Chapter 320

The peaceful atmosphere shattered when Evelyn's phone buzzed with an unknown caller ID.

Evelyn swiped to answer, her voice carefully neutral. "Who is this?"

"It's your father, Evelyn," Victor's voice crackled through the line.

Evelyn's face darkened immediately. Her thumb hovered over the end call button, but something made her hesitate.

She stood abruptly, turning to Olivia. "Excuse me, I need to take this."

Olivia gave a knowing nod. "Of course."

Evelyn moved several paces away, her back rigid.

"What do you want now, Mr. Sterling?" Her voice could have frozen hell over.

Victor's tone took on an uncharacteristic softness. "Evelyn, I've been thinking... about how wrong I was yesterday."

"I shouldn't have spoken to you that way. I owe you an apology."

A bitter laugh escaped Evelyn's lips. "The great Victor Sterling admitting fault? Now that's something I never thought I'd hear."

Her smile never reached her eyes. Every cruel word from their last conversation played in her mind like a broken record.

"Evelyn, I truly regret my actions," Victor continued, sounding almost... humble. But the act only made her stomach churn.

She knew better. She knew exactly why he was calling now.

The Caldwell family's brutal retaliation against the Sterling and Whitmore families had changed everything. Suddenly, the Sterlings were untouchable, and Victor wanted back in her good graces. But Evelyn saw right through him.

Her instincts were correct.

When news first broke, Victor had been stunned. The Caldwells going to war for someone outside their bloodline? Unheard of. The Whitmores were one thing, but the Sterlings - ranked eighth among elite families - that was another matter entirely.

Was Evelyn really worth burning bridges with the Sterlings?

At first, Victor thought the Caldwells had lost their minds. Then it hit him - his daughter held more sway with them than he'd ever imagined.

Evelyn's laugh was ice cold. "Don't flatter yourself. You're not worth my anger."

On the other end, Victor's face twisted in rage. He bit back his temper, forcing calm into his voice.

"Evelyn," he said with forced warmth, "why don't you come home for dinner? We should talk—"

Evelyn cut him off. "The only thing that would accomplish is ruining my appetite."

She ended the call without waiting for a response.