Three hours later, I stood before the towering iron gates of Bennett Manor.

For twenty years, these sprawling grounds had been my entire world. I knew every crack in the cobblestone driveway, every rosebush lining the path. Tonight, the massive estate felt as foreign as a hotel lobby.

Valets rushed past me, taking the keys to luxury cars. The ballroom doors stood wide open, spilling golden light and the loud chatter of New York’s high society onto the front lawn.

I stepped inside. Crystal chandeliers cast a blinding glare over the crowd.

Grandfather Edward spotted me from across the room. He handed his cane to an assistant and navigated through a cluster of wealthy investors.

"You actually came," he said.

He reached out, resting a heavy, warm hand on my shoulder.

"I said I would," I replied.

"Three years is a long time to stay away from your family, Evelyn." His wrinkled face softened into a genuine smile. "Good to have you back."

"Happy eightieth, Grandfather." I offered a small nod, ignoring the ache in my chest. "I brought the vintage pocket watch you asked for."

"Keep it for now. We will talk properly after the toast." He squeezed my shoulder once more before turning back to his guests.

I watched him walk away.

"Sister."

The soft, wavering voice came from directly behind me.

I turned. Chloe Bennett glided across the polished marble floor. She wore a pristine, custom-fitted white gown. Diamonds sparkled at her throat, but it was her wide, innocent eyes that commanded attention. She looked exactly like the fragile, pure-hearted girl everyone adored.

Tears already pooled in her eyes. "Welcome back."

I kept my arms strictly at my sides. "Happy birthday is for Grandfather, not for you."

Chloe flinched. A single tear spilled over her lashes, tracing a perfect line down her cheek. She bit her bottom lip and shrank back, wrapping her arms around her own waist.

"I just wanted to say hello," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I missed you."

Heavy footsteps hurried toward us.

Sebastian stepped sharply in front of Chloe, shielding her from my view. He wore the same tailored suit from the airport, but his relaxed demeanor was entirely gone.

"Evelyn, why do you target her the second you return?" My brother glared at me, his fists clenched.

Nathaniel and Daniel flanked them a second later. Three loyal guards rushing to defend a weeping princess.

"Are you proud of yourself?" Nathan demanded. He pointed a finger at my face. "She spent all day making sure your favorite lilies were in the centerpieces. She begged us to be nice to you."

I scanned their furious faces. A dry laugh escaped my throat.

"So if she cries, it's my fault?" I asked.

"You are the only one standing here insulting her," Daniel shot back. He crossed his arms, disgust written across his features.

"I stated a fact," I said, keeping my tone perfectly even. "It is Grandfather's birthday. Not hers. If she chooses to weep over a basic truth, that is her problem."

"You are unbelievable," Daniel scoffed.

"She cried when she was born," I continued, tilting my head. "Was that my doing too? Do you want to blame me for the weather outside as well?"

Nathaniel’s jaw clenched tight enough to snap bone. "When did you become like this?"

"Become like what, Nathan?"

"Bitter. Cruel." He shook his head. "You used to have a heart."

I stared at the engagement ring still resting on his left hand. The sight of it made my stomach turn.

"My heart is fine," I told him. "I just stopped wasting it on people who don't matter."

I didn't wait for his response. I turned my back on my fiancé and walked away, leaving the four of them standing in the center of the room.

The string quartet shifted into a lively waltz. The banquet officially began. Guests moved toward the dining area, their laughter echoing off the vaulted ceilings.

A waiter passed by holding a silver tray.

I reached out and picked up a crystal glass filled with dark red wine. My throat felt like sandpaper. I needed something to wash away the bitter taste of that conversation.

I took a long sip.

The liquid burned on the way down.

Almost instantly, a strange, suffocating heat bloomed in the center of my chest. My pulse hammered against my ribs.

I took another step, but my heel caught on the floor. The ballroom abruptly tilted. The chandelier lights smeared into long, blinding streaks of white and gold.

"Miss?" a passing guest asked. "Are you alright?"

I tried to answer, but my tongue felt swollen. A violent wave of dizziness crashed over me. The music warped into a distorted, echoing buzz in my ears. The chatter of the guests sounded like it was coming from underwater. I tried to focus on the ice sculpture in the center of the room, but its edges blurred into a watery mess.

My fingers went entirely numb.

The crystal glass slipped from my grip.

It shattered violently against the marble floor. Crimson liquid exploded outward, splashing directly across Chloe’s immaculate white dress. She had followed me.

