[Evelina's POV—Vinter Mansion—Two Days Later]
I knew chaos would come.
The moment Ravel sent the papers—clean, stamped, merciless—I knew the Hartgraves wouldn't take it quietly. Pride like theirs doesn't bleed in silence. It screams. It claws. It humiliates itself in public.
What I didn't expect… It was for them to come here.
To Vinter Mansion.
Bold. Stupid. Desperate.
The iron gates stood tall and unyielding, black metal gleaming under the afternoon sun. Beyond them—outside the perimeter they were never meant to cross—stood my so-called family.
And they were loud.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY CUTTING TIES—!!!!!!" Father's roar tore through the air like a wounded animal's last challenge.
He stood at the gates, face flushed red, veins bulging at his temples, fists clenched so hard his knuckles had turned white. Two Vinter guards blocked his path effortlessly, hands resting calmly on their weapons—not threatened.
