Chapter 464

Evelyn Whitmore leaned back in her office chair, studying Gabrielle Winslow with detached amusement. She didn't bother denying Gabrielle's accusations.

"Correct," Evelyn acknowledged coolly. "You should still be behind bars, Miss Winslow."

Gabrielle had only been released yesterday after her sentence was commuted. Amelia Rivers had begged her brother Samuel to pull strings for her best friend's early release.

The once-luxurious long waves were gone, replaced by a chic shoulder-length bob Gabrielle had hastily styled overnight. The new look suited her, though it couldn't mask the bitterness in her eyes.

"You think I'd rot in prison forever?" Gabrielle's fingers curled into fists. "Amelia would never abandon me after what you did!"

Evelyn merely smiled, unfazed. "Is that so?"

Seeing Evelyn's indifference, Gabrielle's temper flared. "Don't think your schemes fool everyone! Amelia knows the truth - how you framed me, turned Samuel against me! The charges were minor enough for her to get me out. But mark my words, your reckoning is coming."

"I'll look forward to it." Evelyn calmly organized her files, ensuring everything would be at Nathaniel's fingertips when needed.

The hospital incident had indeed been staged - but not by Evelyn. Amelia had orchestrated everything, carefully positioning Gabrielle as the fall girl should things go wrong. Now, playing the compassionate friend to secure Gabrielle's release was just another move in Amelia's game.

Gabrielle mistook cunning for intelligence. Amelia, with her angelic face, was the true master manipulator, weaving narratives that painted her as the perpetual victim while pulling strings unseen.

Eyes narrowing, Gabrielle studied Evelyn's composed movements. "Is this why you're clinging to Samuel? Because Nathaniel discarded you? Too proud to return to being nobody?"

Evelyn arched an eyebrow. "Since when does Samuel belong to you, Gabrielle? News to me." The unspoken truth hung between them - everyone knew Gabrielle's feelings for Samuel.