The ballroom sparkled with grandeur, but Evelyn barely noticed it anymore.
She stood alone near the champagne tower, holding a glass she hadn't touched. The music, the chatter, the laughter — it all faded into a dull hum in her ears. Her thoughts spun in too many directions, a storm of past memories and future fears.
Behind her, she could still feel Nicholas's presence, watching.
She hadn't expected him to follow her outside earlier. He never did that before — not in her last life. Back then, he was distant, always calculating, always cold. He never noticed her unless it benefited his image. But tonight… he had looked at her like he didn't know her at all. Like he was trying to figure her out.
Good.
Let him wonder.
Let him be curious.
Because the moment he stopped looking at her like a puzzle, he might remember who she truly was — the woman who once loved him blindly, and the one carrying his child.
And this time, she had no intention of letting that truth come out.
---
A voice cut through the crowd.
"There you are, Evelyn. I've been looking all over for you."
Evelyn turned, her smile fading slightly at the sight of Damon Pierce — the man who had been obsessed with her in her past life. He had been charming in the beginning, a family friend turned suitor. But behind the charm had been manipulation, and in the end, he had betrayed her, too — helping her mother keep her under control.
Evelyn kept her voice polite. "Damon. I didn't expect you here."
He stepped closer, too close. His cologne was the same — sharp and cloying, a scent she had grown to hate.
"You look stunning tonight," he said, letting his gaze drop down her dress in a way that made her skin crawl. "Even more than I remember."
She stepped back. "That's kind of you to say."
His eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the chill in her tone. "You used to smile more when I complimented you."
"I've learned to be more cautious with my smiles."
Damon tilted his head. "Is that so?"
Before he could say more, a shadow fell across them.
Nicholas had arrived.
His presence was commanding, quiet but powerful. He said nothing for a moment, only glancing between the two of them. Evelyn's heart pounded as his gaze settled on Damon, unreadable.
"Is everything alright here?" Nicholas asked, voice smooth but hard-edged.
Damon straightened. "Of course. Evelyn and I go way back. Just catching up."
Nicholas didn't smile. "You seemed... too close."
The tension thickened.
Evelyn stepped in quickly. "Damon was just leaving."
Damon looked at her, surprised, then annoyed. "Right. I see." His eyes flicked to Nicholas. "Guess I'll leave you two to it."
As Damon walked away, Evelyn let out a quiet breath.
Nicholas turned to her, his gaze sharper now. "You don't like him."
"I don't trust him."
Nicholas studied her for a long moment. "That's a wise instinct."
"Why are you still talking to me, Mr. Sullivan?" she asked quietly, turning to face him fully.
He raised an eyebrow. "You're different tonight. I don't remember you ever being this... blunt."
"Then you didn't really pay attention the last time we met," she said, voice calm but firm.
That caught him off guard.
For a moment, Evelyn thought he might walk away. Instead, he took a sip of champagne, then leaned slightly closer.
"You're not what I expected," he murmured.
Evelyn looked him straight in the eye. "That's the idea."
---
The night dragged on, but Evelyn's mind never settled.
She danced once — briefly — with a young investor her mother had pushed toward her. But her eyes kept drifting to Nicholas. And worse, his kept drifting back.
She didn't like it.
She didn't like the way he was watching her now — like a man who had finally noticed something rare. And she definitely didn't like how her heart skipped at the attention.
She had to remember: Nicholas Sullivan was not a man she could trust. No matter how charming he looked under the crystal chandeliers. No matter how tempting it was to believe that maybe, just maybe, he could be different in this timeline.
Because he wasn't.
He never had been.
---
By the time the gala ended, Evelyn was exhausted. Her mother chattered the entire ride home about how well she'd done, how interested Nicholas seemed, how this could be their family's golden opportunity.
Evelyn tuned her out.
She had more important things to worry about. Like the growing nausea twisting inside her stomach. She managed to hide it until she reached her room, then collapsed onto her bed with a groan.
Too much stress, she thought. Too many memories.
Her hand slid over her abdomen.
"Don't worry," she whispered. "I won't let anyone hurt you."
---
The next morning, she woke late — almost noon — and found a letter on her nightstand.
It was sealed with the Sullivan family crest.
