Chapter 164

Laura knew her daughter Vivian was still obsessed with Nathan, so she quickly intervened. "Forget about Nathan for now. Do you really think his opinion matters when you're the rightful heiress of the de Armas?"

Vivian squeezed her mother's hand, a sly smile curving her lips. "You're right, Mom. We need the Lucas family to believe I'm Miranda's daughter without a doubt. But first, I need that little witch Evelyn's hair for the DNA test."

Laura smirked. "That's simple. Lydia is working at ckgold now. We'll use her to get it—Evelyn won’t suspect a thing."

Lydia, who had never done manual labor in her life, was fuming after being assigned to the warehouse as an intern.

This has to be Evelyn’s doing!

Just then, her phone buzzed—Aunt Laura was calling. Without hesitation, she launched into a dramatic rant.

Laura feigned sympathy. "Calm down, Lydia. A little hardship now will pay off later."

Then, with calculated precision, she added, "Besides, if you stay there, you’ll have more chances to run into Nathan."

That was all Lydia needed to hear. "You’re right, Aunt Laura! I’ll prove myself!"

She imagined pouring her heart out to Nathan about how Evelyn had bullied her. Surely, he’d pity her.

Little did she know, Laura was silently mocking her.

Pathetic. As if Nathan would ever fall for a clueless brat like her.

But Lydia’s foolishness was useful. With a few sweet words, Laura convinced her to help.

Getting Evelyn’s hair would be child’s play for her.

Meanwhile, Gregory handed Evelyn a report. "This week’s bookings have exceeded our projections. At this rate, Soul will dominate the industry in under a year."

Evelyn closed the file, her eyes gleaming. "Which means we’ll reclaim Viana Jewelry even sooner."

The space was perfect for expansion. Instead of buying new property, she planned to merge Viana with Soul.

Not only was Viana her mother’s legacy, but its prime location in the commercial golden triangle guaranteed foot traffic—saving them a fortune.

Gregory chuckled at her shrewdness. "The Peacock’s Pride auction alone could buy you multiple floors in the golden triangle."

"That’s not how we spend money," Evelyn countered firmly.

She had three little mouths to feed at home, after all.

Gregory’s expression turned serious. "Zoe, even if your father agrees, the rest of the Vanderbilts won’t surrender Viana easily."

"I know. Madam Victoria is already circling, and Laura..."

Evelyn’s lips thinned. "Laura’s still trying to conceive a son for my father—securing her place in the family."

Outside the door, Lydia froze, her ear pressed against the wood.

A man’s voice echoed faintly. "Laura’s trying for a son?"