Chapter 165

"Of course, I don’t mind," Evelyn replied, her tone smooth but laced with the faintest hesitation.

With that, the group settled into the plush booth together.

As Cassandra and Julian joined them, Lila and Celeste immediately shifted their focus, their gazes sharpening with interest as they zeroed in on the siblings. They effortlessly took control of the conversation, tossing out topics like practiced socialites.

At one point, Cassandra’s voice sliced through the chatter. "Oh, you mean Ethan? Hold on—I’ll call him right now." She pulled out her phone, fingers flying across the screen as she dialed.

"Ethan, it’s me. Evelyn and I are at The Velvet Lounge. You should come join us."

A soft hum of approval escaped Cassandra’s lips as she listened, nodding along to whatever Ethan said on the other end. "Perfect! We’ll wait for you."

She hung up and turned to Lila and Celeste, a satisfied smile curling her lips. "He’ll be here soon."

Celeste’s face brightened, her eyes gleaming with something dangerously close to triumph.

Evelyn, observing the exchange, felt her brows knit together. What was that look on Celeste’s face? What game was she playing now?

The subtle shift in the air left Evelyn unsettled.

Nearly an hour later, Ethan finally arrived.

"Ethan!" Cassandra waved eagerly, her voice bubbling with excitement.

Ethan acknowledged her with a curt nod before striding toward the booth—without hesitation, he slid into the seat beside Evelyn.

"Ethan," Evelyn greeted him, warmth softening her voice.

Just as Ethan opened his mouth to respond, a saccharine voice cut through the air.

"Ethan, may I call you by your first name?" Both Evelyn and Ethan turned. It was Lila who had spoken.

Evelyn barely suppressed a smirk at the audacity of the question.

Ethan, of course, knew exactly who Lila was. His gaze frosted over as he delivered a razor-sharp reply. "No, you may not."

Lila flinched, her cheeks flushing pink with humiliation. She stammered, "I-I’m sorry, Mr. Caldwell. I just thought… since Evelyn is so close to your family now, our families are practically connected. I assumed we could be… familiar."

Ethan’s response was a single, icy scoff, his expression darkening.

He fixed Lila with a look so cutting it could slice steel. "The Caldwell family is close to Evelyn—not the Sinclairs. I trust you understand the difference."

Lila’s face drained of color. The insult was unmistakable—the Caldwells recognized Evelyn alone, and the Sinclairs had no place in that equation.

The tension in the booth thickened to suffocating levels. Lila looked ready to melt into the floor, while even Cassandra and Julian shifted uncomfortably.