Chapter 40

Evelyn ignored Vivian completely, brushing past her as if she were invisible.

Vivian grabbed her arm. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Move." Evelyn shoved her aside, ignoring the hushed whispers behind her, and strode straight into the study. She snatched the documents from the desk.

Richard froze at her audacity, his expression darkening. "How dare you come back here?"

"Do you think I want to be here?" Evelyn clutched the papers tightly. "I came for answers."

She held up the document. "What happened to my mother's shares?"

Richard stiffened. He hadn't expected this confrontation.

Silence stretched between them.

Evelyn pressed on. "My mother co-founded Viana Jewelry with you. So why did her shares become yours when she died?"

"Are you questioning me?" Richard's voice rose sharply.

Outside the door, Laura eavesdropped, intrigued by Evelyn's sudden visit. But when she heard the argument escalate, a smirk curled her lips. Good. The more they fight, the better.

"Give me a real explanation," Evelyn demanded, her tone unyielding.

Richard slammed his hands on the desk. "I am your father!"

"You didn't act like one six years ago." Evelyn's eyes darkened with bitterness. "When you threw me out, did you still consider me your daughter?"

Richard clenched his jaw but said nothing.

"I kept wondering—why would you let an outsider run my mother's company?" Evelyn's voice trembled. "Now I know. You took everything. Her shares. Her properties. You erased her."

Her eyes burned, but she laughed suddenly, the sound hollow. "Looking back, if you'd truly loved her, you wouldn't have had a mistress. Or a bastard child."

SMACK!

Richard's palm struck her cheek with brutal force.

Evelyn's head snapped to the side, her hair disheveled. The red mark on her skin burned brighter than the one Vivian had left.

"If you still respect me as your father, stop this nonsense," Richard hissed.

Evelyn stared at him, searching for any trace of remorse—for her, for her mother. There was none. Only cold indifference.

Her heart shattered.

She nodded slowly, a single tear escaping. Then she smiled, bitter and broken. "I'm no longer a Vanderbilt. I can't change my blood, but I refuse to be part of this family."

"You—"

Evelyn turned and walked out, clutching the documents.

She yanked the door open—only to nearly collide with Laura, who had been lurking outside. Without a word, Evelyn pushed past her.

Laura feigned concern. "Richard, is Zoe alright?"

"Forget her." Richard sank into his chair, his hand curling into a fist.

Evelyn slid into her car, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. The tears she'd held back finally spilled over.

She wiped them away angrily, started the engine, and drove away from Vanderbilt Manor—for good.

At a quiet café...

Sophia blinked in surprise as Caleb and Liam sat across from her, their expressions unusually serious. She sipped her coffee, eyeing them warily. "Alright, what do you two want?"

Liam grinned. "Godmother, we need your help."

Sophia raised a brow. "With?"

Caleb leaned forward. "Daisy and I are entering the entertainment industry."

Sophia choked on her coffee. After coughing violently, she gaped at them. "What? You and Daisy?"

Liam nodded eagerly. "Exactly! So we need your expertise!"

Sophia groaned. "Oh, this is going to be a disaster."