Chapter 222

Years ago, Ethan Caldwell had been in a car accident while on his way to pick her up. The guilt had haunted Evelyn Carter ever since. To numb the pain, she started playing the cello outside the hospital, letting the music drown out her sorrow.

She never wanted to relive those memories with Ethan. And she definitely didn’t want to discuss them now.

Without a word, Evelyn pulled her arm free from his grasp and turned to leave.

Ethan watched her walk away, his chest tightening with regret.

He didn’t follow her. He didn’t call out.

Because deep down, he already knew.

Anyone could learn to play an instrument. But the way someone poured their soul into the music—that was unmistakable.

The moment Ethan heard that short recording on his colleague’s phone, something inside him shattered. The melody, the emotion—it was the same as the one he had heard years ago. The one that had stayed with him all this time.

The only thing stopping him from fully accepting it was the desperate hope that Vanessa Hart hadn’t lied to him.

But hope was a fragile thing. And the truth was staring him in the face.

The moment Evelyn stepped into the backstage area, the air was thick with tension and hurried whispers.

Alexander had arranged for her to have a secluded dressing room, away from the chaos.

After carefully setting her cello down on the polished table, a staff member handed her a glass of water with a polite smile.

Evelyn murmured her thanks, but as she brought the glass to her lips, an unsettling prickle ran down her spine.

There was something off—a faint, bitter undertone in the water’s scent.

Years of training under a master herbalist had sharpened her senses to detect even the subtlest traces of foreign substances.

Her stomach twisted in realization.

Croton oil—a powerful purgative that could incapacitate her within minutes.

Lowering the glass without drinking, she swiftly moved toward the door, intent on confronting the staff member who had delivered it.

But fate had other plans.

The door swung open before she could reach it, revealing Vanessa standing there, her expression unreadable.

Vanessa’s sharp eyes darted past Evelyn, landing on the untouched glass still sitting on the table.

A flicker of frustration darkened her gaze.

In that heartbeat, the pieces fell into place.

Evelyn’s voice was steady, but ice laced every word.

“It was you.”

Vanessa didn’t flinch.

Evelyn stepped closer, her tone dropping to a dangerous whisper.

“What exactly were you hoping to achieve, Vanessa?”

Vanessa's vision blurred with unshed tears.

She had been shadowing Ethan's every move, watching as he intercepted Evelyn, demanding to know if she was the mysterious cellist from years ago.

A cold dread settled in her chest. She could see the suspicion darkening Ethan's gaze.

Evelyn was moments away from taking the stage. With Ethan's sharp musical ear, he would recognize her playing instantly.

That long-lost cellist had haunted him for years. Vanessa had only secured his affection by slipping into that role, weaving lies into the spaces between truth.

Now, the fear of exposure was suffocating. She had never known terror like this.

That was why she had tried to stop Evelyn from performing—but her desperate attempt had failed.

Vanessa seized Evelyn's wrist, her voice breaking. "Evelyn, please. Just this once. Walk away."

Evelyn frowned, pulling her hand free. "What is wrong with you and Ethan? Why are you both acting like this? What exactly am I supposed to be letting go of?"

"After Ethan's accident, you promised never to play again," Vanessa whispered, desperation clawing at her throat. "So why now? Why tonight?"

"Evelyn, please, I'm begging you—don't go on stage tonight. If you agree, I'll sign over the Hawthorne Estate to you right now!"

Vanessa's desperate plea fell on deaf ears. Evelyn merely arched a brow, her lips curling into a cold, mocking smile.

"You don’t want me to perform? And why is that?"

Vanessa bit her lip, her fingers twisting together. The truth burned in her throat, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Evelyn’s laughter was sharp, devoid of warmth. "You're being ridiculous."

She turned, reaching for the door handle to shut it in Vanessa’s face.

But before she could, Vanessa squeezed her eyes shut, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It was me!" she blurted. "I was the one who took your place all those years ago!"

The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating.

Evelyn froze, her grip tightening on the door.

Then, slowly, she turned back, her expression unreadable.

"Explain."

Vanessa swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper.

"I stole your audition. I pretended to be you. And I—I got everything that should have been yours."

Silence.

Then Evelyn’s smile returned, darker this time.

"Oh, Vanessa," she murmured. "You have no idea what you’ve just done."

The door clicked shut.

Vanessa was left standing alone in the hallway, her confession echoing in her ears.

And for the first time, she realized—she had just signed her own ruin.