Everyone's eyes stayed glued to the massive screen as the dice came into view. When the result showed, it left no room for doubt. Five sixes.
The noise from downstairs died out in an instant. No one had seen that coming. Evelyn had really pulled off five sixes.
Leland brought his hand down hard against the table, then rose quickly from his seat. His stare locked onto Evelyn. "You're the Night Rose," he said, his tone firm with certainty.
Confusion spread among the crowd below. "What?! She's the Night Rose?"
"Didn't she leave the gambling scene five years ago after defeating Mr. Barnett? How is that even possible?"
Now that the truth was out, Evelyn didn't try to hide it. A faint smile formed on her lips. "A bet's a bet," she said.
Without hesitation, Leland lifted his hand and gestured for his men to bring the contract forward. "A deal's a deal. Sterling Reach belongs to you now."
Instead of keeping it, Evelyn slid the contract across the table toward Shane. "Shane, looks like you owe me one now."
For a brief second, something shifted in Shane's eyes as he looked at her. From across the table, Leland spoke again. "Ms. Fowler, the third floor of Gilded Spire will always be open to you. No strings attached. I'd like another game with you someday."
Evelyn gave a small smile. "I'm sure that'll happen."
Leland then turned his attention to Shane. "Mr. Bennett, should we move on to the next project?"
Right at that moment, Evelyn's phone started ringing. She pulled it out, and her expression changed the instant she saw who it was.
"Shane, I need to step away. Something came up," Evelyn said.
He gave a short nod. "Alright."
Evelyn put some distance between them before answering the call.
The moment the line connected, Sallie Fowler's voice came through, sharp and direct. "Sharon told me what happened at the wedding. You've always been the sensible one. What were you thinking?"
Something tightened in Evelyn's throat before she could get a word out. "Mom, I—"
Before she could continue, Sallie spoke over her. "Do you even realize what this will do to our family's name, and yours?"
Another voice slipped into the call, soft and sweet. "Mom, could it be that Evelyn betrayed Cole? Is that why she ran off from the wedding?" Lilian Fowler, the Fowler family's adopted daughter, spoke.
Right away, Sallie's voice turned sharp. "Evie, you will not bring shame to this family. Tomorrow, you're going to Cole's family and you're apologizing."
Brandon Fowler, Evelyn's elder brother, grabbed the phone from Sallie, his voice sharp. "Evelyn, did you plan this just to mess up Lilian's birthday and make things hard for us?! I wouldn't have let Mom take you back if I knew you'd bring this kind of trouble! You can't turn a country bumpkin into a proper lady no matter what!"
"Brandon, don't say that," Lilian said in a soft tone. "I'm sure she meant to come celebrate my birthday. It's just unfortunate that her wedding ended up on the same day."
A short laugh came from Brandon. "She did it on purpose. She didn't want to show up for your birthday, so she picked the same day out of jealousy."
At that, a cold smile appeared on Evelyn's lips. It wasn't even Lilian's birthday today. She had only said she wanted to make up for the one she missed last year.
In the end, every single one of them chose to leave her wedding behind just to take Lilian to Fledmery for a delayed celebration. Now they were placing all the blame on her.
Brandon spoke again, his tone leaving no room for argument. "No matter what happens, you're going to the Bennett family tomorrow and you're getting their forgiveness. Our family won't take this kind of humiliation."
When she heard that, Evelyn's gaze turned cold. "Cole was the one who walked out of the wedding. If anyone should feel ashamed, it's the Bennett family."
"Evelyn, fix this with the Bennett family before we return," Brandon warned, his voice turning sharp. "If you don't, I'll make sure Dad deals with you under the family rules. Let's see how you handle that when he's done."
He didn't wait for her answer and ended the call.
The phone stayed in her hand as her grip slowly tightened. A faint smile crossed her lips, though it carried no warmth. To them, nothing mattered except Lilian and that hollow idea of reputation.
"Evelyn!" Cole's voice rang out with anger as he closed the distance between them. The moment he reached her, his hand clamped around her arm. "So this was your move? You handed the Sterling Reach contract to Shane just to get back at me?"
Evelyn turned to Cole, her expression hard. "Take your hand off me."
