Chapter 269

The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a golden glow over Evelyn Sinclair’s bedroom. She stretched languidly, her mind already buzzing with the latest gossip she had overheard the night before.

Nathan Blackwood and Victoria Hayes? Really?

A smirk curled her lips as she replayed the whispered conversation between her assistant, Lillian Graves, and Preston Whitmore. The director had let slip something juicy about Nathan’s supposed late-night rendezvous with his secretary.

Evelyn rolled onto her side, propping her chin on her hand. Oh, this is too good.

She had always suspected there was something… unprofessional between Nathan and Victoria. The way the woman lingered a little too long in his office, the way her perfectly manicured fingers brushed against his arm whenever she handed him documents.

Pathetic.

But now? Now she had confirmation.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. A message from Serena Whitmore, her agent:

"Don’t forget—meeting with Donovan Sharpe at noon. He’s bringing the revised script."

Evelyn sighed. Business as usual. But her mind was already elsewhere.

How should I use this little tidbit?

She could confront Nathan directly, watch that arrogant mask of his crack. Or better yet—let it slip to the press. A scandal like this would send shockwaves through Blackwood Industries.

Her fingers tapped against the silk sheets, plotting.

Then another thought struck her.

What if… what if she played the gracious, understanding fiancée? Pretended she didn’t know a thing, let Nathan dig his own grave deeper?

Oh, the delicious irony.

A soft laugh escaped her as she imagined the look on Victoria’s face when she realized Evelyn had known all along.

Game on.

She reached for her phone, typing out a quick reply to Serena:

"Tell Donovan I’ll be there. And… I might have some interesting news to share."

With that, she tossed the phone aside and swung her legs out of bed.

Today was going to be fun.

Lucas stood frozen, his cheek stinging from Luna's slap. The coldness in her eyes sent a shiver down his spine. Despite her constant disdain, she was still his sister—his own flesh and blood. The stark contrast between how Vivian and Gwendolyn treated each other versus how Luna treated him made him let out a bitter laugh.

"Do you even hear yourself?" Lucas hissed. "He's days away from his engagement, and you're tangled up with a man who's already taken."

"Since when do you care?" Luna snapped, helping Caleb up from the ground while shooting Lucas a venomous glare. "Just because we share the same mother doesn’t mean you get to dictate my life."

Lucas inhaled sharply, his gaze shifting to Caleb. Even in pain, writhing on the ground, Caleb managed to smirk at him—mocking, triumphant.

Rage burned through Lucas. If this snake wasn’t his aunt’s son, he might have actually killed him.

"He’s using you to humiliate me, to get revenge. Do you really think he cares about you?"

Caleb didn’t bother denying it. He had promised Luna the glitz of Hollywood, flaunting her beauty to the world. He had stoked her resentment toward Lucas, turning her into his weapon. None of it was about love. If she truly mattered to him, how could he stand there and let her be his dirty little secret while he prepared to marry another woman?

Luna only laughed in Lucas’s face.

"I don’t care if he loves me or not," she taunted, her voice dripping with spite. "As long as I love him, that’s enough. I’ll happily be his mistress. And yes, I despise you. What are you going to do about it?"

The smugness in her expression—like she was savoring his anger—was infuriating. Her stubbornness was beyond reason.

Lucas had had enough. If reasoning wouldn’t work, he’d hit them where it hurt.

"Fine," he said coldly. "If you don’t end this, I’ll tell Mom about your little acting dreams—and exactly who’s funding them."

Then he turned to Caleb, his voice low and dangerous. "Aunt Adriana might turn a blind eye to your usual scandals, but Luna is still her former sister-in-law’s daughter. Do you really think she’ll let you play with her like this? Touch my sister again, and I’ll make sure Aunt Adriana knows everything."

The threat struck a nerve. The curses that followed were vicious, but Lucas didn’t flinch.

Without another word, he grabbed Luna’s arm and dragged her away.

"Take my warning seriously. Go ahead—test me if you dare!"

The words hung heavy in the air as Lucas ushered Luna into the car, driving straight back to the Reed residence without another word.

The moment they stepped inside, Luna clung to Penelope like a frightened child, sobbing about how Lucas had mistreated her.

