Chapter 199

Whispers in the Shadows

The dim glow of Evelyn Sinclair's laptop screen cast eerie shadows across her penthouse as she scrolled through the latest gossip forum. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, hesitating before clicking on the most recent thread—"The Blackwood Scandal: What They Don’t Want You to Know."

Her breath hitched.

The post was anonymous, but the details were too precise to ignore. It mentioned Nathan Blackwood’s late-night meetings with Victoria Hayes, his sharp-tongued secretary. Worse? It hinted at a secret deal that could dismantle Evelyn’s entire career.

"Since when does a CEO need midnight strategy sessions with his assistant?" the post taunted.

Evelyn’s nails dug into her palms. She knew Nathan wasn’t foolish enough to risk their relationship—or his empire—for a fling. But the timing was suspicious. The Blackwood Group’s merger with Holloway Industries was days away, and Victoria had been acting strangely, her smiles a little too polished, her reports a little too flawless.

A notification popped up—Serena Whitmore, her agent.

"Evelyn, turn on Channel 7. Now."

The TV flickered to life, revealing a paparazzi shot of Nathan and Victoria leaving a boutique hotel. The headline screamed: "Power Couple in Peril?"

Evelyn’s phone buzzed again. Nathan.

She let it ring.

Outside, rain began to patter against the windows, a quiet drumroll for the storm brewing in her chest. Someone was playing games. And if they thought Evelyn Sinclair would crumble under gossip, they’d sorely underestimated her.

She grabbed her coat.

Time to pay Victoria a visit.

The slap landed with such force that Evelyn Sinclair stumbled back from her seat, her head spinning.

"Cassandra! You lied to me!" Lillian Graves' furious scream echoed through the grand hall, stunning everyone present. Just half an hour ago, these two had been inseparable allies, defending each other with fervor. Now, they stood as bitter enemies.

Born into privilege, Evelyn had never been struck before. Her porcelain cheeks flushed crimson, and she whirled around instinctively, her glare sharp enough to cut glass. The sudden surge of anger shattered her usual composure, stripping away the veneer of elegance. "How dare you hit me, Lillian? Have you completely lost your mind?"

"Lost my mind?" Lillian spat, her voice trembling with betrayal. "You're the one who's lost all sense of decency! How could you deceive me like this? I stood by you, helped you sabotage Evelyn to win back Nathan! And all this time, you were lying—your illness, your so-called relationship with Nathan—everything was a sham! You used me from the very beginning!"

Lillian was unraveling, her emotions raw and unchecked. The truth about Cassandra's manipulations had been laid bare, exposing her as nothing more than a conniving fraud. For Lillian, the revelation was unbearable. In her mind, only the flawless Cassandra deserved the equally perfect Nathan. They were supposed to be a match made in heaven.

A bitter thought twisted in Lillian's mind: If someone like Cassandra could be Nathan's girlfriend, then why not me? At least I love him unconditionally. If he chose me, I'd give up everything—my family, my future—just to be with him.

But Cassandra had fabricated her entire relationship with Nathan, leaving Lillian no room for jealousy, no hope of competing. That was why she had supported them from the start—because she believed there was no chance for her.

Now, it was all a cruel joke.

Lillian felt like she had wasted years of her life on Cassandra's lies.

Cassandra's face paled. Her reputation was already in ruins, her carefully constructed façade crumbling. Lillian's public betrayal was the final humiliation.

Now, everyone could see the truth: Cassandra had returned to steal a married man from his rightful wife.

Such scandals weren’t uncommon in high society, but they were always whispered about behind closed doors, never flaunted in public. Cassandra had been stripped of her last shred of dignity.

In that moment, for reasons she couldn’t explain, Cassandra’s gaze flickered toward Nathan.

When love turns to hate, the wounds cut deepest.

Evelyn’s voice, dripping with amusement, whispered in Nathan’s ear: This is getting more and more entertaining. Fight! Fight!

Nathan found her glee oddly endearing. But then, something else crossed his mind, and his expression darkened.