Chapter 69

Evelyn was stunned. She had almost forgotten about the fight with Victoria, whose sharp nails had left angry red marks on her lips during their scuffle.

"Evelyn, who did this to you? Tell me right now!"

Nathaniel's voice was laced with fury. Who dared lay a hand on Evelyn?

Hastily, Evelyn waved it off. "Relax, Nathaniel. No one hit me. It was just an accident. While I was inspecting the site today, a folder accidentally smacked my lips."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I'm fine."

Evelyn had no intention of telling her brothers the truth. The last thing she wanted was to drag them into this mess. Victoria was from Crestwood City—if she wanted to retaliate against Evelyn's brothers, it would be effortless.

She couldn’t risk their safety.

Nathaniel didn’t press further. Instead, he softened his tone. "Evelyn, if anyone ever hurts you, promise you’ll tell us immediately."

"I will."

"Also, don’t worry about the house. I’ll send you the listings by tomorrow. Do you need money?"

Evelyn chuckled.

"I have enough," she assured him.

Olivia chimed in, "Evelyn, we know you want to buy a place near the hospital for Aunt Margaret. But a decent house isn’t cheap. The six of us pooled some money for you."

"You can buy the house now and repay us later. If you’re going to buy one, why not get the best from the start?"

Evelyn hesitated. Olivia’s offer was tempting.

Without missing a beat, Nathaniel added, "Just take it, Evelyn."

Finally, she relented. "Alright. I’ll work hard and pay you all back as soon as I can."

After a brief chat, she ended the call, her heart swelling with gratitude.

Standing before the mirror, Evelyn traced her fingers lightly over her lips. The sting was nothing compared to the throbbing in her head.

But she knew Victoria wasn’t faring any better. Those sharp jabs she’d delivered would leave bruises for days.

A small, satisfied smile curved her lips as she whispered, "I’ll work hard and buy that house."

The next day, Nathaniel sent her the listings. They were far superior to what her previous agent had shown her—and the prices were shockingly reasonable.

Thrilled, she called him immediately.

"Where did you find these?"

Nathaniel cleared his throat. "A friend of mine is a realtor in Crestwood. He recommended these off-market. He’ll handle everything for you."

"Thank you, Nathaniel. I’ll visit them after work tomorrow."

She hadn’t expected him to act so quickly. Energized, she decided to leave work early.

Cassandra overheard her. Applying her lipstick with a smirk, she taunted, "Buying a house? With just a million dollars? Good luck finding anything decent in Crestwood."

Evelyn packed her bag and paused beside Cassandra’s desk. "I’ve been meaning to tell you—that shade of lipstick makes you look like a clown."

Cassandra’s face twisted in rage. By the time she slammed her mirror down, Evelyn was already gone.

Fuming, Cassandra immediately texted Penelope.

"Ms. Whitmore, Evelyn mentioned she’s buying a house."

Penelope replied instantly. "Find out which one."

A wicked gleam lit Cassandra’s eyes. She wouldn’t let Evelyn’s insult go unanswered.

That afternoon, Evelyn toured several properties. The last one stole her breath—spacious, elegantly renovated, and priced at six million.

With the three million her brothers contributed and her competition prize money, she had four million. A two-million-dollar mortgage meant manageable monthly payments.

Now, Evelyn was officially a homeowner—or soon would be.

And she was more determined than ever to succeed.