93 Betrayal


    Evelyn’s heart tightened. Worry shed across her face. “Because what, Ste?” 1


    The question hung in the air while Evelyn studied her sister’s trembling lips.


    After a few seconds had passed, Ste finally confessed, “Be–Because Mom forced me to enter thepany,” her voice small, her eyes wide with guilt as they darted back at Evelyn. “She forced me to give up my medical school…”


    “What?” Evelyn’s voice rose in disbelief. “Your mom did that?”


    Evelyn had always assumed it was their father pulling strings because Alicia had wanted Ste in a white coat, not a business suit.


    “Yeah. She did.” Ste bit her lip before whispering again. “Mom said… it was for my future.”


    Evelyn was stunned. Utterly stunned when a sickening thought struck her like lightning.


    ‘What the hell… Was it Alicia who convinced Dad to kick me out, so that Ste could take my ce?‘


    Instantly, Evelyn felt her blood turn to ice. The thought of Alicia betraying her crawled over her skin like a thousand ants, making every


    hair on her body stand on end.


    ‘No. No. Impossible. She’s always nice…She couldn’t… She wouldn’t… right?‘


    She tried not to believe her own thought, but it was difficult to do so.


    No matter how she tried to shove it down, it kept digging deeper, and with it came the sharp sting of betrayal. Alicia’s betrayal. The


    woman who had sworn to protect her. The woman she had trusted for so long, whom she had always presumed to be na?ve and


    innocent.


    The pain stabbed into her chest like des twisting in slow motion.


    Then,


    Ste’s voice pulled Evelyn back from her terrible thought.


    “Sis, I never really wanted to join thepany. I wanted to study medicine. But Mom insisted… and Dad didn’t even bother exining my


    role. He just threw me into Second Uncle’s division. At first, I tried to cope, I really did, but I feel… I didn’t belong there.”


    Hearing Ste’s words and seeing her tears well up, spilling down her cheeks, Evelyn’s fists clenched tightly, her nails digging into her


    palms.


    Evelyn wanted tofort Ste, but words stuck in her throat. She couldn’t speak, not while her mind was still thrashing in the storm of Alicia’s betrayal.


    Ste let out a tremblingugh.


    “You know what’s funny? For a while, I thought I could manage work there. But then Lana swooped in. The moment she stepped into the role of CFO, everything started to get a bit chaotic.”


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    93 Betrayal


    “She made work a nightmare. Petty assignments, pointless reports, endless errands. She never taught me a damn thing. That woman


    hates me, sis. I don’t even know why.” Herugh died quickly, reced by quiet sobs.


    “And then today…” Ste’s voice cracked, her body trembling. “Today she sent me to him. To that beast. To that bastard. How could she


    do that? She knew. She knew… That meeting was a trap! And she still sent me there.”


    Evelyn’s heart twisted. She wanted to scream, to break something, to demand the universe exin how the people she trusted could


    betray her so cruelly.


    Instead, she reached out, pulling Ste close, letting her cry against her shoulder.


    Evelyn let Ste cry, venting everything she had been holding inside.


    She didn’t rush her, didn’t interrupt, just let her sob until the storm passed.


    Eventually, Ste’s trembling shoulders stilled, her breathing evened out, and the only sound left in the room was her sniffling.


    Finally, Evelyn asked quietly, “So what are you going to do now? You already know Lana set you up. What’s next?”


    Ste wiped her damp cheeks with the heel of her palm. Her eyes were swollen and red, but there was a new glint behind them, something almost fierce.


    “Sis,” she said with a hup, “I don’t want to go back there. I no longer care about Mom, Dad, or their businesses. I want to leave the


    Walters Group. I want to pursue something I actually like… something that doesn’t make me hate waking up.”


    Evelyn’s heart clenched.


    This wasn’t the fiery, sharp–tongued little sister she remembered. This was someone beaten down, trapped. And it made her furious that


    Ste had been forced into that role at all.


    But before she could respond, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She fished it out, and the name on the screen made her pulse skip.


    Axel Knight.


    She opened the message.


    “It’s almost midnight. Do you want me to pick you up?”


    A tinyugh escaped her lips before she could stop it. The man’s timing was terrifying.


    If she stayed much longer, he would probably appear like a shadow out of nowhere.


    She turned to Ste. Her sister was still dabbing her eyes, looking small and worn.


    “Alright, it’s already eleven, Ste, Evelyn said gently. She reached over, took her sister’s hand, and patted the back of it. “Shall we continue this tomorrow? I promise you, I’ll find a solution for you. Something that gets you out of that mess.”


    Ste nodded, biting her lip.


    “O–Okay. Sorry, sis. Our reunion should’ve been fun, and instead, I dumped all my problems on you. I didn’t mean to make you deal with my sadness.”


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    93 Betrayal


    Evelyn squeered her hand.


    “No. Don’t say that. We’re sisters. This is what we do. We clean up each other’s disasters.” She gave her a <b>small </b>smile and stood, her voice


    lightening. “That’s your room over there. I’m pretty sure Liam already brought your suitcase. You can settle in and rest.


    Ste managed a weak smile and nodded again.


    After a few more minutes of soothing words, Evelyn excused herself. She slipped out of the apartment and into the hallway, her phone.


    clutched in one hand.


    She didn’t even wait for the elevator to arrive.


    Axel had already texted once; if she dyed, he’d probably text again, and the next step after that would be him physicallying to


    drag her back upstairs. The man had the patience of a wolf.


    So she took the emergency stairs, heels clicking softly on the concrete steps as she descended.


    Her heart was still heavy from Ste’s confession, but under it was a flicker of something else. Warmth. Nervousness. Her husband,


    waiting for her upstairs, had a way of shaking her up no matter how steady she tried to stay.


    As she reached the fifth floor, she looked at her surroundings and froze.


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    Sara Lili


    <strong>Sara Lili</strong> is a daring romance writer who turns icyndscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of d’s breathtaking cold.