Chapter 122

Evelyn sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I chased after what my heart desired, only to end up with scars and a shattered soul."

Her lips curled into a bitter smile, her delicate frame trembling slightly. "I loved the wrong person at the wrong time. I was so blinded by it that I didn’t even see who else was standing right beside me."

Sebastian studied her, his sharp gaze softening for just a moment. He found it unsettling how emotionally mature Evelyn was for her age—it spoke of wounds too deep for someone so young.

With a quiet chuckle, he leaned back, crossing his arms. "Don’t be so hard on yourself, Evelyn. The fact that you loved Nathan so fiercely proves he had his merits. He wasn’t entirely worthless, so your youth wasn’t wasted. It just wasn’t meant to be."

Evelyn exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "I used to think my taste was impeccable because the man I loved seemed untouchable. Now, looking back, I realize how foolish I was."

Just then, her phone buzzed violently against the table.

Theodore’s name flashed across the screen.

She swiped to answer. "Theo, what’s going on?"

"Finally! Your signal’s been terrible!" His voice crackled with excitement. "Check your social media—now! Cassandra Blackwood is holding a press conference to publicly apologize to our hotel employee!"

Evelyn shot to her feet, her earlier melancholy vanishing in an instant. Her almond-shaped eyes widened, glinting with disbelief.

Theodore continued breathlessly, "They sprung this on everyone last minute—probably to minimize backlash. The live stream’s already hit five million views and climbing! If they were going to back down, they should’ve done it with dignity. This just makes them look sneaky and spineless. Monarch Group would never pull something like this!"

A realization struck Evelyn like lightning.

The Blackwoods’ sudden change of heart was too abrupt.

Yesterday, Cassandra had been ready to wage war. There was no way she’d surrender so easily unless something—or someone—had forced her hand.

Leonard doted on Cassandra, and Penelope shielded her like a prized jewel. The Blackwoods would never let her humiliate herself like this unless compelled.

Who had intervened?

Nathan?

Evelyn shook her head violently, as if trying to dislodge the thought. But no one else had the power to bend Cassandra to their will.

If it was Nathan… why would he do this?

Taking a steadying breath, she hung up and pulled up the live stream.

The screen was flooded with a relentless tide of comments, obscuring Cassandra’s ashen face.

There she stood, clad in a stark black dress, bowing stiffly before a sea of reporters. Her expression was pinched, her usual arrogance replaced by something brittle.

[Karma’s a bitch! Money can’t buy class!]

[Is she seriously wearing full glam for an apology? How tone-deaf can you be?]

[Pathetic. She’s not even trying to look remorseful.]

[Not just pathetic—ugly too.]

Evelyn’s lips curled into a razor-sharp smile as she watched.

Cassandra, the golden princess of the Blackwoods, was enduring the greatest humiliation of her twenty-five years.

Of course she wasn’t sincere. But Evelyn didn’t care.

If Cassandra surrendered too easily, where was the fun in that?

Then, another call sliced through her thoughts, wrenching her attention away.