Chapter 345

"As for your wishes, I can only say good luck with that."

Without giving him a chance to respond, Evelyn turned on her heel and strode away.

"Evelyn! Evelyn Hartley, stop right there!" Victor bellowed, his face flushing with anger as he watched her retreating figure.

Not even glancing back, Evelyn marched straight out of the room without hesitation.

Victor's words echoed in her mind, making her scoff at his absurdity. If he was so confident the Caldwell family would support Lila at the banquet, she'd gladly wait and see how that played out.

That afternoon, in an exclusive café lounge...

"Ms. Sterling, I must admit I'm curious about why you wanted to meet with me?" Lila inquired, her sharp eyes studying Giselle across the table.

Giselle smiled mysteriously, reaching into her designer handbag to slide an exquisite velvet jewelry box toward Lila.

Lila's perfectly shaped eyebrows arched slightly at the unexpected gift. "What's this about, Ms. Sterling?"

"A token of friendship, Ms. Sinclair," Giselle purred, pausing dramatically before adding, "I believe we could become... valuable allies."

Lila feigned surprise. "Is this because of the Caldwell family?"

She wasn't naive. Giselle's sudden generosity clearly came with expectations.

Giselle didn't bother denying it. "That's part of it," she admitted, leaning forward conspiratorially. "The other reason? We share a common enemy. Doesn't that make us natural allies?"

Lila frowned delicately, tilting her head in feigned confusion. "I'm afraid I don't follow, Ms. Sterling."

Giselle's smile turned razor-sharp. "Oh come now, we both know I'm talking about Evelyn Hartley."

Lila let out a soft, practiced sigh. "Ms. Sterling, you're mistaken. Evelyn is my sister. I could never wish her harm."

"Sister?" Giselle's laugh was like shattering crystal. "A bastard child born from an affair? You expect me to believe you consider that trash family?"

Lila's gaze flickered momentarily before she composed herself. "Evelyn isn't responsible for the circumstances of her birth. She shouldn't be judged for that."

Internally scoffing at Lila's hypocrisy, Giselle smirked. "Really? Then why did you publicly announce at my gala that Evelyn was your family's dirty little secret? Why mention she supposedly stole from you? Ms. Sinclair, your actions hardly scream 'loving sister.'"

A barely perceptible twitch crossed Lila's features before she bit her lip in a show of remorse. "I only spoke up because I heard rumors about Evelyn stealing. I wanted to guide her away from temptation. The money incident was just a misunderstanding - I apologized and she forgave me."

Giselle didn't buy a word of it. "Save the act, darling," she drawled, swirling her champagne. "Don't worry - your secrets are safe with me."