Chapter 340

Gregory's furious voice crackled through the phone. "Get back here immediately and remove all those wreaths from our doorstep! Then you'll make a public apology to the media—beg for everyone's forgiveness! I won't have our family name dragged through the mud because of you!"

Evelyn remained calm, a bitter laugh bubbling in her throat.

An elderly woman who'd known her barely two months had shown more faith in her innocence—warning her to stay indoors for safety. Yet her own father was throwing her to the wolves to save his reputation.

The contrast couldn't be more stark.

This had always been Gregory's way. Whenever trouble arose, his first instinct was to blame her—never asking for her side, never considering she might be the victim.

As a child, she'd wondered why her father wasn't like others'. She'd never experienced the paternal love her classmates wrote about in essays.

Not that Gregory was incapable of fatherly affection. The way he doted on Cassandra proved that. His golden child could do no wrong—mistakes forgiven, tantrums overlooked, always welcomed back with open arms.

But never Evelyn.

Now she understood. The coldness, the indifference—he'd always known she wasn't his blood. At best, she warranted pity.

'Then why take me from the hospital at all?' The question gnawed at her. 'Why bring me home only to exile me to the countryside?'

She'd investigate once this scandal blew over.

"Evelyn! Are you ignoring me?" Gregory's shout snapped her back. "Get here now and clean up your mess!"

"I heard you," she said coolly. "But no, I'm not coming. I'll arrange for the wreaths to be removed—your precious family won't be inconvenienced further. Now if that's all—"

"Since when do you speak to me like this?" Gregory spluttered.

Evelyn arched a brow. "Like what? I'm solving your problem. Isn't that enough?"

"You've gone completely disrespectful! Not even calling me 'Father' anymore! This is outright rebellion!"

"Let me talk to her!" Cassandra snatched the phone, her contoured face twisting in disdain.

"You're a curse, Evelyn! Everything went wrong since you left that backwater village! First my career, now this! Because of you, people are associating me with that identity scam—I'm being ridiculed online! Fix this immediately and crawl back to where you belong! Our family wants nothing to do with you!"

Evelyn's laugh was ice. "Your career? That was your own doing. And since when do you decide where I live?"