Chapter 317

Samuel rubbed his temples, exhaustion creeping in. He had always indulged Amelia, but lately, he wondered if he was crossing the line.

Amelia turned her gaze to the window, her lips curling into a smirk. She didn’t care about the photo in Samuel’s car or whether he thought of her while driving. This was about one thing—winning against Celeste.

From childhood, everyone told Amelia how fortunate she was to be a Rivers. Adored, pampered, treated like royalty.

Yet no one knew the truth—no matter how much love she received, she could never surpass that foolish stepsister who vanished over a decade ago.

To honor Celeste, their father built Silver Moon Estate in the heart of the city, where every square inch cost more than a fortune.

Then there was Nathaniel, who always put the missing Celeste above Amelia. As a child, desperate for his affection, she’d even gotten an identical cherry-red mole tattooed between her brows to mimic Celeste.

She hated every second of it. But what choice did she have? Nathaniel hadn’t liked her at first—not when they shared the same mother. So she became Celeste’s shadow, and it worked. Look how he doted on her now.

If anyone lived under Celeste’s ghost, it wasn’t Nathaniel—it was Amelia. That’s why she despised Celeste more than anyone in the world. She wanted her erased from memory.

And then there was Nathaniel again, refusing to make her the most important person in his life. Unacceptable. She wouldn’t be satisfied until she was the center of everyone’s universe.

"Samuel… I’m scared," Amelia whispered, her voice trembling.

Samuel pulled the car over, concern flickering in his eyes. "What’s wrong? You’re safe with me."

She clutched his hand, feigning distress. "It’s Evelyn. I feel like she hates me. After what Gabrielle did… I’m afraid she’ll come after me next."

"Don’t worry," Samuel said firmly. "I’ll assign extra security. No one will lay a finger on you."

The thought of Evelyn dismissing him so coldly still burned. He wouldn’t underestimate her again. He’d already lost one sister—he wouldn’t lose another.

Just then, a sleek sports car roared past in the opposite direction.

Inside, Evelyn glanced at Nathaniel, his focus entirely on the road. She hesitated before speaking. "Thank you."

Nathaniel arched a brow. "For what?"

"For finding that witness today. Without you, the truth might’ve stayed buried."

His grip on the wheel tightened. "How did you know it was me?"

Evelyn froze.

He’d never told her he was involved. As far as he knew, she was just a small-town girl with no connections to dig up classified details.

I can’t tell him Sebastian tipped me off.

She swallowed hard. The lie would have to be convincing.