Penelope didn’t bother asking for details. Her fury erupted instantly. "Unbelievable!" she seethed. "So you think just because you might inherit the Bennett family one day, you can treat us like dirt?"

"Mom," Lucas said, his voice steady but cold. "I disciplined Luna because she was out of line. If you keep coddling her, she’ll make a mistake that can’t be undone."

A mother should have sought the truth. But Penelope was too blinded by resentment to care. "If your sister made a mistake, it’s because of you," she spat. "You’ve been nothing but a curse on this family since the day you were born!"

Lucas had heard it all before. The words no longer stung—just left him numb. He knew reasoning with her was pointless. Without another word, he turned to leave.

"Keep an eye on Luna," he said over his shoulder. "She’s been running with the wrong crowd lately."

Luna immediately launched into a defensive tirade, and Penelope seemed ready to join her. But Lucas was already done listening.

As he reached the door, Penelope finally swallowed her rage enough to speak. "Wait. I have a question." Her voice was sharp. "Is Lydia planning to officially name you the heir at the engagement party? Will you start working under her then?"

Lucas paused. He could already see the gears turning in her mind—how she might use him to squeeze more benefits from the Bennett family.

"I don’t know," he said flatly. "And even if I did, it’s none of your concern. You left the Bennett family a long time ago."

Silence.

When Lucas glanced back, Penelope’s face was twisted into something dark, almost monstrous. Her glare was venomous, as if his very success was a personal insult.

His chest tightened. He understood now—she hated seeing him thrive. The better he did, the more it enraged her, as if his achievements came at the cost of the family’s downfall. He had never imagined superstition could poison someone so deeply.

But he was past caring.

Without another word, Lucas walked out.

Behind him, Luna seized the moment to stoke the flames. "Mom, did you see how he talked to you? He has no respect! And today, he hit me and Caleb. Who knows what he’ll do if he ever becomes head of the Bennett family?"

Penelope gasped. "He hit you?"

Luna knew exactly how to manipulate her. Penelope despised Lucas—always had. In fact, she treated Caleb, who wasn’t even her own blood, with more warmth than she’d ever shown her own son.

And Lucas? He was already gone, the door closing behind him with finality.

The tension in the air was palpable as Luna stormed into the mansion, her face flushed with anger. She didn’t even spare Lucas a glance—her disdain for him had reached new heights.

So, she wasn’t afraid to bring Caleb into the conversation.

Luna quickly spun a lie, her voice dripping with feigned innocence. "Today, I finally got a chance to spend some time with Caleb. Out of nowhere, Lucas showed up. You know how much he despises Caleb—he’s always been jealous of our closeness. He started mocking me, even went as far as attacking me. He’s cruel, Mother. And now? He’s lying to you, claiming I was with some shady people. He’s lost his mind!"

Penelope didn’t overanalyze it. To her, Lucas was simply becoming more rebellious, more defiant—as if he no longer saw her as his mother. The thought darkened her expression.

"Does he really think he can stand on his own? I will never let him inherit the Bennett family. If he thinks he can break free from me, he’s delusional."

A plan was already forming in her mind. Then, her focus shifted back to the supposed attack. Luna clutched her side dramatically, pretending to be in pain, which only fueled Penelope’s fury. She swore then and there that she’d find a way to break Lucas’s legs.

Once Luna retreated to her room, she immediately resumed her scheming with Caleb. Like rats plotting in the shadows, they spent their days devising ways to sabotage Lucas.

Meanwhile, Evelyn, who had been silently observing through her system, couldn’t help but sigh in frustration.

Lucas is going about this all wrong. Luna thrives on rebellion. After being humiliated by Nathan and scolded by her own brother, she’s even more determined to cling to Caleb—if only to spite Lucas. Would he really report them if they crossed the line again?

In truth, Nathan wanted to argue. He hadn’t insulted anyone.

But if those two got tangled up in their mess again, Lucas would report them.

What the hell? He’s gone to see Beatrice again. Could it be…?

Nathan was stunned. Had his brother finally decided to stop holding back?

But was it too late?

And knowing Beatrice, she wouldn’t cancel the engagement party over something like this.