Chapter 9

He was clearly talking about Evelyn trying to become Mrs. Everett. Honestly, it hadn't even been a full day, and this woman had already managed to pique Julian's interest. Evelyn turned her head slightly, lowered her voice, and said, "Julian, you might wanna be sure about this. I'm the kind who takes things seriously—once you mess with me, there's no turning back." She was throwing his own words from this morning right back at him. Julian chuckled under his breath, his voice low and smooth. "That's fine. I'm into challenges anyway. Whatever comes, I can handle it." Evelyn looked him straight in the eye, and for a second her heart skipped a beat under his intense gaze. Their easy-breezy exchange looked a lot like flirting from where George and Amelia were standing. Behind them, Emily sneered and whispered to herself, "Shameless." George's face darkened like a thundercloud. He was furious watching what he saw as indecent behavior, and his blood pressure was clearly spiking. Evelyn noticed the change in atmosphere. She dropped a necklace into Julian's palm and said casually, "Here you go—our token. Keep it safe. Once I've dealt with the Andrews situation, I'll come find you." "Alright. I'll be waiting," Julian replied, sliding the necklace into the small chest pocket on the left side of his shirt. Evelyn's eyes flinched seeing that simple motion, but she quickly pulled herself back together. Once Julian left, Evelyn didn't even glance at George or Amelia. She adjusted her coat and walked straight upstairs. "That girl's completely out of line! Look at her attitude! I've spoiled her too much, that's the problem. It's infuriating…" George's angry voice echoed behind her, but Evelyn didn't give him the time of day. As the scent of wind chimes—that light, familiar freshness—wrapped around her like a comfort blanket, she felt a little warmth settle into her chest again. Evelyn reached the second floor and headed toward her room. But the moment she pushed open her bedroom door, her face fell instantly. Spinning around, she stormed back downstairs, her voice sharp as ice. "Mrs. Lee, who told you to touch my room?" Thinking back to the overly pink decor and the sickly sweet scent that hit her when she opened the door, Evelyn's expression grew darker by the second. Caught off guard, Mrs. Lee, who had been hiding out in the staff quarters, scurried over with a guilty look and glanced toward Emily. "It… it was Miss Emily." Evelyn shot a death glare at Emily. "I'm still living here, and someone's already so eager to take over." "I… I didn't mean to, sis. Dad said you're marrying into the Andrews soon anyway, so the room would be empty. And mine doesn't get enough light… I'm sorry." Emily looked like a scared little rabbit, all pitiful and innocent. Evelyn sneered and turned to George, who was still fuming. "You told them to move me out?" "A married daughter's place is with her husband. It's just a room, and you're already married. Let Emily have it. The guest room will suit you well enough," George said, furrowing his brows. He made it sound like Evelyn being married meant she was no longer part of the Knight family—like she didn't even deserve to have a room kept for her. Evelyn let out a sharp laugh, her eyes burning with anger. "And who exactly does she think she is to take my stuff? Mrs. Lee, now—put my room back the way it was." "Yes, right away, Miss," Mrs. Lee stammered, caught off guard. Emily's face changed instantly. She turned to Amelia in panic. She had been eyeing Evelyn's room forever. Actually, anything Evelyn owned, Emily wanted. Now that she'd finally gotten her hands on it, how could she possibly just give it up? And what's worse—Evelyn was kicking her out in front of everyone. That was beyond humiliating. Amelia's eyes narrowed just a bit, calculating. "Evelyn, you were supposed to marry into the Andrews family today, right? That room would've been empty anyway. Emily's bathroom ceiling started leaking, that's all…" She gave a light chuckle, like she was trying to smooth everything over. "And none of us expected you to ditch the wedding today. Look, why not just stay in the guest room downstairs tonight? Tomorrow, at the very latest, I'll personally fix up a room next door exactly like your old one. Sound good?" Evelyn shot her a cold look, voice like ice. "What's mine stays mine. No one touches it without my say-so. Got that?" Amelia opened her mouth to reply, but Evelyn had already turned around, heading upstairs with Mrs. Lee and the household staff trailing behind her. Emily rushed after them, only to watch helplessly as Evelyn gave crisp orders while the servants tossed out everything Emily had moved into the room—her clothes, even her underwear. Emily snapped. She darted forward, ready to argue, but froze as Evelyn glanced back at her—a look so cold it made her skin crawl. In the end, red-eyed and sniffling, Emily buried herself in George's arms, sobbing with all the drama she could muster. George was fuming, about to storm upstairs after Evelyn when he was stopped by Mr. Sullivan, the butler, who had come to check on the commotion. Mr. Sullivan had followed Clara into the Knight family all those years ago. Ever since her death, he only took orders from Evelyn. And now, that stern warning look he shot made George freeze. The in-laws from the Hayes family—they were not the kind of people he could afford to offend right now. With clenched teeth, George could only watch while Evelyn did her thing. From across the hallway, Evelyn glanced back at him with a cold smirk, then stepped out onto the balcony. She pulled out her phone, pressed a number, and murmured, "Go ahead. Start the plan."