Her stomach dropped.
She opened it carefully.
> Miss Evelyn Huntley,
It was a pleasure speaking with you at the gala last night. I find myself intrigued by your change in demeanor and your clear independence of thought. I don't often extend invitations personally, but I would like to invite you to lunch tomorrow. I believe we have much to discuss.
Sincerely,
Nicholas A. Sullivan
Evelyn stared at the letter.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
In her past life, Nicholas hadn't even spoken to her privately until weeks after the gala. This was far too soon. Something had changed.
Was it me?
Of course it was. Her behavior had disrupted the flow of events. She'd pushed back, shown confidence, deflected Damon, and refused to play the obedient daughter role. And that... had caught Nicholas's attention.
She had changed the timeline.
And now, she had to be more careful than ever.
---
That evening, she visited her grandmother's old estate — a small cottage outside the city, long abandoned. In her past life, she had once run here to cry when things fell apart.
Now, she came to plan.
She found the old trunk in the attic where she had hidden her private diary years ago. It was still there, dusty and untouched. She opened it and began writing.
Not poetry, not feelings.
Strategy.
She made three lists.
1. What went wrong in the past
2. Who betrayed her
3. What must never happen again
At the bottom of the last page, she wrote one line in bold, dark ink:
Protect the baby at all costs.
---
The next day, she stood in front of the Sullivan tower — tall, sleek, intimidating. Her stomach turned, but she steadied herself.
She had accepted Nicholas's invitation.
Not because she wanted to see him.
But because she needed to know what he was planning — and what he saw in her now.
Nicholas met her in the private rooftop restaurant. It was nearly empty, except for a few suited businessmen and quiet jazz playing in the background.
He rose when she entered.
"You came," he said, sounding genuinely surprised.
Evelyn smiled faintly. "Curiosity got the better of me."
They sat.
The silence between them was thick at first.
Then he asked, "What changed you?"
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
"You're... more guarded. Stronger. You used to be the kind of woman who smiled at everything. Now you look at people like they might stab you."
Because they did, she wanted to say.
But instead, she shrugged. "Life teaches you lessons."
Nicholas leaned forward, elbows on the table. "I'm not trying to be rude. I'm just trying to understand you."
"That's a dangerous thing to want," she replied, eyes cold.
"Why?"
"Because understanding me might make you care. And caring leads to disappointment."
---
There it was.
A wall.
And Evelyn hoped it would be enough to push him away.
But Nicholas didn't back down.
He studied her for a moment, then said, "Maybe I'm not so easily scared."
She laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. "Then you've never cared about the wrong person."
Nicholas's gaze sharpened. "Have you?"
She didn't answer.
Because yes — she had.
And that person was sitting right in front of her.
The atmosphere in the rooftop restaurant was still — the kind of stillness that hummed with quiet tension. Nicholas leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping softly against the armrest, watching Evelyn like he was trying to read between her words.
Evelyn sipped her water and kept her face calm. But inside, her thoughts spun.
He's not letting go.
He's too curious.
This isn't how things went before.
In her past life, Nicholas never gave her this much attention. She had been the invisible daughter of a social-climbing family. An arranged marriage was all she had been to him. But now, he was... interested?
Dangerously interested.
Evelyn forced a calm breath. She had come here to get information — not to fall into another emotional trap.
"You didn't answer my question," Nicholas said finally. "Have you ever cared about the wrong person?"
Her eyes met his.
And for a second, just one, the shield cracked. A flash of sorrow moved across her face — so quick that anyone else might have missed it.
But not Nicholas.
"I did," she said quietly. "And I paid the price."
He sat back, watching her with something like admiration. "Then I won't insult you by pretending I know what that feels like. But I'd like to."
Evelyn's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"Because you fascinate me."
Her heart skipped.
Not because of the words. But because he meant them.
This wasn't just charm. It wasn't rehearsed. His voice was too low, too steady. He was genuinely intrigued — and that was the most dangerous thing of all.
She smiled thinly. "You're not the first man to say that."
"I doubt any of them meant it the way I do."
She stood suddenly. "This was a mistake."
Nicholas rose too. "Evelyn—"
"You don't know me," she cut him off. "And you shouldn't try to. I'm not a woman who wants to be... studied."
