Hearing Claire Vale’s words, Evelyn Vale sneered inwardly.
Just like in her previous life.
After she had caused a scene at the Blackwood residence, Claire—the very person who had been fanning the flames back at home—would rush over afterward pretending to be the peacemaker.
She would make Evelyn look unreasonable, childish, and completely incapable of controlling her temper.
And it had worked.
From that day onward, Evelyn’s position in the Blackwood family had changed.
Once, she had been Grandfather Blackwood’s favorite—the cherished young woman everyone in the family treated like a princess.
Even when she was willful, they would indulge her.
But after she broke off her engagement with Alexander, everything changed.
Grandfather Blackwood had never openly scolded her or treated her badly.
On the surface, he remained polite.
But Evelyn had felt it.
The warmth in his eyes had disappeared.
The disappointment had settled quietly between them.
And because Grandfather Blackwood’s attitude had changed, the rest of the Blackwood family had gradually followed.
Almost everyone stopped paying much attention to her.
Everyone except Damien.
Damien had become even more attentive toward her, always appearing whenever she needed something.
Meanwhile, the rest of the family had grown increasingly fond of Claire—the gentle, sensible, reasonable daughter who always seemed to know exactly what to say.
Thinking about it now, Evelyn’s anger surged.
In her previous life, she had been blind.
She had been stupid enough to believe Claire’s every word and foolish enough to let herself be manipulated.
She had deserved to be deceived.
But this time?
If Claire intended to play the same tricks again, she had chosen the wrong opponent.
There was no way Evelyn would tolerate it.
Alexander Blackwood noticed the sudden change in her expression.
The young woman standing before him had seemed bright and lively only moments ago.
Now, her beautiful eyes had turned cold.
There was even a faint, frightening edge to her gaze.
Alexander’s brows tightened slightly.
He could feel it.
Evelyn was genuinely angry.
And beneath that anger was something he had never expected to see from a eighteen-year-old girl.
Killing intent.
Alexander’s eyes narrowed.
A delicate girl of seventeen shouldn’t have possessed such a terrifying aura.
Yet, for a brief moment, he had felt it coming from her.
It was so unexpected that even someone as composed as Alexander found himself surprised.
Evelyn turned toward Mark Black.
“Wait for me a moment.”
Her voice was calm, but the coldness beneath it was unmistakable.
“I’m going to teach that woman a lesson.”
Before Mark could respond, Evelyn turned around and walked out of the stairwell.
Her red dress swept behind her as she moved.
She looked like a flame that had finally found something worth burning.
Claire was still standing in the main hall, pretending to look worried and concerned.
She had no idea that Evelyn had heard every word.
“Evelyn?”
Claire barely had time to turn before Evelyn stopped directly in front of her.
Evelyn’s expression was cold.
“Claire, what exactly do you mean?”
Claire’s heart jumped.
“Just a moment ago, you were the one telling me that Alexander’s legs would never recover.
You were also the one who told me to come here and call off our engagement.”
Her voice became sharper.
“Of course I refused.
So now you’re going around telling everyone that I’m the unreasonable one?”
Claire’s face instantly paled.
For one terrifying second, she couldn’t speak.
How did she hear that?
And why did that idiot reveal everything I said at home?
Claire’s mind raced.
She quickly forced a smile onto her face.
“Evelyn, I understand that you’re upset right now.”
She tried to sound gentle.
“I only felt that this wasn’t the right time for you to come here and discuss ending the engagement.
I didn’t mean anything else.”
Evelyn almost laughed.
“Is your head filled with nonsense?”
Claire’s smile froze.
“When did I ever say I wanted to end my engagement?”
Evelyn stepped closer.
“Alexander and I are legally engaged.
We’re simply waiting until we’re old enough to marry.
Why would I suddenly call off the engagement?”
Claire’s face became even paler.
Evelyn didn’t give her a chance to respond.
“You’ve been telling me every single day that I should break things off with Alexander.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Tell me, Claire.
What exactly are you trying to accomplish?”
The words came one after another like bullets.
Claire couldn’t find an opening to speak.
Her thoughts became a tangled mess.
She didn’t break off the engagement?
How is that possible?
What happened?
Everything had been going exactly according to plan.
Evelyn had always complained about Alexander.
She had always said she didn’t want to marry a man who had been permanently injured.
And Evelyn’s relationship with Damien had always been close.
In Claire’s mind, it had been only a matter of time before Evelyn abandoned Alexander.
But now…
Everything had suddenly changed.
Claire’s heart sank.
She struggled to maintain the gentle expression she always wore in front of the Blackwood family.
“Evelyn, what are you talking about?”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“I don’t understand.
When did I ever tell you to come here and end your engagement?”
Claire desperately wanted to distance herself from the matter.
After all, she intended to marry Damien one day.
She couldn’t afford to leave a bad impression on the Blackwood family.
If Grandfather Blackwood discovered that she had been deliberately encouraging Evelyn to abandon Alexander, he would never look at her favorably.
But Evelyn had already seen through her. This story is hosted at g.com.
“Believe it or don’t believe it.
I don’t care.”
Evelyn snorted.
“But if you dare speak badly about me behind my back again, you’d better be prepared to leave my house and sleep on the street.”
Her gaze was icy.
“I refuse to raise a white-eyed wolf.”
Claire’s eyes widened.
She looked as though she had been slapped.
Evelyn didn’t hide her disgust.
She couldn’t stand looking at Claire anymore.
After everything that had happened in her previous life, how could she possibly continue pretending that they were loving sisters?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Claire’s eyes immediately reddened.
She lowered her head, looking wounded.
“Evelyn…
how can you treat me like this?”
Her voice trembled.
“Aren’t we sisters?”
Evelyn’s lips curled into a cold smile.
“Sisters?”
She scoffed.
“Just a moment ago, you were at home cursing Alexander.”
Claire stiffened.
“You said he would never stand again for the rest of his life.”
Evelyn’s voice grew colder with every word.
“You called him a cripple.”
She stared directly into Claire’s eyes.
“And now you want to stand here and pretend we’re sisters?”
Evelyn’s expression hardened.
“Don’t insult my intelligence.”
Claire’s face turned completely white.
For the first time, she realized something terrifying.
The Evelyn standing before her was no longer the foolish girl she had manipulated in the past.
This Evelyn was awake.
And worse…
She was beginning to see everything.
Behind them, the atmosphere in the Blackwood residence grew tense.
Alexander remained silent in his wheelchair, watching Evelyn carefully.
He had never seen her like this.
The girl who had once seemed soft, impulsive, and easily influenced was now standing like a blade drawn from its sheath.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unyielding.
And for reasons he couldn’t explain, Alexander found himself unable to look away.
Evelyn didn’t notice.
Her eyes remained fixed on Claire.
In this lifetime, she had already made her decision.
She would protect Ethan.
She would uncover the truth.
She would destroy every scheme Damien and Claire had prepared for her.
And as for Alexander…
She would never abandon him again.
Not even if the entire world stood against her.