Chapter 260

Ethan finally turned his head, his cold eyes meeting hers.

Vanessa held her breath.

"Will it be enough?" she pressed.

His silence was heavier than any answer.

The weight of her spending pressed against her ribs—thirty million gone in a single week.

But what choice did she have?

The Caldwells measured respect in zeros.

And Vanessa refused to be found lacking.

"Ethan, please listen to me! It's not what you think!" Vanessa's voice trembled as she reached out, desperation lacing her words.

Ethan's expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "Not what I think?" He let out a bitter laugh. "Vanessa, I never thought you could be this heartless. To frame Evelyn, you'd throw yourself down the stairs? If you're willing to hurt yourself like this, what else are you capable of?"

His words cut through her like a blade.

"You're trying to make everyone turn against her," he continued, his voice low and dangerous. "She's your sister. You grew up together. How could you be so cruel?"

For a fleeting moment, Vanessa's mind flashed back—three years ago, in this very house.

Ethan had stood just like this, his fury directed at Evelyn when he'd learned about Vanessa's kidnapping.

"Evelyn, you snake!" His voice had been raw with anger. "Vanessa is your sister, and she’s always protected you. How could you send those men after her?"

"Evelyn, I’m disgusted by you. Someone like you doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as us!"

Back then, she had been the one crying in Ethan’s arms while he raged at Evelyn.

But now, three years later, the tables had turned.

Ethan saw her as the villain.

And Evelyn—Evelyn was the one he believed.

Vanessa’s hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms.

She had played this game before.

But this time, she wasn’t sure she could win.

The realization hit Vanessa like a bucket of ice water.

She was the antagonist now—the scheming woman everyone despised.

Her fingers dug into Ethan's sleeve with desperate strength. "Ethan, please! Just let me explain!"

Maybe it was the pain from her injuries that made her appear so fragile.

Without a trace of makeup, her face was pale, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked up at him.

"Ever since you returned from Cresthaven, you've been avoiding me. You ignore my calls, and it's tearing me apart."

Her voice cracked, raw with emotion.

"Ethan, I'm terrified of losing you. Do you have any idea how it feels? Sitting alone in that empty house, waiting for you to come home, only to spend days without a single word?"

Her words spilled out in a frantic rush, her body trembling as tears streaked down her cheeks.

"I did all of this because I love you. I was afraid Evelyn would steal you away from me. The thought of you two reconnecting—it made me lose my mind. That's why I tried to sabotage her."

Her grip tightened.

"I just wanted you to look at me, Ethan. Only me."

A shaky breath escaped her.

"I know I crossed a line. I regret it. But please believe me—everything I did was out of love. I've never gone this far before."

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Don't leave me."

The words tasted bitter on my tongue. "I've never done this before. This is my first time, and it's tearing me apart inside."

"Enough!" Ethan's voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp and unyielding.

He wasn't interested in Vanessa's justifications. She had shamelessly shifted all the blame onto Evelyn, painting herself as the wounded party.

But Ethan wasn't blind anymore. The illusion had shattered.

The way she had thrown herself down those stairs—without hesitation, without fear—spoke volumes. This wasn't an accident. This was calculated.

His voice dripped with disdain. "Love me, love me—is that your excuse for everything?

"Vanessa, you lied about playing the cello, claiming it was for love. Now, you're using that same pathetic excuse again.

"If loving me turns you into this kind of monster, then stop. I don't want it."

Each word was colder than the last, his anger building until it erupted in a near roar.

The moment his voice rose, Vanessa's tears stopped mid-fall, frozen in shock.

Her voice trembled. "Ethan, I already apologized to Evelyn! Why can't you let this go?

"If that's not enough, I'll apologize again. I'll beg—"

But he wasn't listening.

The mask had slipped.

And he finally saw the truth.

"Is this really what you want?"

Her fingers trembled as they clutched at Ethan’s waist, her sobs raw and desperate.

The quiet, broken sounds escaping her lips were like shadows creeping in, her entire body shaking with the weight of her grief.

Under different circumstances, Ethan would have felt his chest tighten at the sight of her like this.

But today?

He simply pulled a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her.

"You’re still recovering," he said, his voice steady. "The doctor said you need rest. Dry your tears and stop crying, Vanessa."

With that, he gently pried her hands away and turned to leave.