Chapter 77
Sebastian’s piercing gaze locked onto Vanessa’s ashen face, his expression unreadable. When he released his grip on her waist, she clung to him desperately, ignoring the sharp pain radiating through her injured hand.
“No, Sebastian! It’s not what it looks like!” Vanessa’s voice trembled. “Evelyn provoked me first! I never laid a hand on her! And Amelia—she’s not in her right mind! You can’t trust her!”
“Not in her right mind?” Lucian scoffed, crossing his arms. “The only thing wrong with her is her fashion sense. She recounted everything perfectly.”
Sebastian exhaled sharply, his jaw tight. For his sake, Lucian held back harsher words. He couldn’t fathom why Sebastian—the man who never settled for mediocrity—was so blindly devoted to Vanessa. It was as if she had cast some spell over him.
“Did Evelyn hurt you?” Sebastian’s voice was low, strained.
Vanessa broke into a cold sweat under his scrutiny. With witnesses present, she couldn’t lie again.
“So, you attacked her?” His words cut through her like a blade.
“N-No! I—”
Vanessa’s body trembled violently, her knees buckling. Then, as if the weight of her panic and blood loss became too much, she collapsed into unconsciousness.
The absurd spectacle ended abruptly as frantic medics rushed her into an ambulance.
Meanwhile, in the underground parking lot, Tristan arrived in a hurry to find Evelyn with Madeline.
“I’m sorry!” His voice was thick with guilt as he spotted the bloodstained handkerchief clutched in Evelyn’s hand. “I should’ve been here! Who did this to you? Tell me, and I’ll make them pay!”
“It’s fine, Tristan.” Evelyn offered him a small, reassuring smile before turning to Madeline. “She handled it for me.”
Madeline shook her head, frustration lining her features. “What did I even do? I stood there uselessly while those Blackwoods treated you like dirt.”
Her voice cracked. “Evelyn, why won’t you just reveal who you are? If they knew you were a Whitmore, they’d think twice before crossing you!”
Evelyn’s smile faded. “I left that life behind. I don’t want them knowing anything about me—not Jasper, not any of them.”
Tristan stiffened, realizing Madeline knew about Evelyn’s past marriage.
“Life is cruel,” Madeline murmured, her gaze distant. “Some relationships start beautifully, only to end in ruins. But the past should stay buried.”
A wry smile tugged at her lips. “Thank goodness Sue wasn’t here today. There would’ve been bloodshed.”
Evelyn chuckled. “She’s always been quick to retaliate. Martial arts taught her that.”
For a while, they talked, laughter easing the tension. Then, without warning, Madeline pulled Evelyn into a fierce embrace.
“I still feel so guilty,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
Evelyn blinked back tears. “Don’t.”
