Chapter 540

Evelyn Ross stared coldly at Susan Langley, her eyes darkening.

She was just about to speak.

Smack!

A plate full of food was suddenly slammed onto Susan's face.

Susan froze completely, staring in disbelief at the person who had done it.

All eyes at the table turned in that direction.

Natalie Castillo calmly pulled out a tissue and wiped the grease from her fingertips.

Her voice was icy.

"How disgusting? Every dish is drenched with ginger tea water. It's all your saliva. How are we supposed to eat this?"

Susan wiped the vegetable leaves from her face, trembling with anger.

"This bowl of water was just brought out. I haven't taken a single sip! Where would saliva come from?!"

Natalie paused, then slapped her forehead as if suddenly remembering.

"Oh, right. I forgot."

She turned to Susan, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to. I was just angry for a moment, thinking you were making us eat your spit..."

As she spoke, she deliberately mimicked Susan's earlier innocent expression.

Susan's face instantly turned ashen.

Preston Valentine, sitting nearby, was also stunned.

He hadn't realized Susan was pretending before.

But Natalie's acting was so clumsy that, by comparison, the intention was glaringly obvious.

Preston turned to look at Susan.

"Were you doing it on purpose?"

Susan hurriedly defended herself.

"No, Preston, I really wasn't! The ginger tea was just too hot when it was brought over. My hand slipped and I..."

Before she could finish, Evelyn let out a scornful laugh.

She slowly stood up and looked at Alexander Vance.

"Could you get me a bowl of soup, please?"

Their eyes met.

A slight smile touched Alexander's lips.

He picked up a soup bowl, filled it, and handed it over.

Evelyn took it.

The moment her fingertips touched the bowl's surface, she abruptly let go.

The soup bowl crashed onto the table.

Broth splashed everywhere, but it only soaked a small area right in front of her.

The Ashcroft dining table was a large round one.

The spilled soup landed far from the other dishes.

Only a few plates directly in front of Evelyn were splashed with a little.

Evelyn looked up at Preston.

"A genuine reaction to something truly hot would be like this. If you knew it was scalding, why would you specifically push the bowl towards the food?"

Preston was taken aback.

He looked at Susan again.

Susan's face was deathly pale.

She swallowed hard, flustered.

"I... I didn't think. I just pushed it away instinctively..."

"Instinctively?" Evelyn's lips curved into a smile.

"Your instincts are quite different from other people's."

She said nothing more and sat back down.

Susan's entire body stiffened.

Cold sweat broke out on her skin.

She hadn't expected everyone today to be against her.

"I didn't... Little sister, there must be a misunderstanding between us."

Her voice trembled.

"Why would I deliberately target you? You clearly said you don't like ginger. What reason would I have to do this? This really is a misunderstanding!"

This time, before Evelyn could speak, Ethan Valentine couldn't help but interject.

"Susan Langley, you've been targeting our little sister since the moment you walked in. What exactly is the grudge between you two? Could it be that the things little sister mentioned are actually true?"

Natalie immediately asked curiously.

"What things are true?"

"That thing about her fooling around with someone else and little sister catching them! Because she was exposed, she holds a grudge, right? I can't think of any other reason!"

Ethan spoke bluntly, spilling everything out.

Natalie's eyes lit up as she looked at Susan.

"You have someone else on the side? And you got caught? No wonder... I felt your deep hostility towards Evelyn the moment I walked in!"

Susan retorted sharply.

"What nonsense are you talking about! Where did you get that from?"

"A woman's intuition," Natalie shrugged.

Susan was too angry to speak.

Seeing she couldn't win against these people, she immediately turned to Preston, her eyes reddening.

"Preston, I don't care what others think. I only care about you! If you don't believe me either, then I'll just leave!"

Preston frowned deeply.

Susan picked up her purse, pretending to leave.

Seeing Preston still sitting motionless, she lowered her head in grievance.

"Preston, my feelings for you... do you really not understand? For you, I would even give my life... Back then during your car accident, the car was leaking fuel, about to explode. Everyone stayed far away. It was me who dragged you out of the car. We almost got blown up together... I never thought we'd come to this..."

These words carried immense weight.

Preston indeed stood up.

He took her hand and looked at Evelyn.

"Little sister, I'm sorry about today. But Susan is my lifesaver. Can we... let this matter drop?"

Evelyn's jaw tightened.

She let out a cold laugh.

Preston sighed.

"Everyone, wait a bit longer to eat. I'll have the kitchen prepare everything again."

After saying this, he led Susan into the kitchen.

As soon as the two left, Ethan frowned.

"That 'lifesaver' card really works every time. I wish something would happen to Kiki Cortez so I could save her once. See if she'd dare be so fierce with me afterwards."

"Ugh, stop that!" Charles Valentine glared at him.

"How can you curse Kiki like that?"

Ethan smiled bitterly.

"I'm not cursing her. It's just that Kiki is too fierce, like a tigress..."

As the two bickered, Evelyn gazed towards the kitchen and sighed softly.

She actually had countless ways to drive Susan out.

But then what?

This "debt of a life" was enough for Preston to forgive Susan for a lifetime.

Even if her relationship with that so-called "younger brother" was completely cleared up, Preston would likely still be bound by this sense of gratitude.

Evelyn lowered her eyes.

What method could thoroughly resolve this trouble?

She frowned in thought for a moment, then stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

Before she got close, she saw a maid standing not far away, staring fixedly at Preston.

The maid looked about twenty-five and had an unfamiliar face.

Sensing Evelyn's gaze, she immediately turned her head.

"Hello, Miss."

Evelyn nodded.

"Are you new here?"

The maid acknowledged.

Evelyn asked.

"Do you know my fifth brother?"

The maid hesitated, glancing at Preston.

She whispered.

"He looks familiar... like someone I pulled from a car wreck a few years ago..."

Evelyn's gaze sharpened.

"What did you say?"