Chloe unleashed a piercing scream.

She scrambled backward, clutching the ruined, blood-red silk. "My dress!" she sobbed, her voice echoing over the music.

The entire ballroom went dead silent. The string quartet stopped playing. Hundreds of eyes snapped toward us.

Fingers clamped around my wrist like a steel vice. Nathan yanked me forward, his grip bruising my skin.

"Evelyn, when will you stop causing a scene?" he roared.

I swayed on my feet. I pressed my free hand to my throbbing forehead, trying to steady the spinning room.

"The wine," I stammered. My voice sounded weak, foreign. "Someone... someone drugged it."

Nathan scoffed. He dropped my arm in pure disgust, letting me stumble backward. "A drug? Are you insane?"

"Look at her," Daniel sneered, stepping up beside Chloe to inspect the ruined dress. "She is just pretending to be drunk so she can get away with ruining Chloe's night."

"I didn't," I whispered. My knees buckled, and I hit the marble floor hard. The cold stone sent a shockwave through my bones, but the burning in my veins only grew hotter.

Sebastian marched over. He didn't even look at me on the floor. He kept his eyes fixed on the gathered crowd, his face pale with embarrassment.

"Enough of these lies," Sebastian said, his voice cold and authoritative. "You ruined her dress on purpose because you are jealous. You always have been."

"Sebastian, please," I gasped, clutching my chest. "I need a doctor."

He ignored me. He turned to the household staff standing frozen by the walls.

"Take her upstairs," Sebastian ordered a pair of maids. "Put her in the guest room and lock the door. Do not let her out until the guests have gone home."

"Yes, sir."

Two maids rushed forward. They grabbed my arms, hauling me off the floor. My legs dragged uselessly beneath me. I couldn't fight them. All my strength had vanished.

"Nathan," I tried one last time, looking at the man I was supposed to marry.

He turned his back on me and wrapped his jacket around Chloe's shivering shoulders.

The maids dragged me away from the crowd, pulling me toward the grand staircase.

Through my fading vision, I caught Chloe watching me over Nathan's shoulder. Her tears were completely gone. A cold, triumphant smile stretched across her lips.

The maids hauled me up the stairs and shoved me into a dark bedroom.

The heavy wooden door slammed shut. The lock clicked.

I collapsed onto the carpet, my skin burning with an unnatural fire. As the heat pooled lower in my stomach, clouding my mind with a desperate, feverish need, I realized the drug in my veins wasn't just meant to make me dizzy.

Someone was coming to this room.

The heavy wooden door clicked shut. My knees immediately gave out.

I slid down the floral wallpaper, hitting the carpet with a dull thud. Fire chewed through my veins. The drug was working fast, melting my muscles into useless weight and clouding my vision with a thick, suffocating haze.

I dragged my clutch into my lap. My fingers trembled as I fumbled with the metal clasp. I needed my phone. I needed to call him.

I pulled the device out and swiped at the screen. The contacts list blurred together.

*Alexander.*

I found his name. My thumb hovered over the call button.

Before I could press it, the brass doorknob turned.

I froze. The door swung open, revealing Nathan. He stepped inside and pushed the door shut behind him. The lock snapped into place with a sharp metallic crack.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded. My voice sounded weak, raspy.

He walked toward me. His expensive leather shoes made no sound on the thick rug. "I actually understand you, Evelyn."

"Get out of this room."

"Chloe showed up out of nowhere," Nathan continued, completely ignoring my command. He stopped a few feet away, looking down at me. "She took everything that used to belong to you. Your grandfather's attention, your brother's affection. It is completely normal for you to feel unbalanced."

I gripped the edge of a mahogany dresser, forcing myself to stand. My legs shook violently. "You locked me in here to play therapist?"

"I am trying to help you see reason," he said. "She has no parents, Evelyn. We are supposed to take care of her."

I tilted my head, glaring at the man wearing my engagement ring. "What does her lack of parents have to do with me?"

Nathan frowned. He shoved his hands into his pockets, his posture defensive. "You used to be compassionate. You used to care about people."

"I care about people who do not drug me," I shot back.

"Nobody drugged you," Nathan scoffed. "You drank too much. You made a scene. Sebastian was right to send you up here."

"And you followed me to gloat?"

"I followed you to fix this." He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair. "Let's just get married."

I stared at him. The words made absolutely no sense.

His voice dropped, softening into a mock plea. "Don't go back to Paris tomorrow. Stay in New York. I still love you, Evelyn. We can fix this."

