Chapter 211

Violet wasn’t alone. Luna had dragged her along.

Violet looked pale, visibly uncomfortable as Luna forcibly pulled her into a circle of young women. Claire was there too, poised to introduce a makeup artist to the group.

Violet kept her gaze down, her entire body tense. She could barely hold herself together.

Damn it, the audacity never ends, Claire. Are you really playing with fire like this? Aren’t you afraid everything will collapse? Do you really want to force this confrontation and burn every bridge? How petty can you be?

Aside from Evelyn, the Blackwoods—who knew the full truth—watched the scene unfold with growing confusion. They waited anxiously to see how this would play out.

Violet refused to go downstairs to face Mason, not just because she didn’t want to cause a scene at someone else’s important event, but because the truth disgusted her. She didn’t want to see him at all. Even though she knew he was here—that he might have already spotted her—she still refused to acknowledge him. But what could she do when they were forcing her hand?

"Mason, who are you staring at? Claire or her cousin?" Grayson asked, intrigued.

After all, everyone expected Mason to clash with Evelyn and Nathan. But instead, he’d frozen mid-argument, his attention snagged by something—or someone. Given Mason’s usual temperament, this was unusual.

"Wait, that makeup artist…" Gwendolyn, standing beside Grayson, suddenly spoke up.

Caught off guard, she momentarily forgot to play the innocent act. Grayson should have warned her—he hated when rebounds acted as opinionated as his first love.

Hearing that, Evelyn’s curiosity flared. She turned to Gwendolyn. "You know her?"

The moment her idol addressed her, Gwendolyn ignored her boss’s warning. "Yes! At the last reunion, she was at that hotel. I ran into her in the restroom. Some of her makeup had your autograph, so we started talking. She was working as a makeup artist there that day."

Gwendolyn spoke fast, her words tumbling out eagerly. Within seconds, she’d laid everything out.

Since Violet hadn’t looked over, Mason hesitated, unsure how to react. But Gwendolyn’s words stunned him. His brows furrowed in disbelief. "She was there that day?"

Oh-ho-ho, I bet he’s starting to wonder if that was the day his little secret got exposed.

"What a coincidence," Lucas muttered, frowning.

"Is she a well-known makeup artist in the industry?" Vivian asked. Having been abroad for so long, she wasn’t sure.

Beatrice, however, shook her head. "Never heard of her."

On the other side of the table, Daniel turned to Evelyn with a knowing smirk. "An autograph? So she's your fan? Earlier, you mentioned knowing her—was that true?"

The detective was sharp, no doubt about it.

When Daniel brought it up, Mason immediately whipped his head toward Evelyn. "You know her too?" A creeping unease settled over him. Anything involving Evelyn Sinclair never boded well—he'd learned that the hard way.

But when Evelyn met his gaze, the icy glint in her eyes sent a shiver down his spine.

He could’ve sworn there was something mocking in her stare.

And he wasn’t wrong.

Evelyn had just cursed him out in her head. Only now did it click for her.

This bastard claims to be into Violet? Please. He’s a walking red flag with zero self-awareness.

"Oh, we’ve met," Evelyn said, her lips curling into a playful smile. "She was part of the makeup team for Julian and me during that reality show a few months back. Funny coincidence, huh?"

Nathan caught on instantly, his eyes widening before he turned to Mason in disbelief.

Mason looked like he’d been slapped.

Still acting shocked? Evelyn scoffed internally. How could he not know Violet and I worked together for two whole months? Even if he doesn’t follow gossip, that show was everywhere. They lived together—did she never mention it? Or did he just not care enough to remember? Pathetic.

At this point, the Blackwoods—who had been unintentionally eavesdropping on Evelyn’s mental tirade—exchanged glances.

Julian and Genevieve were especially speechless. Partners of crew members usually knew exactly who they were working with, especially on a hit show. The fact that Mason had no clue was absurd—so absurd that no one had even considered it before.

Looking back now, "speechless" didn’t even begin to cover it.

Seeing Mason still oblivious to his own awfulness, Evelyn’s irritation flared.

Without hesitation, she dropped the bomb. "Violet’s a sweetheart. Talented, hardworking, and tough as nails. Shame her luck with money and men is absolute trash."

"Why do you say that?" Vivian Grant piped up immediately, proving that curiosity was humanity’s universal weakness.

Mason shot her a sharp look, his expression a mix of suspicion and wariness. Was Violet badmouthing him behind his back? Did she secretly resent supporting him? Was she just putting up with him because of his status, then venting to others when he wasn’t around?

He refused to acknowledge the earlier jabs Evelyn and Nathan had thrown at him.

Evelyn leaned in, ready to spill the tea. The entire table leaned with her, hanging onto her every word.

"During our previous collaboration, she once borrowed money from her mentor," Serena Whitmore explained, her voice laced with concern. "The reason? Her boyfriend got into a car accident with a luxury car owner. And instead of handling it like a responsible adult, he escalated the situation—typical hot-headed behavior. She ended up shouldering tens of thousands in debt. Since she didn’t have much savings, she had no choice but to ask her mentor for help. After that, she worked herself to the bone, taking on back-to-back jobs just to pay it off. She was so exhausted she nearly collapsed on set."

Nathan Blackwood’s expression darkened as if a long-buried memory had resurfaced.

With his temper, conflicts were just conflicts. He had assumed Violet Carter was well-off—after all, she never complained. It never crossed his mind to calculate how much she had actually paid, or whether her salary could even cover it.

"What kind of man shoves his responsibilities onto his girlfriend?" Vivian Grant scoffed, crossing her arms.

Beatrice Holloway shook her head in disapproval. "The worst kind. All bravado, zero accountability."

"And she stayed with him?" Lucas Thornton let out a disbelieving laugh. "She must have the patience of a saint."

Each word struck Nathan like a physical blow. His lips trembled, his skin prickling with discomfort. He had never imagined that what he considered a minor incident could be twisted into something so damning in the eyes of others.

Grayson Hart and Daniel Wright exchanged uneasy glances. Something about this story felt eerily familiar.

After the accident, Nathan had ranted to them about the "nouveau riche" driver, dismissing the whole thing as insignificant.

But Serena wasn’t done. "Recently, she’s been struggling with some financial issues again. She tried borrowing from multiple sources—even reached out to her boyfriend—but he just… disappeared on her."

Nathan’s stomach twisted.