Chapter 66
Sloane's POV
The day after the ceremony, everything went back to normal. At lunch, Juan was reading his papers, Zaid was shoving food in his mouth like always, and Saskia sat there quietly. I was picking at my salad, still thinking about yesterday's Moon Goddess ceremony, when Eloise suddenly dropped her bombshell.
"You know what?" she said, setting down her fork with this bright smile. "To celebrate Sofia becoming the Moon Goddess representative, I think our family should go to the capital's finest restaurant tonight. A proper celebration!"
My stomach sank.
"That's not really necessary," I started, trying to keep my voice casual. "I mean, we don't need to make a big deal about it..."
But Juan was already nodding enthusiastically. "Actually, that's a great idea. We should celebrate properly. Sofia's been back home for months now, and she still hasn't experienced the capital's best dining." He looked at me with this proud dad expression. "Besides, my daughter deserves the best."
Shit. I forced a smile. "Well, if you really think so..."
"It's settled then," Eloise announced, looking way too pleased with herself. "I'll make the arrangements."
What's her game this time? My mind was already racing through possibilities. Whatever Eloise was planning, it wasn't gonna be good for me.
After lunch, I went straight to my room and started pacing. Why does she want to go out?
But the more I thought about it, the more confused I got. There wasn't much Eloise could pull in public that would actually hurt me.
Maybe I'm overthinking this. Maybe she really does just want to celebrate.
But every instinct I had was screaming that this was a trap. Eloise didn't do anything without a reason.
I guess I'll just have to be ready for whatever comes. See what she's got planned and deal with it.
By evening, I was dressed and ready to go, even though my nerves were shot. Eloise had arranged for two cars to take us to the restaurant. She wore an expensive dark dress, elegant as always. Juan seemed genuinely thrilled about all of this, and Zaid and Saskia had also dressed up for the occasion.
"Sofia, you'll ride with Zaid and Saskia," Eloise announced as we walked toward the cars. "Juan and I will take the other one."
The ride started predictably. Zaid couldn't even wait until we were out of the driveway before starting his crap.
"I still can't believe Mom suggested taking you to such an expensive place," he said, looking at me. "Someone like you doesn't belong anywhere near high-class establishments."
Someone like me. I felt that familiar anger, but I kept my voice calm. "How's your hand doing, Zaid?"
His face went bright red immediately. "What?"
"Your hand," I repeated, looking directly at him. "You know, the one that got hurt recently? I hope it's healing properly."
Zaid's mouth opened and closed. I could see him wanting to say something nasty, but also remembering exactly how his hand had gotten messed up in the first place.
"If you don't want to have trouble eating your dinner tonight," I continued pleasantly, "I'd suggest keeping your mouth shut for the rest of this ride."
Zaid looked like he wanted to hit me, but his hand was probably still sore enough to remind him that was a terrible idea. He just sat there fuming and glaring at me for the rest of the trip.
Saskia didn't say anything, but I caught her giving me this weird look in the reflection of the window. It wasn't hostile like usual, more like... curious? I couldn't figure out what that was about.
The restaurant was exactly what I'd expected. Fancy as hell, with crystal chandeliers and waiters in bow ties. The kind of place where people spent more on one meal than most families made in a month. The biggest restaurant in the capital, just like Eloise had promised.
We got seated at this big round table, and I had to admit, the dinner itself was actually really good. The food was incredible, and for a while, it almost felt like a normal family celebration.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Eloise really is just being nice for once.
Throughout the meal, I kept watching Eloise for any sign of what she might be planning, but she seemed totally normal. Chatty, pleasant, asking me about my favorite dishes. If I didn't know better, I'd think she actually cared.
What's she waiting for?
But nothing happened. We ate, we talked, Juan told embarrassing stories about when I was little that made everyone laugh. For a few hours, I almost forgot to be suspicious.
We were walking toward the cars after dinner, all of us full and relaxed, when I heard it.
"Sloane! Sloane, is that you?"
My blood went cold.
No. No fucking way.
I kept walking toward the car, pretending I hadn't heard anything. But the voice got louder.
"Sloane! Oh my god, it really is you!"
I couldn't ignore it anymore. I turned around, and my worst nightmare was standing right there.
Victoria and Scarlett.
How did they find me here? How did they recognize me?
My mind was spinning, trying to figure out how this was possible. They looked exactly the same as always, Victoria with her fake concerned expression and Scarlett with that mean little smirk.
"Excuse me," Zaid said impatiently, "but who are these crazy people?"
That's when Eloise walked over, putting on her most innocent expression. "What seems to be the problem?"
Victoria immediately launched into her sob story. "Oh, thank goodness! Ma'am, this woman is my stepdaughter Sloane! She stole money from our family and ran away from her wedding! I've been looking for her everywhere!"
Eloise's face shifted to this perfect mask of shock and outrage. "That's impossible! This is Sophia Stewart, my stepdaughter. She's from a noble family!"
"No!" Victoria was practically in tears now. "You've been deceived! This woman is a fraud! She's not your daughter!"
I could see exactly what was happening. This was Eloise's big play. She managed to track down Victoria and Scarlett, arranging for them to come here tonight to identify me. But I'm completely different now from who I was before, Victoria and Scarlett shouldn't be able to confirm it's really me.
"I think you're mistaken," I said coldly to Victoria. "I don't know who you are."
But Victoria wasn't backing down. "Sloane, stop pretending! I raised you! I know every mark on your body!"
Juan walked over, looking confused and irritated. "What's all this noise about?"
Victoria and Scarlett immediately threw themselves at his feet, literally crying and begging. "Sir, please listen to us! This woman is our runaway stepdaughter!"
"That's ridiculous," Juan said firmly. "This is my daughter Sophia. You must be confused."
"We have proof!" Scarlett screamed. "We can prove she's lying!"
The whole scene was attracting a crowd. People walking by were stopping to stare, pointing and whispering. I could see Juan getting more and more uncomfortable with all the attention.
"This is completely embarrassing," he muttered.
That's when Eloise made her move. "Perhaps we should take these women back to the estate," she suggested. "We can sort this out privately, away from all these prying eyes."
"Absolutely not," Juan said immediately. "We're not bringing random strangers into our home."
But Victoria kept screaming about having proof, and more people were gathering to watch the show. I could see Juan weighing his options.
"The longer we stand here, the worse this looks," Eloise pointed out.
As the crowd got bigger and the women got louder, Juan finally caved.
"Fine," he said with a sigh. "We'll take them back to settle this nonsense once and for all."
The ride back to the estate was tense as hell. Even Zaid, who usually lived for drama and chaos, seemed uncomfortable with the whole situation. He kept giving me these weird looks, like he was trying to figure out if he should be concerned or excited about what was happening.
Saskia just stared out the window the whole time, not saying a word. But I caught her glancing at me a couple times with that same curious expression from earlier.
I need to think fast. Victoria and Scarlett being here meant Eloise had been planning this for a while. But here's what I couldn't figure out: if she really had solid proof of who I was, why go through all this elaborate setup? Why not just confront me directly?
The couple from that place isn't here, I realized. That's significant. If Eloise had really concrete evidence, she would've brought them too. The fact that it was just Victoria and Scarlett meant she was still fishing, still trying to get me to slip up somehow.
All I have to do is stick to my story. Victoria and Scarlett can't prove anything without solid evidence.