Chapter 246

"Thank goodness! You're finally awake." Claire gasped in relief when Evelyn's eyelids fluttered open, immediately pulling her into a tight embrace.

The doctors had run countless tests but remained baffled by Evelyn's prolonged unconsciousness. No physical trauma explained it—just an unnatural, stubborn sleep that terrified them all.

Vanessa, who had tumbled down the stairs with Evelyn, had regained consciousness hours earlier.

"It was Vanessa, wasn't it?" Claire squeezed Evelyn's hand, her voice trembling with fury. "That viper had the audacity to claim you pushed her."

Evelyn's gaze drifted past Claire, landing on Richard and Margaret standing near the doorway.

Of course they're here. Her lips pressed into a thin line. They probably came to check on their precious Vanessa and decided to stop by since Alexander is present. Another opportunity to curry favor.

Just then, the door creaked open. Ethan strode in with Vanessa clinging to his arm like a possessive vine.

Claire whirled around, her face flushing crimson. "How dare you show your faces here? Vanessa, nobody believes your lies!"

"Believe what you want, Claire," Vanessa sniffed, dabbing fake tears. "But the truth is—"

Evelyn's fingers dug into the sheets. The real battle was just beginning.

Vanessa's tearful voice trembled as she spoke. "She pushed me."

Claire's eyes flashed with fury. "Is that so? If Evelyn pushed you, then how did she end up falling down the stairs with you?"

Vanessa bit her lower lip, her mind scrambling for an excuse.

Her plan had been flawless—or so she thought.

She would pretend Evelyn had shoved her, and when she woke up, she'd insist her stepsister was to blame.

Once they see my injuries, they'll pity me. No one would doubt a victim's word.

Even if Alexander still favored Evelyn, the evidence would be undeniable.

As the head of the household, he couldn't ignore the truth.

Evelyn would be forced to take responsibility.

Her parents would shower her with love again.

Ethan would dote on her as he once did.

And Evelyn? She'd be branded the villain—just like before.

Three years ago, they all turned against her. History will repeat itself.

But when Vanessa regained consciousness, reality shattered her carefully laid scheme.

Evelyn had fallen with her.

When Vanessa woke yesterday, Ethan was already by her side—

Ethan stood by her hospital bed, his expression unreadable.

"What happened?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the sterile silence of the room.

Vanessa clutched the sheets, her fingers trembling. "It was Evelyn. She pushed me."

But Ethan's gaze darkened with skepticism. His jaw tightened as he studied her.

"Really?" His tone was icy, demanding. "I want the truth."

"I am telling the truth!" Vanessa insisted, desperation creeping into her voice. She hadn’t expected this—not after everything. Not after she was the one lying injured.

Yet Ethan remained unmoved.

"You claim Evelyn pushed you," he said slowly, "but then why did she fall too?"

Vanessa froze.

She didn’t know.

The moment she’d tumbled down the stairs, her head had struck the edge, and darkness had swallowed her whole. She had no memory of what happened after.

The silence stretched between them.

And with each passing second, Ethan’s suspicion deepened.

"Vanessa," he said, his voice heavy with disappointment, "are you lying to me?"

Her chest tightened.

"I don’t know how Evelyn fell," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I swear—she’s the one who pushed me."

The bandages around her head felt suffocating.

And Ethan’s doubt?

Even worse.

My thoughts were clouded, swirling in confusion.

Vanessa's words echoed in my mind, sharp as broken glass.

"I did lie before," she admitted, her voice trembling with false sincerity. "But you can't dismiss everything I say just because of one mistake."

Her eyes glistened with calculated tears as she continued, "What if... what if after pushing me, Evelyn panicked? What if she threw herself down those stairs to make it look like an accident?"

The accusation hung heavy in the air, poisonous and deliberate.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

Vanessa had always been skilled at twisting the truth, but this was a new low.

The memory of Evelyn's pale face, the way she had collapsed at the bottom of the staircase—it still haunted me.

But now, Vanessa was weaving a new narrative, one where Evelyn was the villain.

My pulse pounded in my ears.

If I let her manipulate this situation, everything would unravel.

I had to find the truth before it was too late.

The game had changed.

And this time, I wouldn’t let Vanessa win.