Chapter 28

Evelyn turned her piercing gaze toward Grace, giving a slow nod. "Yes, we've met. You were convinced I stole Lila's necklace." A humorless laugh escaped her lips as she added, "Funny, isn't it? My own mother couldn't bring herself to trust me." The memory still stung like salt in an open wound.

Grace's face twisted with visible distress at the accusation. "Evelyn, darling, I was wrong. So terribly wrong. Later I realized someone had framed you."

With an indifferent shrug that didn't reach her stormy eyes, Evelyn countered, "Does the truth even matter now? You still believed I pushed Lila on purpose. That's why you demanded I apologize to her."

"No, sweetheart, that's not how it was," Grace protested, shaking her head vehemently. Her hands fluttered nervously as she explained, "I knew you didn't push her, but given the circumstances... an apology would have calmed Victor down. If you'd just said sorry, maybe he wouldn't have..." Her voice broke as she gestured helplessly toward Evelyn's imagined bruises. "Do you think it didn't destroy me to see you hurt like that?"

The memory flashed vividly - Evelyn standing her ground, refusing to confess to crimes she didn't commit while Victor rained blows upon her with that damned brass knuckles. The pain had been excruciating, but surrendering her integrity would have hurt far worse.

Her stubborn silence had earned her exile from the Sterling mansion that very night. The wounds on her back had festered, the infection spiking her fever to dangerous levels. That was the moment she'd lost all faith in Victor Sterling.

Even now, years later, the recollection made Evelyn's jaw tighten. She met Grace's watery gaze head-on, her voice steel wrapped in velvet. "Why should I apologize for something I didn't do? Admitting guilt would mean accepting their lies as truth. I'd rather endure physical pain than compromise my principles."

Tears spilled down Grace's cheeks as she wrung her hands. "I was shortsighted," she whispered hoarsely. "I only wanted to protect you from further harm."

The sight of her mother's crumbling composure softened Evelyn's stance slightly. With a resigned sigh, she reached out, gently steadying Grace's trembling hands. "It's alright, Mother. I forgave you long ago. There's no need for this self-flagellation now."

Grace's tear-streaked face lifted with fragile hope. "Truly? You've really forgiven me?"

"Truly," Evelyn confirmed, dabbing Grace's cheeks with a tissue. The simple gesture coaxed a tremulous smile from her mother.

After a contemplative pause, Grace's expression grew thoughtful. "Evelyn... do you suppose Diana could be responsible for the hormone imbalance?"