"Fix this?" I echoed.

"If you just stop targeting Chloe," he added, taking half a step closer. "If you accept her as part of the family, we can go back to normal. We can have a happy life together."

A harsh, dry laugh ripped from my throat. It hurt my chest, but I couldn't stop the sound.

"A happy life?" I asked, gripping the dresser tight enough to turn my knuckles white. "Are you entirely sure the person you love is me?"

Nathan didn't answer. His jaw tightened. The mask of the caring fiancé slipped, revealing something cold and entitled underneath.

"You are just throwing another tantrum," he muttered.

"Answer the question, Nathan."

"I am trying to save our relationship!" he snapped. "I am offering you a way out of this mess, and you are throwing it back in my face."

"There is no relationship," I said, my vision swimming. "There is only you, Chloe, and your pathetic guilt."

"You are my fiancée."

"Not for long." I reached for my left hand, trying to pull the diamond ring off my finger. My hands shook too much. The metal refused to budge.

Nathan’s eyes darkened. He pulled his hands from his pockets and reached out, his fingers aiming for my waist.

I shoved myself backward. My spine hit the wall hard. "Nathan, you better not touch me."

"We are getting married anyway," he said, closing the distance. "You are my fiancée. What does it matter if it happens now?"

"Stay away!" I shouted. The sound lacked any real power. The drug robbed my voice of its strength.

"You just need to calm down," he insisted, his hand clamping around my upper arm. His grip was bruising, forcing me to stay in place. "Once you realize I am doing this for us, you will stop fighting."

"Take your hands off me!" I thrashed against his hold, but my arms felt like lead.

He leaned in closer. His cologne made my stomach turn. "Stop fighting, Evelyn."

*BAM.*

The solid oak door blasted open, splintering the wooden frame into jagged pieces.

Nathan spun around, dropping his hold on my arm.

A towering silhouette filled the doorway, backlit by the bright hallway lights.

"Get your filthy hands off her."

The voice was ice and steel. Alexander Laurent stepped into the room.

Four massive men in dark suits fanned out behind him, blocking the exit entirely. They moved with military precision, sealing the room.

Nathan blinked, his face paling instantly. "Alexander? What are you doing in my house?"

He didn't get to finish the thought.

Alexander crossed the room in two massive strides. He didn't speak. He didn't hesitate. He grabbed Nathan by the collar of his expensive suit and drove a brutal fist straight into his jaw.

Bone crunched.

Nathan flew backward, crashing into a bedside table. The lamp shattered on the floor. Nathan collapsed into the wreckage, groaning in pain. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the pristine rug, clutching his face.

"You are insane!" Nathan gasped, trying to push himself up.

Alexander didn't spare him a second glance. He turned his back on the bleeding man and stepped toward me.

He removed his tailored suit jacket and wrapped it tightly around my trembling shoulders. The scent of cedar and expensive cologne enveloped me, instantly pushing back the haze of the drug.

"Alexander," I whispered.

"I am here," he replied.

Before I could say another word, he swept me into his arms. He lifted me effortlessly, cradling me against his solid chest. My head fell against his shoulder. The burning in my veins finally started to cool.

"I told you," Alexander murmured, his jaw resting against my hair. His voice was a low rumble vibrating against my cheek. "I will never let anyone hurt you again."

I closed my eyes, letting my grip on reality loosen just a fraction. "He locked the door."

"He will never lock a door again," Alexander promised.

He tightened his hold on me and turned on his heel. He walked right out of the ruined doorway. His bodyguards parted to let him through, leaving Nathan writhing on the floor.

"You have no right to take her!" Nathan yelled from the room, his voice thick with blood. "She is my fiancée!"

Alexander didn't even pause. "Not anymore."

We moved down the long, carpeted hallway. The music from the banquet drifted up from below, lively and oblivious. The guests had no idea what was happening on the second floor.

"Are we leaving?" I asked, my eyes heavy.

"No," Alexander said, his gaze fixed straight ahead. "We are going to the party."

He didn't head for the discreet side exit. He carried me straight toward the sweeping marble steps leading down to the main ballroom.

The crystal chandeliers cast a blinding glare over the crowd below. Laughter echoed off the vaulted ceilings. My grandfather was probably giving his toast. Chloe was probably playing the victim in her ruined dress.

The Bennett family thought they had disposed of me for the night. They thought they could sweep me under the rug and celebrate their precious Chloe in peace.

They were wrong. The entire family was about to face an unforgettable night.