Chapter 230

Evelyn Sinclair couldn't suppress the smirk tugging at her lips as she scrolled through her phone, absorbing every juicy tidbit of gossip flooding her notifications. The café around her buzzed with midday chatter, but her attention was laser-focused on the scandalous updates lighting up her screen.

"Oh, this is too good," she mused, stirring her iced latte absently.

A particularly salacious headline caught her eye: "Vincent Holloway Spotted Leaving Seraphina Delacroix’s Penthouse at Dawn—Again." Evelyn’s fingers hovered over the article, her pulse quickening. Vincent, the notorious playboy, and Seraphina, the rising starlet with a penchant for drama? This was the kind of gossip that could set social media ablaze.

She tapped the link, devouring the details. Blurry paparazzi photos showed Vincent slipping out of Seraphina’s building, his shirt rumpled, his usual devil-may-care grin firmly in place. The caption speculated whether this was just another fling or something more serious.

Evelyn snorted. "As if Vincent Holloway does ‘serious.’"

But then—her breath hitched.

Buried in the comments was a bombshell: "Rumor has it, Seraphina’s ex, Sebastian Hart, is fuming. Word on set is he nearly walked off his latest project when he heard."

Now that was intriguing. Sebastian, the brooding A-lister with a temper as infamous as his talent, had a history of volatile reactions when it came to Seraphina. If this was true…

Evelyn’s mind raced. She could already picture the fallout—tabloid wars, cryptic social media posts, maybe even a public confrontation. The entertainment world thrived on this kind of drama, and she was here for every second of it.

Just as she was about to dive deeper, her phone buzzed with a new message.

Lillian Graves (Assistant): "Evelyn, Preston wants to see you. Now. Something about ‘handling the press before things spiral.’"

Evelyn groaned. Of course. Her agent, Preston Whitmore, had a sixth sense for when she was indulging in gossip instead of working.

But as she stood, tossing cash onto the table, she couldn’t help one last glance at her screen.

This story was far from over—and she’d be damned if she missed a single twist.

Julian's brows knitted together in a deep frown, his mood already darkening by the second.

Enough.

The Blackwood family couldn't mock a kind soul for their naivety—they could only curse those vile individuals for their despicable actions.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Sophia Reed stood frozen in shock as Mason Wright’s true identity was exposed.

Her moral compass was unshakable, and the revelation that her boyfriend had once been a school bully was something she couldn’t stomach.

"Mason… is what he said true?" Sophia’s voice trembled as she stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Mason, battered and humiliated from the earlier scuffle, was still reeling. He had come to Daniel Wright’s wedding with nothing but arrogance, intending to mock the groom—not to have his past dredged up in front of everyone.

His face had changed drastically since his teenage years. Even if his name remained the same, he had been certain Daniel wouldn’t recognize him.

Damn it. How did he figure it out? Did that idiot Amelia betray me? No… she’s too stupid for that.

Mason didn’t dare react recklessly. Faced with Sophia’s piercing question, he knew lying wasn’t an option. With a pained expression, he stood and admitted, "Yes. It’s true. Back then, I was young and reckless. I just wanted attention—I never meant to be a villain."

He then turned to Daniel and bowed deeply. "I came today to see if the person I hurt has found happiness. If given the chance… I wanted to apologize. What I did was unforgivable, and I’ve paid for it—this face, the surgeries I needed after you hit me, was my punishment. I hope you can forgive the mistakes of my past."

Sophia’s shock didn’t immediately turn to disgust. She had no idea just how cruel Mason’s bullying had been.

The guests, equally unaware, murmured among themselves at his seemingly heartfelt apology.

"He came all this way just to make amends—that has to count for something."

"A man who admits his faults deserves a second chance."

"Teenagers make mistakes. Boys fight—it’s just how they are."

"He’s clearly changed."

But Daniel, his rage boiling over, lunged at Mason again, fist raised.

No one expected his fury to intensify after the apology. Disapproving whispers spread through the crowd—was Daniel being unreasonable?

The tension in the room was suffocating.

And then—

A sharp gasp cut through the air.

Sophia’s hand flew to her mouth as she stumbled back, her face paling.

Because Mason, in that split second before impact—smirked.

Just for a heartbeat.

But it was enough.

The mask had slipped.

And Daniel saw it too.

His punch never landed.

Instead, he froze, his eyes locking onto Mason’s with dawning horror.

"You…" Daniel’s voice was barely a whisper. "You’re not sorry at all."

The room fell deathly silent.

Mason’s expression smoothed back into remorse—but it was too late.

The truth was out.

And Sophia?

Her heart shattered in her chest.

Because the man she loved…

Had just shown her who he really was.

Nathan's fist came down harder than before, his knuckles white with fury as if he intended to beat Ethan to a pulp.

Hmph. If Daniel were clueless, he might have fallen for your lies. But now, spewing such disgusting nonsense in front of him? You deserve every bit of this.

Terrified by the murderous aura radiating from Daniel, Ethan stumbled backward, barely avoiding the next brutal swing.

Just as Daniel moved to strike again, Amelia's trembling voice cut through the tension.

"Daniel, stop!" Her voice was barely above a whisper, thick with unshed tears.

Daniel froze mid-motion, turning sharply to see Amelia standing at the foot of the stairs, gripping the doorframe for support.

Her hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, and she wore nothing but a simple crimson robe—she hadn’t even bothered to change into another dress after the wedding fiasco.

She looked fragile, as if the slightest breeze might shatter her.

Under normal circumstances, Evelyn might have pitied her. But now? All she felt was a creeping sense of dread.

