Chapter 19 The Mysterious Package
Evelyn emerged from the alley, quite shaken from her confrontation with Nathan. As she bent to retrieve the box she'd dropped, something else caught her eye—a small, unmarked package sitting by her apartment door.
She hadn't ordered anything, and the lack of return address made her suspicious. But something compelled her to pick it up.
She took it back inside her empty apartment, and carefully opened the mysterious package. Inside, she found a faded photograph of her mother, an intricate necklace with a blood-red ruby pendant, and a handwritten note.
Her hands trembled as she unfolded the letter:
Do you ever wonder who your mother really was? Or why she died so suddenly? The people around you are not who they seem. Your mother's death wasn't natural. This necklace was hers—keep it safe. It holds the first clue. If you have the courage to seek the truth, start here. But be careful. Trust no one, especially those trying to get close to you currently.
Evelyn stared at the words, her heart racing as she breathed heavily. Her mother's smiling face in the photograph felt like a ghost reaching out to her.
Her initial shock quickly transformed into cold fury. This had to be another one of her family's twisted games—using her mother's memory to manipulate her.
Clutching the necklace and letter, she stormed out of the apartment. James, seeing her expression, wisely remained silent as he opened the car door.
"Take me to the Hayes residence," she ordered. "Now."
\---
She burst through the front door of her former home. Claire was the first to see her, and her face immediately twisted with hatred.
"You! How dare you show your face here, you little—"
"Where is Richard?" Evelyn demanded, shoving past her stepmother with enough force to send Claire stumbling against the wall.
"How dare you! You little whore!" Claire shrieked. "You're just like your worthless mother! Seducing men to get what you want!"
The insult about her mother ignited something dangerous in Evelyn, but she maintained her focus. Richard appeared at the top of the stairs, his face dark with anger.
"What is the meaning of this intrusion? Have you lost your mind?"
Evelyn held up the ruby necklace. "Did you send this to me?"
Richard looked genuinely confused. "What are you babbling about?"
But Claire, still pressed against the wall, had gone pale as death. "Where did you get that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, her body trembling slightly.
Evelyn ignored her, keeping her eyes fixed on Richard. "If you ever use my mother's memory in your sick games again, I swear, I will destroy you completely. You've crossed a line you can't uncross."
Richard charged down the stairs, and before she could react, his hand was around her throat, slamming her against the wall with vicious force.
"I gave you everything!" he snarled, his grip tightening. "I raised you, provided for you, and this is how you repay me?"
Evelyn clawed at his hand but met his eyes defiantly, refusing to show fear even as she struggled to breathe.
Maya walked in, wearing a loose dress that concealed her small bump. Seeing the struggle, she hurried over. "Daddy, stop! Don't kill her—we still need her!"
Richard released Evelyn, who slumped forward gasping for air. Maya immediately grabbed her hair viciously.
"You destroyed everything, you selfish whore!"
But Evelyn recovered quickly, shoving Maya away hard enough to send her staggering. Maya shrieked as she nearly lost her balance.
"You ruined our lives!" Maya screamed. "You were sleeping with Nathan's uncle while pointing fingers at us! You got Nathan disowned! You destroyed our deal with the Sinclairs!"
"Enough!" Richard roared, pointing an accusing finger at Evelyn. "You will go to Alexander Sinclair today. You will convince him to restore our business contracts. Do you understand?"
Maya added with a vicious smile, "And you'll beg him to take Nathan back into the family."
Evelyn rubbed her bruised throat, but her voice was steady when she spoke. "Dream on."
Claire finally found her voice, smoothing her dress, as she tried to compose her emotions. "After everything we've done for you, how can you be so heartless to your own family?"
Evelyn laughed—a cold, empty sound devoid of humor. "Family? I don't have a family. You're all strangers to me. I owe you nothing."
Maya opened her mouth to retort, but Claire shot her a warning look. Instead, Maya stepped closer with a malicious smile.
"What will Alexander do when he discovers you're not really pregnant? It's all a lie, isn't it? He'll throw you out and accept the legitimate heir growing inside me. So you'll do exactly as we say."
Evelyn looked at their desperate, greedy faces and laughed again—this time with genuine amusement. "You really think that's my weakness? How pathetic you all are."
She turned to leave.
"Stop her!" Richard commanded the household staff. "Lock her in the guest room until she agrees!"
Evelyn didn't even turn around. Her voice carried clearly through the room: "Does anyone here dare lay a hand on Mrs. Roman Sinclair?"
The room fell into stunned silence.
"What are you talking about?" Richard sputtered.
Evelyn finally faced them, a serene smile on her lips. "I am legally married to Roman Sinclair. He is... quite protective of me. If he discovers that any of you have harmed his wife, I shudder to think what he might do to you."
She let the implications sink in before walking calmly out the door, leaving them frozen in shock.
She has gotten her answer, the necklace wasn't from them. But her stepmother… she knew about this necklace, judging from her reaction.
—
The Hayes family stood motionless for several moments, the weight of her revelation settling over them slowly.
Claire was the first to break the silence, her voice trembling with disbelief. "That manipulative little bitch... she actually married Roman Sinclair?"
Richard clenched his jaw so tightly it ached. He turned to Maya coldly. "How far along is Nathan with his backup plan? Is there any way to salvage this situation?"
Maya's hands fluttered protectively over her stomach. "Daddy, Nathan has no power anymore. He's been completely cut off. He's useless to us now." She turned to her mother with pleading eyes. "Mom, I want to end this pregnancy. I can't have this baby now."
Claire looked concerned, but Richard's voice cut through the air.
"You will keep that pregnancy," he declared. "Nathan may be disowned, but he still carries Sinclair blood. The child in your womb is our only remaining leverage with that family."
"But my career!" Maya protested, panic rising in her voice. "I'm a rising actress! If this scandal breaks, I'm finished! The only reason the birthday party incident hasn't hit the media is because everyone's terrified of the Sinclairs!"
Richard glared at her impatiently. "You should have thought of that before you got yourself into this mess. If you were going to seduce him, you should have been more careful. Or at least secured your position before showing your hand!”
“But why couldn’t you just give me her place from the start?” Maya shot back, frustrated, tears brimming her eyes. “Why did it have to be Evelyn?”
“Because it was the old man Sinclair’s wish!” Richard shouted, slamming his hand onto the stair rail. “He wanted Evelyn, not you! That’s the only reason!” He took a deep breath, forcing his voice back to a steely calm. “You will take a leave from your career. You will have this child. That is final."
With that cold pronouncement, he turned and stalked upstairs, leaving mother and daughter alone in the hall.
Maya turned desperately to her mother. "Mom, there has to be another way. Please help me."
Claire pulled her daughter close, her mind already working on new schemes. "Don't worry, darling. Since we can't control Evelyn directly, we'll have to destroy her another way." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Nathan contacted me earlier when he couldn't reach you. He's already set a new plan in motion. All we have to do is wait."
A slow, vicious smile spread across Maya's face. Finally, there was hope for revenge.