Chapter 76
“Hold on.”
For reasons he couldn’t explain, the exchange grated on Zachary’s nerves. His voice turned sharp as he demanded, “Ms. Sinclair, don’t you owe Vanessa an apology?”
Lucian exhaled in exasperation, barely resisting the urge to shove his own tie into Zachary’s mouth.
A dull ache pulsed in Evelyn’s chest. She turned slowly, fixing him with an icy glare.
The disappointment in her eyes struck Zachary like a blade.
“She didn’t do it! Evelyn didn’t do it!”
Just then, a soft, trembling voice sliced through the tension. It came out of nowhere—like thunder on a cloudless day—shattering the carefully constructed lie.
When Evelyn looked toward the source, her eyes shimmered with recognition.
“Amelia!”
A girl in a simple ivory dress rushed toward them, her ridiculous mass of curls bouncing with each step—Cassandra’s handiwork, no doubt.
Amelia had always been Cassandra’s imaginary rival in the Blackwood household. Jealous of her younger sister’s delicate beauty, Cassandra never missed an opportunity to humiliate her.
In public, she made sure Amelia looked foolish, terrified that her sister might outshine her.
But Amelia was different. Diagnosed with autism, she was painfully shy, her shoulders perpetually hunched, her voice rarely heard.
Yet, during Evelyn’s three years with the Blackwoods, Amelia had been the only one—aside from Mrs. Winthrop—who treated her with kindness. While the rest ignored her, Amelia had quietly cared.
After leaving, Evelyn had often worried about her. Now, seeing her here, relief and joy flooded her heart.
“Foolish girl, why are you lying?” Cassandra snapped, her eyes flashing with fury. “No one else was in that bathroom except Vanessa and her. If it wasn’t Evelyn, then who?”
“N-No! It wasn’t Evelyn! It wasn’t her!” Amelia stammered, her words tumbling out in a desperate jumble.
“Amelia, stay out of this. Go play somewhere else!” Isabella hissed, her expression souring.
Amelia clenched her small fists and stepped forward, her wide eyes lifting nervously to Zachary’s towering frame.
“Zachary! It wasn’t Evelyn!”
His voice softened unexpectedly. “Amelia, why do you say that?”
“I saw it! I—I was there too! I saw everything!”
The revelation sent shockwaves through the room.
Vanessa’s face drained of color.
Even Evelyn froze. She hadn’t realized Amelia had witnessed the confrontation.
“I saw Ms. Delacroix go into the bathroom to argue with Evelyn. Evelyn tried to leave, but Ms. Delacroix stopped her. She grabbed Evelyn’s wrist and yanked her bracelet off. Then—then it broke, and Ms. Delacroix started screaming and ran out. Evelyn never touched her! I saw it!”
As she spoke, Amelia gestured frantically, tears of distress welling in her eyes.
“Amelia…” Evelyn’s throat tightened, her own vision blurring.
For someone as timid as Amelia to speak up like this—she was pushing past her fears, just to defend her.
