Chapter 3

Evelyn's fingers trembled as she clutched the fabric of her sleeves, her knuckles turning white.

Why did Ethan have to reject her so cruelly? Worse, why humiliate her in front of everyone?

After a shaky breath, she lifted her chin and met his gaze, forcing a brittle smile. "Ethan, my feelings for you don’t give you the right to treat me like this."

For a fleeting moment, Ethan faltered. That smile—once so radiant—now looked like a ghost of its former self.

His eyes lingered on her face a second too long before he caught himself. But by then, Evelyn had already turned away.

He loosened his tie with an irritated flick of his wrist and crushed his cigarette underfoot.

Something about her had changed.

Not that he cared, of course. But the woman who used to light up every room she entered now seemed... hollow.

It shouldn’t bother him. Yet an uneasy sensation coiled in his chest.

Ethan shoved the feeling aside and reminded her coldly, "Tonight is Vanessa’s birthday. I’ll take you back to Hawthorne Estate, but don’t embarrass me. Vanessa isn’t like you."

The words cut deeper than she expected.

To him, Vanessa was priceless. She? Not even worth the air she breathed.

An hour later, Nathan ushered Evelyn into a sleek black car.

At Hawthorne Estate, the grand hall glittered with Cresthaven’s elite.

Though Vanessa wasn’t Richard’s biological daughter, her birthdays were always extravagant affairs—a display of the Hayes family’s power and their unwavering support for her.

Every influential name in the city had been invited.

Clusters of socialites murmured behind their champagne flutes, trading the latest gossip.

"Why does Richard dote on Vanessa so much? She’s not even his blood," one woman mused.

"Talent matters more than lineage in our world," another replied smoothly. "I heard she closed three major deals in six months. Richard promoted her to VP—clearly grooming her as his successor."

"But where did she even come from? What about her real parents?"

A third woman lowered her voice. "No one knows. Margaret Hayes was supposed to be her mother, but the DNA test proved otherwise."

Evelyn’s nails dug into her palms.

She still didn’t understand. If Vanessa wasn’t Margaret’s child, why had she been swapped in the first place?

No one had answers. Only the result remained: Evelyn was sent back, while Vanessa’s origins stayed shrouded in mystery.

The Hayes family had raised Vanessa for over twenty years, treating her better than their own.

A few socialites glanced in Evelyn’s direction, their stares sharp with curiosity.

Feeling exposed, she ducked her head and slipped out of the hall.

As she disappeared, one woman frowned. "Was that... Evelyn?"

Her companion scoffed. "Evelyn? Please. She used to be stunning. That woman looked like she hadn’t eaten in months."

Once, Evelyn had been unforgettable. Now, she was a shadow.

Unaware of the whispers, Evelyn reached the second floor. She paused outside her old room when voices froze her in place.

"Ethan, is it true? Evelyn’s back?"

"Wait, she was in prison? Since when?"

The Hayes family had buried the scandal. Officially, Evelyn had been "studying abroad"—Richard’s doing.

Ethan shot Trevor a warning glare.

Trevor winced. "My bad. I meant abroad. Obviously."

Another man exhaled a plume of smoke, amused. "Trevor, you’re losing it."

Trevor forced a laugh. "Cut me some slack."

The man turned to Ethan. "So, with Evelyn back, things must be interesting. Weren’t you two engaged three years ago? Planning a wedding?"

Evelyn’s hand hovered over the doorknob.

Inside, the clink of poker chips filled the silence.

Trevor grinned. "Engaged? Please. Marriage is just a leash. Ethan doesn’t do leashes."