Chapter 93

"Oh? Mr. Goldmann has been here for dinner before?" Madam Victoria couldn't hide her delight.

Nathan Goldmann of Bassburgh—everyone in Cornelia knew his name.

Rumors claimed that whoever gained the favor of the Goldmanns would be blessed with endless prosperity and fortune in this lifetime.

Laura forced a tight smile. "Mother, that was ages ago. Mr. Goldmann has been swamped with work lately. There's no way he'd have time to visit."

"How would you know if you don’t even bother to call him?" Evelyn smirked.

Laura shot her a venomous glare. "Zoe, stop causing trouble."

'I can't let this little witch ruin everything!'

Seeing how tense Laura and Vivian were, Evelyn was certain—they feared she’d actually summon Nathan and expose their lies, leaving them humiliated in front of Madam Victoria.

Just as Evelyn was about to speak, her phone buzzed with a message.

The tone and content made it unmistakably clear—it was from Nathan.

"I have urgent matters to attend to. I’ll have to leave early." Evelyn rose gracefully from her seat.

Madam Victoria frowned at her abrupt departure. "You just arrived. You haven’t even touched your food, and you’re leaving already?"

"I don’t have a choice. Someone’s waiting for me outside, and things might get… complicated if I delay." Her gaze lingered pointedly on Laura and Vivian.

At the word "him," their expressions twisted with panic.

'Who else could it be but that man?'

After Evelyn left, Vivian stormed into the courtyard. Through the gates, she spotted the unmistakable McLaren idling outside.

Her nails dug into her palms. "That should’ve been mine! That witch stole everything from me!"

Inside the car, Nathan studied her. "I thought you despised the Vanderbilts. Why go back?"

Evelyn crossed her arms, feigning indifference. "Madam Victoria returned. Basic courtesy demanded I show my face."

Nathan rested his hands on his lap, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Your family seems rather interested in Viana Jewelry."

Evelyn blinked in surprise. "You know the Vanderbilts well, don’t you?"

"If I didn’t understand the Vanderbilts—" He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. "—how else would I understand you?"

She turned away, lips curling coldly. "Understanding them has nothing to do with understanding me."

Nathan’s lashes lowered. "Ah, but there’s Viana Jewelry."

Her jaw tightened.

His fingers brushed aside a loose strand of her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "The new jewelry line Viana just launched—those were your designs, weren’t they?"

Evelyn stiffened before meeting his gaze. "What if they were?"

Nathan chuckled, tracing the edge of her ear. "As I thought. You never truly gave up on Viana."

"So, do you still plan to stop me?" Her voice was icy.

'He’s figured it out. And he was the one who forced me to surrender my shares.'

Nathan watched her silently for a long moment before speaking. "If I hadn’t made you give up Viana Jewelry, how else would you have willingly come to me?"

'And if she hadn’t come to me then, how would I have discovered the woman from six years ago was her?'

Evelyn inhaled sharply. "So this was his plan all along. The cunning bastard!"

Noticing her furious expression, Nathan laughed. "Were you just cursing me in your head?"

She refused to answer.

The car glided smoothly toward the Goldmann estate.

When they arrived, Evelyn followed Nathan into the castle-like mansion, where the butler approached them—followed closely by three little troublemakers.