biological sister or not. Despite their eight-year age gap and step-sibling status, she had showered him with the love their parents hadn't. He would stand for her even if the world accused her of wrong. But the problem was she still treated him like a kid, despite his now imposing physique.
Evelyn's eyes lit up as she spotted his favorite ice cream shop. Slowly navigating through the traffic, she parked the car nearby.
"I'll be late for my first class," Elias grumbled. His school was just two streets away, but even sprinting wouldn't get him there on time.
"My little brother is angry," Evelyn commented, unbuckling her seatbelt. "How can I send him to school like this?" Ruffling his hair, she added, "Let me make it up to you with your favorite ice cream."
Elias scoffed, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. He couldn't stay mad at her, especially when she was being so kind, allowing him to skip school for the day. They entered the shop together, and the bell above the door tinkled merrily.
The sweet aroma of freshly made waffles enveloped them, instantly lifting their mood. Elias settled into a chair near the glass wall, granting them a view of the bustling street outside. Meanwhile, Evelyn placed their order at the counter. Despite the early hour, a few other customers occupied the tables as the shop's popularity made securing seats a challenge in the evening.
Evelyn returned with a tray, and as they enjoyed the fresh ice cream, Elias couldn't resist asking about last night. He had missed the party to attend a school competition in Velara city, arriving home late to hear the rumors. "Did you really push that voodoo doll?"
"What do you think?" Evelyn replied nonchalantly, scooping a spoonful of chocolate sundae into her mouth.
"You would never," Elias murmured with a scowl. As much as he wished to see her beat that rat into a pulp, Evelyn would rather tolerate than entertain Annabelle's tricks.
"At least that loser finally dropped his act," Elias added, referring to Vincent. It had pained him to see her suffer, locking herself in her room for weeks as that jerk started acting differently ever since the birth swap news. And William had declined her pleas to break off the engagement for business reasons, leaving the power solely in Vincent's hands.
Evelyn shrugged, her expression wavering slightly at his mention. She had truly loved Vincent for four years, and his betrayal had shattered her heart. But now, she was eager to watch him make a clown out of himself when Annabelle showed her true colors. That would be the best show to watch with some cold drinks!
As they enjoyed their ice cream and engaged in light banter, a little girl suddenly approached their table.
"Can I sit here?" she asked, looking up at them adorably with two cups of ice cream in her hands. The girl was cute, with deep, doe-like brown eyes and medium-length hair tied into two pigtails. With a pink backpack on her back, she seemed ready for kindergarten in her light blue uniform.
Evelyn's face beamed with a smile. She loved kids and missed the adorable little Elias who used to cling to her, unlike the rebellious giant sitting beside her now. "Sure!" she replied, helping the girl sit on the empty chair beside her.
"Are you here alone?" Elias asked, skeptical as the little girl didn't seem to have any guardians. Even the worker at the counter seemed concerned, talking to his manager while pointing in their direction.
Kiana's bright smile turned into a pout at his question. Glancing at the watch on her hand, she replied, "Daddy will be here soon." Her teacher would have informed him that she hadn't come to class, and he would look for her through the tracker and come here soon, fuming that she had yet again skipped school.
Evelyn nodded, thinking that her parents might be in the parking lot and the girl had rushed into the shop, unable to hold her excitement. Elias also didn't question the girl further as she was keeping Evelyn distracted.
"It's good," Kiana mumbled with a mouthful of ice cream. A giggle escaped her lips in delight, making Evelyn smile.
"But you should have brought two different flavors instead of just strawberry. Chocolate and blueberry are great here too," Evelyn replied with a smile. Taking out a tissue, she passed it to the girl as the cream formed a cute mustache on her face.
Kiana blinked innocently at her suggestion. Her eyes quickly fell on Elias's cup, its blue color bringing little sparks to them. Gulping the ice cream in her mouth, she requested, "Then, can you get me one, big brother? My daddy will pay you later."
"Of course!" Evelyn replied instead, quickly shoving Elias to get one for this adorable girl.
As Elias walked away, Evelyn smiled at the girl and started a conversation. "What's your name, sweetie?"
"Kiana."
"Oh, that's a sweet name!" Evelyn replied, smiling and helping the girl wipe the cream. "How old are you, Kiana?" Kiana, still enjoying her ice cream, lifted four fingers to indicate her age, her mouth too full to speak.
Evelyn's smile widened, and as she was about to continue, the bell at the entrance door rang, signaling the arrival of a customer. Evelyn glanced up and her eyes widened to see a handsome man walking in with a worried face. It took a moment for her to register who it was, and when she did, a gasp escaped her lips.
What was the Zevian Reign doing here?
"Oh no! My daddy is here," Kiana's frightened voice added another layer to Evelyn's shock. The girl immediately jumped from her seat and went to hide behind Evelyn's chair. This lady was very sweet and kind, so she would definitely save her, right? Kiana thought, stealing glances at her father.
Evelyn looked at Kiana and then back at Zevian standing at the entrance. She subconsciously stood up from her seat, compelled by his midnight-black eyes. He was considered to be a god's gift to society, both in looks and skills, and she understood why.
Before Evelyn could even digest the surprise, gunfire erupted, bullets shattering the glass walls of the shop. Screams pierced the once serene atmosphere, and Evelyn stumbled back as three assailants covered in all black stood in front of the shattered walls, a meter away from them.
Her eyes locked with one of the attackers, his face obscured by a mask but the malice in his eyes panicked her. The man suddenly raised his gun to directly aim at her, and before Evelyn could react, he pulled the trigger.
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