Chapter 56

A thick blanket of fog clung to the morning air, obscuring the weak spring sunlight that struggled to pierce through the heavy clouds.

Evelyn stirred awake to the sound of commotion outside her bedroom. She slipped into a cashmere sweater and stepped out into the hallway.

Servants bustled about, carrying furniture and boxes down from the second floor.

Eleanor and Richard stood in the grand foyer below, still in their silk pajamas.

"Why this sudden departure, Sebastian? You know how much your father and I value having our family together under one roof." Eleanor's voice trembled. "Can't you reconsider staying?"

Evelyn gripped the balcony railing, the cold metal biting into her palms as understanding dawned.

Cassandra swept into the foyer with her usual meddlesome energy. "Sebastian, Evelyn only returned yesterday, and you're already moving out? This speaks volumes about your feelings toward her." She crossed her arms. "We're supposed to be family. Must you be so heartless?"

Sebastian Blackwood and his wife Isabella exchanged glances, their polite masks slipping at Cassandra's accusation.

Isabella's lips curled in disdain. "How noble of you, Cassandra. You can tolerate living with just anyone." She adjusted her diamond bracelet. "But I come from proper breeding. My father chairs the literature department at Cambridge, and my mother performs with the London Symphony. I was raised with refinement, not to mingle with..." Her gaze flicked upward to Evelyn. "...certain elements."

She continued, her voice dripping with contempt, "My husband runs a Fortune 500 company. As his wife, I have standards to maintain. Living under the same roof as... that... would be utterly degrading."

With that final pronouncement, Isabella turned on her Louboutin heels and strode out, the sharp clicks echoing through the mansion.

Sebastian, ever the meek follower, mumbled hasty goodbyes before scurrying after his wife like a chastened puppy.

Evelyn's knuckles turned white against the railing. A bitter taste filled her mouth as humiliation burned through her veins.

Certain elements?

The words carved into her heart like shards of glass.

Below, Eleanor watched her youngest son depart, dabbing at her eyes with a monogrammed handkerchief.

"Liam's always away on military assignments. Donovan vanished five years ago without a trace. And now Sebastian..." Her voice broke. "Our family is crumbling before my eyes."

Richard pulled his wife close. "Darling, some things are beyond our control. Let them go."

Eleanor sniffled. "Will Sebastian ever return if Evelyn remains here?"

Neither noticed Evelyn standing frozen on the balcony. Richard answered without hesitation, "He'll be back soon enough. Liam's clearly smitten with Victoria. The divorce is inevitable."

"How much longer must we endure this?" Eleanor wailed.

Cassandra tugged her mother's sleeve, nodding upward. "Mother..."

When Eleanor followed her gaze and saw Evelyn, the color drained from her face.

Richard coughed awkwardly. "Evelyn, darling, your mother's just upset about Sebastian leaving. I was only trying to comfort her. Pay no mind to my ramblings."

Evelyn forced a serene smile. "Of course," she murmured softly before retreating to her room.

The moment the door clicked shut, Evelyn's legs gave way. She slid down against the wood, silent tears streaking down her cheeks.

For the first time, she questioned whether her resolve was worth this torment.

In the following days, Eleanor and Richard maintained polite but distant civility. Cassandra and her husband Gregory treated Evelyn with surface-level courtesy—though everyone knew it stemmed from self-interest rather than genuine kindness.

A week later, Cassandra cornered Evelyn with an invitation.

"You simply must attend this gala my friend is hosting," Cassandra insisted, waving an embossed card.

Evelyn declined immediately.

Cassandra's eyes gleamed. "Think of Liam! You need to learn high society's ways if you ever hope to stand beside him." She leaned closer. "All his closest friends will be there. Don't you want to make connections?"

The unspoken threat hung between them—either conform to their world, or lose Liam forever.