Evelyn didn’t take it, her gaze becoming cold as she observed abnormal bubbles in the wine, her eyes turning stern.
Scarlett trembled in fear as she took a step back, “You…” She was about to speak but found Evelyn sitting there, seemingly unaffected, as if the intense gaze she had just received was an illusion.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow, “What’s wrong with me?”
Scarlett changed her tone, “Don’t like to drink?”
“No.” Evelyn shook her head, “Just thinking about some old matters.”
“Aunt, tell me, how did my mother die?”
She turned back to stare at Scarlett, as if she could see through all the world’s dirt.
Those eyes are truly beautiful, but Scarlett is not in the mood to appreciate them now. Her mind is filled only with Evelyn’s question, and a sense of fear quietly grows in her heart. Worried that Evelyn might discern something, she explains with a hint of sorrow, “I heard from your father that it was a car accident. You were also in the car at that time, but luckily survived.”
“Evelyn, at that time, your father and I had just met, and I didn’t know the specific details. I’m sorry.”
Just met? Then who was the man mentioned as the daily caregiver in her medical records?
Fearful that Evelyn might inquire further, Scarlett pretended to have something to attend to and left.
Evelyn looked at the highball glass in front of her, stained with lipstick. She slowly picked it up, wiped it clean with a tissue, poured out the wine, and placed it in front of herself. As for the other glass, it naturally ended up in front of Scarlett.
When Scarlett returned, she saw that the glass in front of Evelyn was already empty. Without waiting for her to speak, Evelyn took the initiative to explain, “This wine is very rich, thanks Aunt.”
Scarlett finally felt relieved. She raised her own glass and drank it, “You like it? You can take some when you leave.” She generously offered.
Evelyn nodded in agreement.
The two sat for a while longer, but Evelyn’s eyelids started to struggle. She leaned against the sofa, feeling drowsy. In less than five minutes, she began to doze off as if she was about to fall asleep.
“Evelyn, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Scarlett approached with feigned concern.
Evelyn, struggling to lift her eyelids, just managed to say ‘I’m tired’ before falling asleep.
“If you’re tired, then sleep a little longer.” Scarlett spoke in a pretense of care.
Scarlett quickly found Mia.
“Mom, did it work?” Mia eagerly asked.
Scarlett replied, “That wench is still as foolish as before. Mia, your methods are regressing.”
Realizing that the plan had succeeded, Mia stood up excitedly, “Even if that bitch doesn’t like me anymore, she won’t step into this house after today. I want to see what she can use to against me in the future.”
After waiting for three minutes, Evelyn felt her body being lifted.
“Ugh, so heavy, you’re crushing me.” Mia complained as she carried Evelyn upstairs, wishing she could just throw her down the stairs. But for the sake of the plan, she couldn’t.
In a short flight of stairs, it took Mia nearly twenty minutes to climb up.
Breathing heavily, Mia was preparing to continue moving when a cold voice suddenly echoed in her ears.
“There’s a way to make it easier for you. Do you want to try it?”
“Sure, I’ll try…” Mia instinctively replied. However, when she realized it, her body abruptly retreated, looking at Evelyn in terror, who was now awake.
“You… Weren’t you supposed to be asleep?”
“Heh.” Evelyn chuckled coldly.
Mia instinctively looked downstairs and found Scarlett, who was supposed to be socializing, sleeping on the sofa.
She immediately reacted, “You didn’t drink that glass of wine?”
Evelyn neither confirmed nor denied, “Now you know, perhaps a bit too late.”
Mia hadn’t fully grasped the meaning of her words when she suddenly felt a pain in her neck and fainted.
The two paused at the corner of the second-floor corridor, not rushing to leave. There was something Scarlett and Mia didn’t know, but Evelyn was well aware of: Zebulon had placed many hidden cameras on the second floor. Any slight movement could be detected.
Evelyn turned a blind corner, found a maid’s outfit in the utility room, quickly changed into it, and then assisted Mia to the innermost room.
This room was very dark, devoid of any light, containing only a shelf and an urn.
The urn had been maliciously knocked over, and the white ashes were scattered all over the floor.
