Chapter 223

Evelyn's slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk, her gaze sharp as a blade. "Mr. Ashcroft, Falcon Training Camp isn't a playground. Are you certain you want to send your precious son there?"

A cold smile curled her lips. "From what I know, your son finds ordinary apartments beneath him. Sleeping in tents? Living among venomous snakes and wild beasts?"

Zachary stood nearby, his brow furrowed. "Mr. Ashcroft, the debt Miss Roland owes you can be repaid another way. The brutality of Falcon Training Camp is beyond your son's endurance."

Vincent Ashcroft Sr. shook his head with a bitter laugh, stubborn determination flashing in his eyes. "Money can be regained, but a lost son is irreplaceable. I only want him to truly grow."

Evelyn abruptly rose to her feet, her black trench coat slicing through the air behind her. "What your son did to me—I've already shown mercy by not pursuing it. He doesn't deserve to remain at Sterling Manor."

Her voice was glacial. "A spoiled playboy who only knows how to waste his life—why should I gamble Sterling Manor's future on him?"

"Miss Roland!" Vincent tried to plead again.

"Dad!" A sudden voice cut him off.

Vincent Ashcroft stood in the doorway, his face deathly pale. His eyes were locked onto Evelyn, his lips trembling. "You... who are you really?"

The air turned to ice.

Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "How much did you hear?"

The aura radiating from her made Vincent's legs weaken. The pressure was suffocating, as if an invisible weight crushed his shoulders.

Vincent Ashcroft Sr. hurried to explain. "Miss Roland, I'm sure he didn't mean to—"

Elegantly settling back into the sofa, Evelyn lightly tapped the armrest. "Since you've heard, you should understand the consequences." Her voice was soft but laced with threat. "What happened today—forget it the moment you step out that door."

"You're really..." Vincent's voice shook. "The heiress of Sterling Manor?"

The realization struck him like lightning. The woman he'd looked down upon was actually standing at the pinnacle of power?