Chapter 224

"Vincent, shut your mouth!" Vincent Ashcroft Sr. roared, barely restraining himself from slapping his disgraceful son.

How dare he speak like that?

Evelyn Roland's expression remained icy. "That's correct. I am the heiress of Sterling Manor."

Boom—

Vincent felt as though lightning had struck him.

Impossible.

The same Evelyn he'd bullied for three years was actually the heiress of Sterling Manor?

"Young Mistress, Vincent has been abroad for a year and isn't familiar with the current situation," Ashcroft Sr. hastily explained. "Please reconsider our earlier discussion."

Evelyn cast Vincent a frigid glance. "You know exactly what kind of reputation he has in their circles. Brawling, reckless behavior—I can't help someone like that."

She stood to leave.

Ashcroft Sr.'s face drained of color.

Seeing his father's devastation, Vincent's chest ached. He called after Evelyn's retreating figure, "Young Mistress, what will it take for you to give me a chance?"

If it meant reinventing himself, he was willing to try.

Evelyn turned, her gaze sharp as a blade. "I owe your father a favor. You have one month to prove yourself. Pass my test, and I'll restore the Ashcroft family's glory."

"Boss!" Zachary Deross protested urgently. "A waste like him would never survive Falcon Training Camp's evaluation!"

Evelyn raised a hand to silence him, her eyes locked on Vincent.

Vincent gritted his teeth. "What are your conditions?"

"First—you die before revealing my identity." Her voice was glacial. "Second—keep living as you are now. For this month, I'll be watching."

Without another word, she walked away.

Zachary shot Vincent a venomous glare before following.

Vincent stood frozen.

Evelyn was the heiress of Sterling Manor.

And he? Nothing but a pathetic joke.

Slap!

A stinging blow snapped him back to reality.

"Father!" Vincent clutched his cheek. "Do you enjoy hitting me that much?"

Ashcroft Sr. snarled, "I swallowed my pride to beg for the Ashcroft family's sake. With you like this, we'll be ruined!"

"You really think so little of me?"

"Prove me wrong!" Ashcroft Sr. scoffed. "Aside from Adrian Valentine, which of your so-called friends is reliable? The business world is a battlefield—you wouldn't even see your death coming!"

"If you want redemption, follow the Young Mistress. She began training at three, took over a company by eleven. Adrian's success? All her strategic maneuvering behind the scenes."

Vincent suddenly asked, "Then why did she marry Adrian?"