As expected, a familiar scene.
In her previous life, she had also been schemed against by Mia and Scarlett in the same way.
At that time, she had finally eased her relationship with Zebulon and coincidentally came to the old house to celebrate his birthday. She had drunk the same glass of wine as Scarlett and was assisted into a similar room by Mia.
Thinking of the accusations she faced in her previous life, Evelyn gave Mia a cold glance, abruptly let go, dropped her on the ground, and then turned away.
Everything was prepared, just waiting for the climax…
The dosage of the potion placed in the wine glass wasn’t large. Scarlett slept for half an hour and then woke up. She surveyed the surroundings, didn’t see Mia, and furrowed her brow.
The Taylor family members had mostly arrived, and they only needed her command to start the dinner.
Scarlett looked slightly anxious, hesitated for a few minutes, and still didn’t see Mia. She could only force herself to move forward.
“Dad, where did Evelyn go? She was sitting with me just now, and in the blink of an eye, she’s gone?” She bit her lip, looking somewhat distressed, “During the time I wasn’t around, Evelyn suffered some grievances, so her mood is not good. I’m worried…”
She spoke in a tone as if she feared Evelyn might do something drastic, making everyone in the room tense.
Zebulon’s face darkened, and he coldly said, “Have everyone look for her.”
“But the banquet…”
“Is a meal more important than a person?” Zebulon’s face showed a hint of anger, “Everyone from The Taylor family and the servants, together…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a scream echoed from upstairs.
“Could it be Evelyn?” Scarlett said, rushing upstairs.
Zebulon, the butler, and the curious guests followed closely. Rumors had it that Zebulon’s entire collection was on the second floor, and catching a glimpse of any item would be lucky.
As they ascended, they were still dreaming of this. Little did they know, as they turned the corner, dust was flying in the air. A female voice was screaming, hoarse enough to make it indistinguishable.
Scarlett thought everything was going as planned… She suddenly turned her head, looking sorrowful and concerned as she gazed at Zebulon.
“Dad, don’t worry. That… might not be Mom’s ashes. Evelyn might have just been scared by the decorations inside.”
Under her thinly veiled explanation, Zebulon’s face turned ashen, veins bulging on the back of his hands, and his breathing became rapid.
Seeing this, Scarlett feigned worry and said, “Dad, calm down for now.”
James and Ethan, the two brothers, also approached, comforting Zebulon.
James said, “Dad, rest assured. As long as this rebellious girl dares to touch Mom’s ashes, I won’t let her off the hook.”
Ethan patted the old man’s back and discreetly glanced at his wife.
Shirley sighed and said, “When Evelyn suddenly turned affectionate towards Dad, I thought she had come to her senses. I didn’t expect it was all a plot for revenge…”
“Shut up,” Ethan pretended to scold her. “Don’t make baseless guesses.”
“Dad, maybe those are just dust…”
Zebulon’s face grew even darker, staring at the door for several seconds before waving his hand, signaling the butler to check.
The butler, loyal to Zebulon and never biased towards any party, secretly wished that the person was not Evelyn and that the ashes box was intact.
From the doorway, the butler saw the shattered wooden box on the ground. His eyes darkened slightly, and he tentatively asked the person on the floor, “Miss Evelyn?”
Mia had already covered her face with disheveled hair, hiding her entire face when she was discovered. The room was dark, possibly allowing her to escape scrutiny.
Hearing the butler’s voice, Mia’s shoulders trembled, emitting faint sobbing sounds.
“It really is you!…”
The butler walked back somewhat absent-mindedly, casting a despondent glance at Zebulon. Even before he spoke, his expression revealed everything.
“She… She’s damned,” Zebulon rushed to the room’s entrance.
Most of the ashes on the ground had scattered after being blown by the wind. Zebulon’s body collapsed, trembling hands lifting the remaining ashes bit by bit.
“Evelyn, how could you do something like this? You’re beyond redemption…” James approached, kicking Mia’s shoulder. Following her tilting body, he continued the assault by stomping her on the ground. Thinking about the humiliations he suffered from Evely, he couldn’t resist delivering punches and kicks.