It wasn’t that Amelia was acting. No—that was the terrifying part. Every emotion she displayed was real.

One moment she’s devastated, the next she’s rushing to protect her lover? Evelyn scoffed inwardly. I was wrong. The mind of a delusional woman is impossible to decipher.

Amelia must have assumed the truth was out—that Ethan was willing to claim her, hence the fight. She had come down to apologize to Daniel before leaving with him.

The Blackwoods' gazes burned into Amelia like she was nothing more than human trash.

Seeing Amelia’s ghostly pallor, Serena hurried over to steady her. Though she had initially despised Amelia—as any high-society matriarch would—the presence of a child forced her to play the dutiful mother-in-law.

"Go back upstairs and rest," Serena urged gently. "Don’t trouble yourself with this mess."

But Amelia’s expression twisted in confusion. This wasn’t the reaction she had expected. She stood frozen, unable to voice the turmoil inside her.

Oh, how tragic. Evelyn nearly laughed. Amelia still sees Ethan as her first choice, with Daniel merely the backup. Meanwhile, Daniel thinks she’s afraid Ethan will expose their affair, so she’s trying to placate him by stopping the fight.

Your imagination is truly something. I won’t even comment further.

The Blackwoods exchanged uneasy glances.

The previous scandals—the illegitimate child, the affair—had been proven with concrete evidence and recordings Nathan had obtained. That was how Daniel had finally accepted the truth.

But now? Whether Amelia’s actions were voluntary or coerced was impossible to determine—unless she admitted her own guilt. And that was the most infuriating part.

Even if Nathan suddenly told Daniel that his pitiful ex-fiancée actually enjoyed Ethan’s mistreatment and didn’t deserve sympathy, it might only drive a wedge between them.

It wasn’t that Daniel was blinded by love. It was that—

The truth was unsolvable.

Nathan's words couldn't be taken at face value—not without solid proof against the woman he loved.

This was an impossible dilemma.

They had been foolishly optimistic before. Now, all they could do was watch as events spiraled beyond their control.

Daniel didn’t strike again. Instead, he crouched low, his burning glare fixed on the ashen-faced Mason.

"Listen carefully," he hissed, his voice laced with venom. "If you dare make another move, I won’t hold back. Get the hell out of here!"

Before Mason could even form a response, Daniel had already straightened, his piercing gaze shifting to Victor.

Though Victor was seething with anger, he couldn’t help but falter under his son’s intense stare.

"Dad," Daniel said coldly, "escort your guest out. We don’t need unnecessary complications."

The warning in his tone was unmistakable.

Victor’s expression nearly cracked. Daniel’s behavior was too erratic—too knowing. It was clear he had uncovered the truth.

Mason’s identity had been exposed.

That explained the sudden, brutal outburst.

Victor had always known the truth would surface eventually, but the timing was disastrous. Thankfully, Daniel wasn’t planning to air their dirty laundry in public—yet. There was still room to maneuver. After all, Victor valued his reputation too much to let things escalate.

Clearing his throat, Victor forced a strained smile. "This is supposed to be a joyous occasion. Let’s discuss this later."

It was as close to an admission as he would give.

Daniel clenched his jaw, swallowing his fury, and turned on his heel to leave.

Mason blinked in shock. When he met his father’s eyes, realization dawned—his secret was out.

Strangely, he felt a flicker of relief. For a moment, he had feared Amelia had betrayed him.

But if she hadn’t, he still had a chance. Daniel would remain none the wiser, raising his woman and child for him.

Mason staggered to his feet, his head throbbing, the metallic tang of blood still fresh in his mouth. As he turned, his gaze collided with Sophia’s—sharp, scrutinizing.

"Sophia, I—"

Before she could react, Victor quickly interjected, "My son acted rashly. My apologies to you both. Why don’t you follow the butler to the lounge and tend to your injuries?"

Victor didn’t actually care about Mason’s well-being. He just wanted him gone before Daniel lost his temper again. But seeing Sophia’s guarded expression, he had to play the gracious host. He couldn’t let his illegitimate son lose such a valuable connection.

A little kindness now could go a long way.

The question was—would it be enough?

The aftermath was quiet, yet deafening.

Sophia guided Mason away to tend to his injuries, her touch clinical, her expression unreadable. She wanted answers—needed them—but now wasn’t the time.

Mason’s fury simmered beneath the surface. This was all Daniel’s doing. The man had not only ruined his carefully laid plans but humiliated him in front of everyone. Those buried secrets were never meant to see the light of day.

Once patched up, he swore vengeance.

Then his phone buzzed. A single notification lit up the screen, and a cold smirk curled his lips.

Meanwhile, Evelyn and Nathan, now privy to the truth, followed Daniel to confront Amelia. He didn’t stop them but issued a firm warning: Guard the door. No interruptions. What he had to say to Amelia was for her ears alone.

Evelyn bit her tongue, exchanging a glance with Nathan. Would Amelia finally come clean? Or would she cling to her lies, playing the victim till the bitter end?

If she confessed, the pieces would fall into place.

If she didn’t… well, they’d make sure the truth came out another way.

Elsewhere, Sophia, restless and troubled, wandered outside, hoping to find Mason and demand answers about his past. Instead, she spotted a phone lying abandoned in the grass—likely dropped by Daniel during the scuffle. She wasn’t one to snoop, but she intended to return it.

Before she could find Mason, however, she ran into Serena.

The older woman’s sharp gaze flicked to the phone in Sophia’s hand.

Whose is that?

Sophia hesitated. Something in Serena’s tone set her on edge.

Then the screen lit up again.

A message.

And what she saw made her blood run cold.