Chapter 415

"You've got sharp eyes. That's correct, I'm not Vivian at all. I'm Evelyn!"

Alexander, standing just outside the kitchen, heard every word. A flicker of something shattered in his ocean-deep eyes, condensing into a silent tidal wave that crashed violently in his chest. Yet he remained motionless, his expression unreadable.

Beatrice, however, exploded the moment the words left Evelyn's lips.

"It really is you! You're that wretched Evelyn Sinclair!"

She brandished the kitchen knife in her hand, pointing it straight at Evelyn. Her furious eyes burned with hatred, as if she wanted to tear Evelyn apart with her bare hands.

"I'll make you pay for what you did to my Sophia today!"

"Your Sophia? That was Mrs. Montgomery's daughter. What does she have to do with you?" Evelyn's voice was ice-cold. "I never laid a finger on Sophia. Even if I had killed her, it should be Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery seeking revenge. Who are you—a mere servant—to come after me?"

"Who says I don't have the right?" Beatrice's voice trembled with barely contained rage. "No one in this world has more right to make you pay than I do!"

Her emotions had spiraled out of control, her mental state teetering on the edge. Evelyn's words had struck a nerve, exposing a raw wound she had kept hidden for years.

"Evelyn, you heartless witch. How dare you say I have no right?" Beatrice's voice cracked. "I am the one who deserves justice for Sophia! You murdered my precious daughter! Today, I'll make you pay with your life!"

With a guttural scream, Beatrice lunged forward, knife raised.

In that split second, Eleanor and William both rushed forward to intercept her. Alexander moved faster, pulling Evelyn into his arms and shielding her with his body as he swiftly moved them out of harm's way.

William wrestled the knife from Beatrice's grip and tossed it aside.

Beatrice collapsed to her knees, screaming like a madwoman. "Evelyn, you vile creature! I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you to avenge my daughter!"

"So you finally admit Sophia was your child!" Eleanor's sharp words cut through Beatrice's hysteria like a blade.

Beatrice froze, her wild eyes widening as reality crashed back down on her.

She looked around at the faces staring back at her—Eleanor's fury, William's disgust, Alexander's cold detachment, and Evelyn's mocking smirk.

She shook her head violently. "M-Madam, you're mistaken. How could Miss Sophia be my daughter?" Her voice was desperate now, her gaze darting to Evelyn, who stood safely wrapped in Alexander's embrace. "It's this devil who provoked me! I—I only wanted justice for Miss Sophia!"

"Stop lying!" Eleanor's voice trembled with barely suppressed rage. Tears welled in her eyes. "I trusted you, and this is how you betrayed me?"

Beatrice feigned innocence. "Madam, what are you accusing me of? You'd believe this witch over me?"

Evelyn let out a soft, mocking laugh.

"You keep screaming about avenging Sophia, about being the one with the most right to punish me," she said, stepping out of Alexander's protective hold. "Yet you won't even acknowledge your own daughter in the end."

Her voice dripped with disdain. "That alone makes you unworthy of being a mother—and even more unworthy of seeking justice for her."

Beatrice's face twisted with renewed fury.

"You—Evelyn—you—!"

"I'm not Evelyn," she corrected smoothly. "I was merely helping Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery expose the truth."

Beatrice's face paled as realization dawned. This had all been a trap.

But this woman looked exactly like Evelyn. How could she not be her?

"Are you still refusing to confess?" Eleanor demanded, her voice breaking. She needed to know how her daughter had been taken from her—or rather, how she had been switched.

Beatrice clenched her jaw, her lips pressed into a thin, stubborn line.

Seeing her refusal to speak, Evelyn's eyes glinted with cunning. She took a deliberate step forward.