At Villa No. 8 in the exclusive Aurora Bay.
Only after Evelina stepped inside did she realize the villa sat in the most desirable spot in the entire district. It was also the most expensive property there, worth more than twenty million dollars.
She stood beneath the bright lights of the wide foyer, her gaze drifting across the luxurious interior. A cold smile touched her cracked lips.
She believed every bit of it belonged to her.
Back in prison, the moment she learned the truth, she'd completely fallen apart. The guards had thrown her into solitary confinement, the kind reserved for the most dangerous inmates, and kept her there for an entire month.
When she was finally released from solitary, one of Connor's men came to see her and offered her two options.
The first was to spend the rest of her life rotting away in prison like garbage.
The second was to become Connor's loyal dog. If she obeyed him, he'd give her everything she wanted, including the opportunity to take revenge.
She chose the second. But after gaining access to the resources Connor provided, she manipulated the market overnight and nearly destroyed the new stock his company had just released.
So when Connor's man visited her again, she already had bargaining power.
She told him plainly that she wouldn't be anyone's dog or puppet. If they were going to work together, then it would be as equals.
Her early release from prison came after she mastered everything Connor needed her to learn.
Besides, the plan she and Connor had built together was already about to begin, and they couldn't afford any delays.
So everything she owned now was simply part of their agreement.
The bathroom alone was ten times bigger than the cramped four-person prison cell she used to share. Evelina soaked herself in the hot bath and savored the warmth.
When she stepped out of the bathroom wearing a robe, she heard a man's voice from downstairs. It belonged to Jake, her driver and assistant.
"Miss Brooks, Mr. Payne sent some things over."
She walked to the railing on the second floor and looked down.
A line of bodyguards dressed in black stood inside the hall, each carrying pieces from the latest designer collections, including jewelry and luxury clothing. Nearby, rows of shoes had already been arranged neatly in place.
A trace of surprise flickered through her eyes.
She hadn't expected a man as reckless and unpredictable as Connor to be this attentive.
"Put everything in the dressing room."
She lifted a hand casually and accepted the gifts without hesitation.
Leaning against the second-floor railing, she watched the staff move busily around the villa for her sake. For the first time, the feeling truly settled in.
She had escaped that living hell and returned to a normal life. As for the people who had hurt her, deceived her, and betrayed her, none of them would get away with it.
Every member of the Brooks family would pay the price, one by one.
"Jake, I need you to investigate a few people for me."
…
Meanwhile, Sam returned to the Brooks family estate by himself.
Jolie had already prepared herself to put on a show, but the moment she noticed Evelina wasn't with him, her expression shifted slightly. She quickly forced out a few tears before walking toward him with a hurt expression.
"Sam, did Evelina refuse to come home with you? Is she still angry at me? Does she really think I stole her place? But this is my home too."
Seeing Jolie's gentle and fragile appearance only made Sam more certain that Evelina's earlier accusations had been cruel lies.
He pulled Jolie into his arms, feeling sorry for her, and spoke softly to comfort her. "Evelina's completely changed. She argued with me, then got into some stranger's car and drove off."
Their mother, Eliza Brooks, slammed her coffee cup onto the table in anger.
"She's a convicted criminal! The Brooks family is already showing her mercy by letting her come back, yet she still has the nerve to throw a fit?"
Jolie immediately looked anxious. "Do you know whose car it was? Where did she go? I need to find her and apologize. I have to convince her to come home."
Sam quickly stopped her and guided her back onto the sofa.
"Don't go looking for her. She won't last long outside by herself. Once she realizes that, she'll come back on her own."
Eliza interjected coldly, "Jolie, you don't owe Evelina anything. If anyone should suffer, it's her. She hasn't paid for what she's done yet, so don't pity her. I'll send people to bring her back myself. This is far from over, and she'll stay here and continue reflecting on her mistakes."
Realizing she wouldn't get any more useful information from them, Jolie quickly wiped away her tears. Then she pretended to sway weakly from dizziness. "Mom, Sam, I suddenly don't feel well. I think I should go upstairs and rest for a while."
The moment Eliza heard that, both anger and pity surged through her.
"This is all Evelina's fault! If it weren't for her, Jolie would've never suffered so much. She wouldn't have had such a difficult childhood, and her health wouldn't be this fragile. We've taken such good care of her, yet she still hasn't fully recovered. Just wait until I find Evelina. I'll make sure she learns her lesson!"
She then turned to Jolie and added softly, "Sweetheart, go upstairs and rest. I'll ask the kitchen to prepare some nourishing soup for you later."
Jolie nodded obediently. Then she deliberately wrapped her hand around Sam's arm. "Sam, don't be too hard on Evelina when she comes back. I know she can't accept me living here, but I'll still treat her well."
At that moment, she looked so delicate and innocent that anyone who saw her would've felt sorry for her.
Sam gently rubbed her hair and nodded.
The last bit of doubt he had about Jolie disappeared completely.
For a moment, Sam thought their mother might've gone too far with Evelina, but he never once believed Jolie would do the same.
The second Jolie stepped into her bedroom, the gentle and graceful expression on her face vanished completely.
She immediately pulled out her phone and called her assistant. "Find out whose car picked Evelina up from prison."
Her assistant responded right away, and then sent back an update not long after.
"It belongs to Connor Payne."
"Connor?" Jolie froze in shock, her eyes widening. "That's impossible."
Connor was Millie Warren's uncle, and Evelina was the person supposedly responsible for hurting her. There was no reason for him to personally send someone to pick Evelina up from prison.
More importantly, Connor was infamous throughout Rufmond's business world. Cold, ruthless, and untouchable. How could a man like him possibly know someone like Evelina?
"Are you certain it was Connor's car?"
"Yes. Connor purchased six identical Porsche Cayennes. The car that picked Evelina up today was one of them. The driver was also one of Connor's assistants, Jake."
The moment she heard that explanation, Jolie suddenly understood everything.
"I see now."
After ending the call, she let out a mocking laugh.
"Evelina, you're even more pathetic than I thought. So you seduced Connor's assistant and convinced him to use his boss' car to pick you up. What an idiot! You don't even realize how badly you've doomed yourself."
She turned toward the full-length mirror and admired her flawless figure wrapped in an expensive designer outfit. A smug smile slowly curved across her lips as she swayed her hips slightly.
"If Connor learns about this, he won't spare either Evelina or that assistant. That should be entertaining to watch."
