Chapter 8
Evelyn just stared at Arianna. She didn't say a word.
Arianna took a sip of her champagne and kept going. "Honestly, you can't really blame me. Think about it. What kind of family are the Kendalls, really? Everyone knows how your mom clawed her way up, don't they?"
Evelyn's fingers tightened.
"What did you just say?"
Arianna looked like she'd been waiting for that reaction. Her lips curled up. "I said your mom. What, don't want to hear it? Everyone in this circle knows the truth. Your mom was a homewrecker who slept her way up by going after a married man. You think Richard arranged this marriage for you out of the goodness of his heart? He pitied your mom. That's it. It was charity. You've got dirty blood in your veins, Evelyn. That's why you'll never be good enough for Seb."
Evelyn shot to her feet.
Her whole body was shaking. But it wasn't from fear.
"Shut your mouth."
"Why should I?" Arianna stood up too and stepped closer, getting right in Evelyn's face.
Less than two feet separated them now.
The pool was right next to Evelyn, the lights reflecting off the water in rippling patterns.
Arianna tilted her head, looking at her. "You know your mom was a homewrecker, right? Or have you just been playing dumb this whole time? Evelyn, you're just like her. You're both disgust—"
Smack.
Evelyn's hand flew across Arianna's face.
The slap landed hard, snapping Arianna's head to the side.
Arianna clutched her cheek, eyes wide. But a second later, her mouth twisted into a smile.
Something inside Evelyn went tight with alarm—
Arianna suddenly threw herself backward, her heel pushing off the edge of the pool as she fell straight toward the water.
At the same time, she screamed.
"Evelyn, what are you doing—ahhh!"
A loud splash. Water sprayed everywhere.
Arianna's scream echoed through the quiet courtyard, shattering the peaceful atmosphere of the evening.
The glass door to the ballroom flew open. A crowd of people came rushing out.
Sebastian was at the front.
He didn't even take off his suit jacket. He jumped straight into the pool. Water splashed up as he swam hard toward Arianna, who was thrashing in the water. He pulled her into his arms.
"Annie! Don't be scared. I've got you."
Arianna clung to his neck, shaking all over. She'd swallowed water and was coughing violently.
Sebastian carried her to the edge and lifted her out. A server rushed over with a towel.
Sebastian took it and personally wrapped Arianna up tight, patting her back gently to comfort her.
"Seb... I was so scared..."
Arianna buried her face in his chest, her voice breaking.
Sebastian glared at Evelyn, fury and disbelief burning in his eyes. "Evelyn, have you lost your mind?! She could have died!"
Evelyn stood there watching the dramatic poolside reunion and felt nothing but absurdity. "Why don't you ask her what she did first?"
"Who else pushed her? She just fell in by herself? There's no one else out here but you!" Sebastian was grinding his teeth, holding Arianna protectively. "You throw tantrums all the time, fine. But now you're actually putting your hands on people? Annie's body is already weak and you pushed her into freezing water? Are you trying to kill her?!"
The guests around them started whispering, looking at Evelyn with thinly veiled disdain.
"She looks so refined. Who knew she had such a vicious streak?"
"Jealousy really does make people crazy..."
Arianna clutched Sebastian's shirt and trembled. "Seb, don't blame Eve... I just lost my balance. It's not her fault."
The words were perfectly calculated. On the surface, she was defending Evelyn. In reality, she was cementing the accusation.
Sebastian's expression darkened even more. "Evelyn, you're so cruel I don't even recognize you anymore."
Evelyn almost laughed. She didn't bother arguing with Sebastian. Instead, she turned to the hotel manager standing at the edge of the crowd.
"Manager, could you pull up the security footage from the courtyard? Whether or not I pushed her—one look at the video will clear everything up."
Arianna's body stiffened for just a fraction of a second. But she quickly slipped back into her helpless act.
The manager wiped sweat from his forehead, looking pained. "Mrs. Ashford, I'm so sorry. The cameras back here were being serviced this afternoon. The system's not back online yet. Nothing was recorded."
Evelyn's eyes narrowed.
How convenient. The cameras just happened to be down right now. Arianna must have planned this from the start—picked the perfect spot and time for her little performance.
Sebastian let out a cold laugh. "The cameras are broken? Evelyn, did you know they were down? Is that why you felt so bold?"
"Sebastian, are you an idiot?" Evelyn shot back without hesitation. "If I really wanted to hurt her, would I pick a party full of people? Would I use my hands? I could've just grabbed a brick and made it quick."
"You—!" Sebastian choked on his own anger, his chest heaving.
Arianna suddenly started coughing violently. Her face went paper-white and she started to collapse.
"Annie!" Sebastian panicked. He scooped her up in his arms and rushed toward the exit. "Move! Everyone move!"
Sebastian barreled through the crowd with Arianna in his arms.
The walkway wasn't wide to begin with, and Sebastian was moving fast and recklessly. His shoulder slammed hard into Evelyn.
The force knocked Evelyn off balance in her heels. She stumbled sideways.
Next to her was a row of decorative iron plant stands with sharp edges.
Evelyn's arm scraped against one of the stands. A sharp pain shot through her. Blood ran down her skin.
She hit the ground hard, her palms scraping against the rough gravel path. The skin on her hands tore open.
Sebastian heard the noise. He paused for a second and glanced back at Evelyn sprawled on the ground. Then he looked down at Arianna in his arms, eyes closed, playing unconscious.
In the end, he said nothing. He turned and hurried out of the courtyard.
Evelyn watched his figure disappear around the corner. She braced herself against the ground and tried to stand.
The pain in her palms made her suck in a sharp breath.
Just then, a pair of elegant hands appeared in front of her.
Evelyn followed the hands upward and met Cedric's calm, steady gaze.
He wasn't wearing a jacket—just a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
Cedric didn't say anything. He bent down and helped her to her feet. His movements were gentle but firm, leaving no room for refusal.
When he saw the long bloody gash on her arm, his brow furrowed deeply.
"Cedric..." Evelyn started to speak, but he cut her off.
"Don't talk."
Cedric took off his suit jacket and draped it over Evelyn's shoulders, covering her disheveled dress and the wound on her arm.