Chapter 6

"Yes, I served time." Evelyn's gaze swept across the room before settling on Vanessa.

Vanessa reached for her hand. "Evelyn, stop saying that. I spoke without thinking, okay?"

Evelyn recoiled, pulling her hand away sharply.

Then, Vanessa stumbled on the hem of her dress and crashed to the floor.

The impact was brutal—shattered glass from an earlier accident still littered the ground.

Ethan rushed forward, shoving through the crowd to help Vanessa up.

Her palm was a mess of blood and embedded shards.

Ethan's eyes burned with fury as he glared at Evelyn. "Evelyn, when will you ever change? I warned you—"

Evelyn's heart clenched. She knew Ethan didn’t care about her, but watching him shield another woman still stung.

"What did I do? I just pulled away. She fell on her own."

Seeing their hands entwined, Evelyn felt a bitter irony twist inside her. Her fingers brushed the pendant resting against her chest—a relic from a past she couldn’t forget.

In prison, during those endless nights of despair, that pendant had been her only anchor.

When she lifted her head again, her eyes were ice.

A humorless smile curved her lips. "Yes, I was in prison. But I was framed."

Margaret paled at the admission.

At first, when Vanessa exposed Evelyn’s past, Margaret had suspected it was deliberate.

But watching Vanessa apologize and try to backtrack, she dismissed it as an accident.

She’d known Vanessa since childhood—surely, she wasn’t capable of such cruelty.

Desperate to defuse the situation, Margaret intervened. "Evelyn, you’ve had too much to drink. Let someone take you upstairs."

Evelyn ignored her, her voice steady.

"Three years ago, if I’d really kidnapped Vanessa, I could’ve made her vanish without a trace. Why leave evidence for you to find her?"

A sharp crack echoed through the room.

Richard had emerged from his study, his expression thunderous.

"Enough, Evelyn!" he snapped.

Her cheek burned, but she didn’t flinch.

"Vanessa barely had a scratch. If those men wanted to hurt her, why wait? Why take her to some abandoned warehouse? None of it makes sense."

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Whispers spread like wildfire as guests darted glances at Vanessa, who bit her lip, her face ghostly pale.

Richard was livid. This scandal had been buried for years—now Evelyn was dragging it into the light, turning their family into a spectacle.

One daughter in prison, the other nearly assaulted—all because of a sisterly feud. It was the kind of gossip high society thrived on.

Tears streamed down Vanessa’s face, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

Evelyn let out a cold laugh. Too fragile to handle the truth?

Compared to what she’d endured, this was nothing.

Margaret shot Evelyn a warning look, silently pleading for her to stop. Three years ago, they’d sent Evelyn to prison to "teach her a lesson"—she’d refused to admit guilt, and they’d deemed her beyond redemption.

Sometimes, Margaret wondered if they’d gone too far. Evelyn was still her daughter.

But Vanessa had insisted—being a Hayes would protect her in prison. They’d believed it was the only way to straighten her out before she spiraled beyond saving.

Margaret had agreed, reluctantly.

Evelyn had been raised by Camille, who’d also raised a reckless, gambling son.

With that influence, they’d thought drastic measures were necessary.

"Why dredge this up now?" Margaret hissed. "Can’t you see Vanessa is upset?"

Evelyn’s smile turned mocking. "Right. I went to prison for her, and she’s the one crying."

She bent down, lifting her dress to reveal a jagged scar on her ankle. The room erupted in horrified murmurs.

"But who cares if I’m hurting?"

Her fingers traced the raised flesh.

The damp air made it ache, but she was used to the pain.

"I’ve always wondered who paid those inmates to torment me. I have dozens of scars. Want to see them all?"

They’d blamed Ethan, but Evelyn didn’t believe it. Tonight, she’d force the truth into the open.

The sight of her scar sent a ripple of sympathy through the room. These privileged women had never known such suffering.

"Was it you?" Evelyn’s gaze flicked to Richard and Margaret, then to Vanessa. "Or you?"

Finally, her eyes locked onto Ethan.