Chapter 66

"Forgiveness? Don't make me laugh!" Eleanor spat before fleeing with Vanessa in tow.

The reporters pursued relentlessly, their cameras capturing every humiliating moment.

Backstage, Evelyn casually set Ocean's Whisper aside while Olivia changed in another room. She smiled at the photos flooding their group chat.

"Babe, we killed it out there!" Olivia had texted.

"Absolutely stunning," Evelyn replied.

"Wish I hadn't missed it for that business trip!" Natalie chimed in.

"Drinks later to celebrate?" Sophia suggested.

"Did you see Eleanor's face? Priceless!" Olivia added.

"Some people never learn," Evelyn typed.

As if summoned, the door burst open to reveal Eleanor and Vanessa, faces contorted with rage. Evelyn smirked, regarding them like particularly bothersome insects.

"Back for more humiliation? How... persistent."

"Sell me that necklace!" Eleanor demanded, eyeing the carelessly placed masterpiece with envy. Her salvation lay in that sapphire.

"Need your hearing checked? I said no." Evelyn began removing her jewelry before the mirror.

"Name your price!"

"Not happening." Evelyn's nonchalance made Eleanor sway dangerously.

Seeing her mother falter, Vanessa snatched Evelyn's makeup brush and lunged with a bottle of remover.

"Let's wash off that whore's paint!"

Evelyn dodged effortlessly, her gaze turning arctic. "You've gotten bold."

In one fluid motion, she seized Vanessa's wrists and dragged her toward the restroom, forcing her face toward the toilet bowl.

"Let go! Mom! Help!" Vanessa shrieked as the water loomed closer.

"Since you're so eager to remove makeup..." Evelyn purred in her ear.

Eleanor stumbled in, only for Evelyn to overpower them both. With brutal efficiency, she dunked their heads repeatedly until they emerged gasping, their designer outfits ruined, makeup running in black streaks.

As Evelyn shoved them out, Nathan appeared down the hallway. "Your knight in shining armor," she mocked.

This time, he didn't ask for explanations. "What did you do now?" he demanded of his family.

"Nathan! This witch tried to drown us!"

"She refused to sell her necklace then attacked us!"

Nathan's gaze lingered on Evelyn, struck anew by her beauty. Since their confrontation at the jewelry store, an inexplicable pull had grown stronger.

"I apologize for my mother's behavior earlier," he said stiffly.

"Save it. They can speak for themselves." Evelyn's tone left no room for argument.