Chapter 64

Evelyn would never surrender what her father had bequeathed to her.

Not to anyone.

Not under any circumstances.

Her defiant words should have angered Dominic, but instead, they amused him.

"What's so funny?" Evelyn snapped when she noticed his smirk.

"You," he drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. "So self-righteous. So stubborn. So determined to destroy yourself." She could tolerate the first two insults, but the last one puzzled her.

"Get out of my sight! Just seeing you makes me sick."

Dominic's expression darkened instantly, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl.

"I didn't do anything. If you're feeling sick, maybe you should see a doctor," Evelyn retorted coolly. "Don't you have a personal physician? Shall I call him for you?"

"Get the hell out!" Dominic snarled through clenched teeth.

Evelyn stormed back to her room, her mood fouler than ever.

She slammed her laptop shut and collapsed onto the bed.

Her feelings for Julian had died long ago.

If not for Victoria's phone call, those buried memories would have remained forgotten, along with all the messy emotions now resurfacing.

The revelation about Julian's gambling addiction and subsequent danger left her with conflicting emotions.

Every cherished memory with him now felt tainted, even repulsive.

It was as if she'd been living in some twisted reality show, completely detached from the truth of her own life.

Exhausted by these turbulent thoughts, she finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.

At 2 a.m., headlights pierced the darkness as a car screeched to a halt outside the Blackwood estate.

Mrs. Wilkins was roused from sleep by the night guard and hurried to the grand foyer, where Eleanor stood fuming. "Bring Evelyn Thorne down here this instant!" Eleanor commanded before sinking onto a velvet sofa.

The housekeeper rushed to the guest suite.

Five minutes later, a bleary-eyed Evelyn entered the living room.

The palpable tension instantly snapped her awake.

"I always believed you were an innocent girl, but you've been deceiving me all along!" Eleanor's voice shook with rage. "You never mentioned dating Julian! Had I known, I would never have arranged your marriage to Dominic! This entire situation is absurd!"

"None of you bothered to ask about my past or consider my feelings," Evelyn countered calmly. "You treated me like a chess piece. If you're upset that your chosen pawn turned out to be flawed, you have only yourself to blame."

Eleanor sprang up and advanced on unsteady feet.

"Fine! Say I was wrong! But what excuse do you have for framing Julian tonight?"

"Framing him? You mean when he got himself into trouble through his own gambling?"

Eleanor momentarily faltered at Evelyn's sharp retort.

"You know perfectly well he wouldn't be in danger if he hadn't sought it himself. Instead of disciplining him, you're blaming me. This proves my mere existence in the Blackwood family is considered a crime."

Evelyn's eyes glistened as emotions overwhelmed her.

Eleanor could no longer contain her fury and delivered a stinging slap across Evelyn's face.

The sharp crack reverberated through the cavernous room.

Evelyn's cheek burned as hatred flared in her eyes. "Yes, I deliberately set Julian up. He betrayed me, and I wanted revenge," she declared with chilling clarity. "And as long as I remain married to Dominic, you can forget about ever having grandchildren."

Eleanor raised her hand again, but her strength failed, and she collapsed back onto the sofa.

Evelyn made no move to assist her, leaving Mrs. Wilkins to rush forward.

Dominic descended the staircase at that moment.

Clad in a charcoal silk robe, his expression was glacial. Evelyn couldn't bear to look at him - not even for a second.