Chapter 17

Serena studied Nathan intently, her instincts screaming that something wasn't right. Why did she get the feeling he wasn’t as eager for the divorce as he claimed? The thought made her press her lips together in frustration.

Meanwhile, as Evelyn approached the private booth in the upscale lounge, she spotted a familiar figure already seated inside.

The woman—Natalie Brooks—looked up, her sharp eyes sweeping over Evelyn before lighting up with admiration. "You're even more breathtaking in person than in those magazine spreads!" Natalie grinned, opening her arms. "Welcome back, darling!"

Evelyn melted into the embrace before sliding into the plush seat across from her best friend. Natalie poured them both glasses of rich red wine, then arched a perfectly sculpted brow. "Alright, spill. What’s got you summoning me for emergency drinks on a Tuesday night?"

Clinking their glasses together, Evelyn exhaled, her gaze dropping to the swirling liquid. "I went back to the Sterling mansion today. The security code was changed, and then—" She recounted the humiliating encounter with Lila and Victor Sterling, her voice tight with restrained anger.

Natalie listened, her expression darkening. When Evelyn finished, she leaned forward, her manicured fingers tapping against the table. "Evie, have you ever stopped to wonder why Lila is so obsessed with tearing you down? She’s the legitimate Sterling heiress. You’re the daughter of an affair—technically no threat to her inheritance. So why go out of her way to frame you, sabotage you, even fake injuries to make you look bad?"

Evelyn stiffened.

Natalie’s lips curled knowingly. "Think about it. What if she was the one who planted those pills in your bag that night?"

A beat of silence passed before Evelyn whispered, "I’ve had three years abroad to piece it together. And I think… it was always about Nathan."

"Finally," Natalie breathed, slumping back in her seat. "I’ve been saying for years that Lila’s obsession with Nathan was pathological. You were too trusting—believing her when she ‘warned’ you about other women circling him. But all those ‘tips’ just drove him further away. Was she ever really on your side?"

Evelyn’s laugh was bitter. The truth stung like salt in a wound.

How had she missed it? She’d been Lila’s puppet all along.