Chapter 176

"Your competition with Lila is coming up, isn't it?" Victor Sterling abruptly shifted the conversation.

Evelyn Hartley met his gaze, her voice cool and measured. "What exactly are you implying by bringing that up?"

Victor picked up his coffee cup from the table and took a deliberate sip, his tone dripping with condescension. "Just keep a good attitude and do your best. There’s no shame in losing to Lila."

Evelyn’s eyes sharpened, her stare cutting through him. "And why are you so certain I’ll lose to her?"

Victor’s lips curled into a mocking smirk. "Isn’t it obvious? You’ve never surpassed Lila before. What makes you think graduating from university changed anything? Do you really believe you’ve suddenly become smarter?"

A flicker of realization passed through Evelyn’s gaze. The pieces clicked into place—Grace hadn’t asked her to throw the competition because of Victor’s orders. That had been Grace’s own decision.

The weight of that betrayal settled heavily in Evelyn’s chest, a bitter mix of disappointment and hurt tightening around her heart.

As silence stretched between them, Victor continued, his tone dismissive. "Like I said, losing to Lila isn’t a disgrace. You’re sisters, after all. There shouldn’t be any resentment between you. And if things don’t work out at Grand Pines General, I’ll make sure you have a position somewhere else. So don’t stress—just take it easy."

He chuckled, the sound laced with derision. "No matter how hard you try, the outcome will probably stay the same anyway."

Victor had always underestimated Evelyn. Even now, knowing she worked at Grand Pines General, he assumed it was only through the Caldwell family’s influence. He held no real expectation that she could challenge Lila.

In his mind, Lila would always come out on top.

Evelyn’s lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. Of course. To Victor, his golden child Lila would always be superior.

How could he have possibly instructed Grace to convince Evelyn to lose?

Evelyn regarded him with an impassive expression. "Are we finished here? May I leave now?"

Victor’s irritation flared at her detached demeanor, her blatant indifference to his opinions. But seeing no point in prolonging the conversation, he waved her off with a dismissive flick of his hand. "Go ahead."

Without another word, Evelyn turned and walked out. She headed straight to her room, swiftly gathered her things, and prepared to leave.

"Evelyn, you barely rested. Where are you going now?" Grace asked softly, concern lacing her voice.

Evelyn met Grace’s gaze, emotions swirling in her eyes. After a brief pause, she inhaled deeply. "I have something to take care of. I’m going out."

She didn’t wait for Grace’s response, striding out of the house without looking back.

Instead of returning to the Black estate, Evelyn drove straight to the Caldwell residence. Thankfully, she had the day off. After the exhaustion of the previous night, she couldn’t imagine trying to work in such a state.

When Olivia Sinclair saw Evelyn, she greeted her warmly.