Evelyn watched Nora pull the car back onto the main road. The morning's encounter at the restaurant had left a bitter aftertaste, but it hadn't slowed her down.
"So," Nora asked, her eyes darting between the road and Evelyn's calm profile. "You really have a plan? To deal with... them?"
Evelyn looked out the window, watching the city's neon lights flicker to life like predatory eyes in the dark. "It's already in motion, Nora. One step at a time. When you push someone into a corner where there are no exits, they become remarkably easy to handle."
She wasn't in a hurry. In fact, she found a dark amusement in watching Iris scramble. Every day was a new game—watching her sister snap, crumble, and perform for an audience that was slowly losing interest. It was like a predator playing with its prey; you don't kill the mouse immediately. You let it exhaust its own heart first.
Earlier that day, Evelyn had made a silent, massive move. She had gone with Nora to a high-end real estate agency. She didn't want a "home"—she wanted an asset. She settled on a sprawling, luxury penthouse, fully furnished and never occupied.
"Evelyn," Nora had whispered, staring at the price tag. "That's thirty-five million. Are you sure?"
"Don't worry," Evelyn had winked, a cold light in her eyes. "I've got the cash."
Her investment account was sitting at a staggering nine figures. Thirty-five million was a drop in the ocean, a small price to pay for the ultimate sanctuary. She paid the deposit in full, bought a top-of-the-line laptop, and headed back to the "tomb"—the Carter mansion.
When she arrived, the furniture she'd ordered for her cramped staff room was being delivered. Eleanor Carter walked into the foyer, her face contorting at the mess. "You bought this? Why?"
"Did you think I stole it, Mother?" Evelyn replied coolly.
"Your room is tiny," Eleanor snapped, rubbing her temples. "Why bother with this nonsense when you're barely going to be here?"
"Maybe because you're so eager to see me leave," Evelyn countered. Before Eleanor could respond, Iris descended the stairs, maintaining a safe, theatrical distance.
"She has AIDS!" Iris shouted to the delivery men, her voice echoing in the grand hall. "Are you crazy? You're doing business with a biohazard?"
The workmen froze. "What? Is that true?"
"I'm perfectly fine," Evelyn said, her voice steady. "I'll pay you double for the assembly."
"Double isn't enough for our lives!" the younger workman shouted. He looked at Eleanor, who remained silent, offering no defense for her eldest daughter. That was all the confirmation they needed. They dropped their tools and bolted like they were escaping a plague ward.
Iris smirked, a small, triumphant curve of her lips. "Well, look at that. A waste of money, isn't it?"
Evelyn didn't look defeated. She walked over, picked up a hammer, and scanned the assembly diagrams. "Since you're so happy, Iris, why don't you stay and watch? You might learn something about manual labor."
Evelyn sat on the floor and began to work. She was slow, deliberate, and incredibly loud. Clang. Clang. Clang.
An hour passed. Two. The rhythmic pounding of the hammer echoed through the house, vibrating in the floorboards. "How much longer?" Eleanor finally screamed from the sofa, her migraine worsening.
"A while," Evelyn said, tightening a screw by hand. "I'll probably be done by midnight."
"You're doing this on purpose!" Iris shrieked.
When Robert and Grant returned, they found the living room a disaster zone. The argument was only interrupted by the arrival of Lucas Chen. He stepped into the chaos, looking confused. Iris immediately tried to run to him, but she tripped over a loose board and let out a dramatic cry.
Lucas hurried to help her, but his eyes kept drifting to Evelyn—thin, focused, and struggling with a heavy wooden panel. "Let me help you," Lucas blurted out, stepping toward Evelyn.
"Lucas!" Iris's face went green with rage. "Are you here for me or for her?"
"Iris, the living room is a mess. If I help her finish, the noise stops," Lucas reasoned, though his eyes told a different story. He took the hammer from Evelyn's hand.
Evelyn smiled at him—a bright, dazzling smile that hadn't been seen since before her disappearance. "Thank you, Lucas. You were always the most reliable one."
Iris retreated upstairs in a silent, jealous fury, slamming her door so hard the chandeliers rattled.
That night, the Carters sent a tray of plain vegetables to Evelyn's door. She didn't touch it. Instead, she ordered a luxury hot pot delivery. Soon, the scent of spicy Sichuan peppercorns and rich beef broth filled the entire house, seeping into the vents and curtains of the upstairs bedrooms.
Robert Carter stormed into the living room. "It smells like a d*mn restaurant in here! Evelyn!" He found her calmly dipping a slice of Wagyu beef into the bubbling pot. "You know this isn't safe! You could burn the house down!"
Evelyn looked up, her lips flushed red from the spice, her eyes sparkling. "Don't take your stock market losses out on me, Dad. I heard you lost eighty million today. That's a lot of 'red' to be mad about."
Robert nearly choked. He stomped to his study, only to find the spicy broth had already claimed his sanctuary.
Later that night, Evelyn logged onto the "Alpha Investor" forum. The market was a bloodbath. She skimmed the reports and typed out a sharp, cold analysis. Within minutes, a notification popped up.
[White Knight]:Stop spreading rumors.
Evelyn scoffed. This guy again.
[Mrs. Li (Evelyn)]:@White Knight, you called my post a rumor. Did you lose so much today that you're looking for a fight?
[Coach Yu]:Mrs. Li is back! White Knight was the first to comment. He's obsessed [laughing emoji].
Across the city, in a minimalist penthouse, Lucien Hale sat shirtless, drying his hair. He checked his phone. His fingers flew across the screen.
[White Knight]:@Mrs. Li, thank you for your concern. I'm sorry to disappoint you. I didn't lose anything. I liquidated my positions this morning.
The group went silent. Then it exploded. [Coach Yu]:Wait, you actually listened to her? Yesterday you said the trend hadn't ended!
Lucien stared at the screen, his mouth tightening. He hated admitting he was wrong. [White Knight]:It had nothing to do with her. A friend advised me.
Evelyn rolled her eyes at her screen. A friend? How convenient.[Coach Yu]:I'm bringing the team to the capital next week. Let's meet up and celebrate Mrs. Li's return.
Evelyn watched the messages fly by—plans for a meetup, excitement, curiosity. "Like a cat and a mouse," Evelyn whispered to the empty room. "The cat doesn't just eat the mouse. It plays with it until the mouse's heart gives out."
She closed her laptop. The trap was set—not just for the Carters, but for everyone who thought they knew who Evelyn Carter was.