"I'm not trying to study you."
"No?" she challenged. "Then what are you doing?"
He paused. "I'm trying to understand why someone who plays the perfect debutante... looks like she's running from something."
Because I am, she wanted to scream.
But instead, she turned away.
---
Evelyn walked out of the Sullivan tower, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floors. As soon as she exited the building, she inhaled deeply. The city air was thick, humid, and hot — but it felt more honest than what she'd just left behind.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from Clara, her best friend and only real ally.
> How did it go with Nicholas? You alive? Or already planning to disappear into the mountains?
Evelyn sighed and texted back:
> He's suspicious. Too observant. I need to be more careful.
A second later, Clara replied:
> You also need to stop acting like a spy. Just flirt, fake a smile, and survive long enough to get your inheritance back.
That made Evelyn smile, even if only for a second.
But the smile vanished when another text arrived — this one from a private number.
> I know who you are, Evelyn. And I know what you're hiding.
Her blood ran cold.
She stared at the message, heart pounding. Her grip on the phone tightened.
No. No one's supposed to know.
She deleted the message quickly, hands trembling.
Then she raised her head and whispered, "Not again. I won't let this happen again."
---
That night, Evelyn couldn't sleep. She sat at her desk, staring at the old journal where she kept all her planning notes.
In her past life, she had been too trusting, too obedient. She had followed her family's expectations, married Nicholas when they told her to, and loved him blindly.
And it had cost her everything.
Her child.
Her dignity.
Her life.
This time, she had taken control.
She had erased all traces of the baby from public knowledge. She had moved carefully, spoken carefully, dressed carefully. She had made sure no one — no one — could guess her secret.
So how did someone find out?
She flipped to a blank page and started writing names. Enemies. Threats. People who could expose her.
1. Damon Pierce – manipulative, ambitious, and clearly still obsessed with her.
2. Her mother – always watching, always scheming.
3. Nicholas Sullivan – unpredictable, and too close to the truth.
4. Unknown
That last one scared her the most.
Because if someone else knew about the baby, her entire second chance was in danger.
And this time, she wouldn't survive the fallout.
---
The next morning, she arrived at the Huntley estate to find her mother already waiting.
"Where have you been?" her mother asked sharply, arms folded. "You didn't come home after lunch with Nicholas."
"I needed space," Evelyn replied. "And quiet."
Her mother's eyes narrowed. "We're building your future, Evelyn. You don't have time for distractions."
Evelyn turned her back to hide her expression. "My future doesn't belong to you."
"What did you say?"
She turned back slowly, voice even. "I said I know what I want now. And I don't need you arranging every step of it."
Her mother took a slow step forward. "You forget yourself, girl. Without me, you wouldn't even be on the radar of the Sullivan family. Do you know how much I sacrificed to make you—?"
"Into a pawn?" Evelyn snapped. "Into something pretty to sell off to the highest bidder?"
Her mother froze.
Evelyn's voice softened, but her tone remained sharp. "I'm not your weapon anymore. And if you try to force me into another trap—"
"What will you do?" her mother challenged.
Evelyn leaned in slightly. "I'll burn everything down. Starting with your secrets."
They stared at each other for a long moment.
Then her mother turned away.
"You've changed," she muttered.
"Good," Evelyn replied. "That was the plan."
---
Later that day, Evelyn received another message from Nicholas.
> We need to talk. I don't think you're safe.
That stopped her cold.
Was he the one who sent the earlier message?
Or… had he received one too?
---
She met him again — this time in a quiet café, far from the social scene. He looked different here. Less cold. More human.
"I got a message," he said as soon as she sat.
Evelyn blinked. "What kind of message?"
He handed her his phone. On the screen was a text:
> She's not who she says she is. Ask her about the baby.
The ground beneath Evelyn seemed to disappear.
She shoved the phone back. "Is this a joke?"
Nicholas looked at her carefully. "Is it?"
She stood, her heart hammering.
"I don't know what game this is, but I'm done."
He stood too. "Evelyn, wait."
"Stay away from me, Nicholas."
But as she turned to leave, he called after her.
"I'll find out the truth, Evelyn. One way or another."