Evelyn didn't let the tension simmer for long. As Iris reached the peak of her theatrical sobbing, Evelyn slowly extended her hand. Resting in her palm, catching the dim light of the cramped staff room, was the blood-red ruby necklace.
Iris's tear-stained face transformed instantly. The despair vanished, replaced by a sharp, jagged excitement. "Mom! Look! I told you she stole it!" She wiped her eyes, her triumphant grin clashing violently with her previous state of collapse.
Evelyn let out a dry, hollow laugh. "Iris, you really should consider a career in acting. You'd win an Oscar for that pivot alone."
Eleanor Carter didn't join the laughter. She looked at the necklace with a mixture of profound disappointment and cold fury. "Evelyn, why? Why must you become a thief? You sat there and watched your brother tear this room apart, knowing the whole time you had it."
"She's a liar and a parasite!" Iris added, her voice gaining a righteous, piercing edge.
Evelyn remained unphased. "I found this tucked under my pillow the moment I walked in today," she said calmly. "I actually thought my dear sister had left me a welcome-home surprise. A bit of 'sisterly love' to make up for the three years I spent in hell."
"Liar! Lucas gave that to me! Why would I ever give it to you?" Iris shrieked.
"Then prove I stole it," Evelyn countered. "I've been out all day. How could I have entered your room?"
"You took it yesterday!" Iris snapped. "Last night, while we were at dinner with Lucas's family. You were the only one home."
"I wasn't the only one," Evelyn reminded her. "The housekeeper, Mrs. Zhao, was in the living room the entire time. Why don't we ask her if she saw me go upstairs?"
The housekeeper was summoned. Frightened and caught between the warring daughters, she stuttered, "I... I was cleaning. I didn't notice the eldest young lady go up..."
Evelyn shrugged. The lack of proof was her shield. But Iris wasn't done.
"You could have avoided the stairs," Iris pointed out, gesturing toward the window with a trembling finger. "Like you did when we were kids. You climbed out the window, walked across the roof, and entered my room through the balcony!"
The room went cold. "Climbing through windows?" Robert muttered, stunned.
"Yes!" Iris was gaining momentum. "I found a footprint on the roof today. I knew it was her!"
Evelyn's eyes narrowed slightly. So that's how she did it. Iris hadn't just planted the jewels; she had climbed out herself to leave "evidence."
"That's quite a theory, Iris," Evelyn said. "But if you can determine my guilt based on a footprint, surely I can determine yours based on the fact that you're the only person in this house who knows how to contact human traffickers?"
"That's different!" Iris screamed, her rhythm breaking.
Evelyn didn't let her recover. She reached into her pocket again. "I'm not finished. Along with the necklace, I found this." She held up the heavy mutton-fat jade bracelet—Eleanor's family heirloom.
Iris's face went white. She had forgotten the bracelet in her rage over the necklace.
Eleanor took the jade, her hands shaking. "Evelyn, how could you?"
"I didn't find it in Iris's room, Mother," Evelyn's voice turned to ice. "The bracelet and the necklace were together. Ask yourself—if I were going to steal, why would I leave them under my own pillow to be found? And how would I know where you hid a 'well-secured' heirloom when I've been gone for three years?"
Eleanor looked at the jade, then at Iris, who was avoiding her gaze. The logic was inescapable. Eleanor closed her eyes, the realization of her younger daughter's malice hitting her like a physical blow. But instead of an apology to Evelyn, she simply whispered, "Enough. We found them. Let's just end this."
Iris exhaled in relief, though her face was a mess of guilt. "Grant... give me the necklace," she muttered.
Grant took the necklace from Evelyn. As Iris reached for it, her eyes widened in horror. "What happened to my necklace?!"
The ruby chain was snapped into three distinct pieces.
"Evelyn! You did this on purpose!" Iris broke down.
"Oh dear," Evelyn said, her tone mockingly sympathetic. "It must have caught on the corner of the table when I was looking at it. I was just so... captivated by its beauty."
"You're just jealous!" Iris screamed. "You're bitter because he chose me!"
Evelyn let out a sharp laugh. "Jealous? Of a man who can't tell the difference between a diamond and a fake? Please." She reached into her bag and pulled out two thick, crisp bundles of cash. "Is thirty thousand enough for the repair? Or do you need more for the emotional trauma?"
She tossed the money directly at Iris's face. The bills fluttered to the floor like falling leaves, hitting Iris with a stinging insult.
"Where did you get this money?" Iris stammered. "Are you... are you selling yourself out there?"
"You're very imaginative today, Iris," Evelyn smiled. "Why don't you guess? Maybe I'm selling to someone you know?"
Iris's mind immediately went to Lucas. Lucas had been defending Evelyn lately. "You... you're lying!"
"Believe what you want," Evelyn said, stepping back into her room and closing the door. "Take the money and fix your cheap sentimentality."
Monday morning arrived with a biting cold. Evelyn stood at the Real Estate Bureau, her coat wrapped tight. Lucien Hale arrived a moment later, looking like a predator in a simple white shirt and dark trousers. His gold-rimmed glasses caught the sun, making his gaze seem impenetrable.
Evelyn offered him a curt roll of her eyes; he responded with a cold, brief glance before turning back to his phone.
"The system is undergoing an update. We have to wait," the agent said, bowing.
Evelyn sat down and opened the "Alpha Investor" group on Discord.
[Mrs. Li]:Market's looking volatile today. Watch the short-term tech stocks.
[White Knight]:Wait for the policy heat to settle. Don't be reckless.
Evelyn's fingers tapped the screen. He's online already? She glanced over at Lucien, who was sitting a few seats away, his eyes fixed on his own device.
[Mrs. Li]:If you only trade on policy, you're missing eighty percent of the profit.
[White Knight]:Safe bets build empires. Gamblers build ruins. But I suppose a 'grandma' like you prefers the thrill.
[Mrs. Li]:Thank you for the compliment, 'Knight'.
[Zzhou]:Weird. Both of you are online so early. You're both out on errands?
[White Knight]:Business.
[Mrs. Li]:Waiting in line. It's boring.
[Zzhou]:@Mrs. Li, are you at the hospital for a checkup?
Evelyn hesitated. [Mrs. Li]:Yes. Just a routine exam.
[White Knight]:@Mrs. Li, which hospital?
Evelyn's heart skipped a beat. She looked at Lucien. He was still staring at his phone, his expression unreadable. Before she could reply, her phone buzzed with a real-world call. Nora.
"Hey, Nora..."
"Evelyn, Lucas Chen just called me. He's asking for your number. Should I give it to him?"
Evelyn's lips curled into a slow, lethal smile. She looked at the office door, then back at the silent man sitting a few feet away.
"Give it to him," Evelyn said softly. "In fact, I'm counting on it."
She hung up and looked at the Discord chat one last time. The mouse was finally beginning to nibble on the cheese.