The dining room of the Evans estate felt like a morgue.
Elodie walked in the next morning. She hadn't slept a single minute, but her mind was razor-sharp.
The entire family was already seated around the long mahogany table. The silence was heavy, suffocating.
Sterling Evans, the oldest brother, sat at the right hand of Preston. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and glared at Elodie.
"Sit down, Elodie," Sterling ordered, his voice flat. "We have family business to discuss."
Elodie walked to the empty chair at the far end of the table. She pulled it out and sat down. She didn't look at her plate. She looked directly at Preston.
Preston cleared his throat, puffing out his chest to project authority. "Regarding the marriage arrangement with the Lyons family-"
"You mean Bristol's marriage arrangement," Elodie cut in. Her voice was quiet, but it sliced through the room like a scalpel.
The air in the room instantly turned toxic.
Cynthia slammed her coffee cup onto its saucer. "Elodie! Watch your tone!"
Liam, the middle brother, leaned back in his chair and sneered. "Drop the act, sister. Bristol is the jewel of this family. She has actual value. You bring absolutely nothing to the table."
Sterling folded his hands over his plate. "This isn't just a wedding. It's a corporate merger. The Lyons capital will save Evans Medical from bankruptcy. This is the only contribution you will ever make to this family. It is your duty."
Contribution. The same word Chad used last night.
Elodie felt a dark, twisted laugh bubble up in her throat, but she swallowed it down.
Bristol, sitting next to Cynthia, suddenly dropped her head. Her shoulders shook. She forced two fake tears down her perfectly powdered cheeks.
"Elodie, I know it's unfair," Bristol whimpered, her voice trembling. "But I'm terrified. I heard Mr. Elwyn has... violent tendencies. He hurts people."
Bristol had smoothly changed the narrative from "sickly" to "violent" to make herself look like a victim avoiding a monster.
Cynthia wrapped an arm around Bristol, glaring daggers at Elodie. "Do you hear that? Would you really force your sister into the arms of an abuser? Do you have no heart?"
Elodie stared at the mother-daughter performance. It was nauseating.
She thought about the scan data from last night. Elwyn was perfectly healthy. The violence rumor was just another piece of society gossip.
Elodie calmly reached for a piece of toast. She picked up a silver knife and slowly spread butter across the bread. She didn't say a word.
Her absolute indifference made Preston snap.
"Elodie Bell Evans!" Preston roared, slamming his fist on the table. The silverware rattled. "This is a family mandate! You do not have a choice!"
Elodie stopped buttering her toast.
She looked up. Her eyes locked onto Preston's. For the first time in ten years, she didn't hide the sharp, dangerous intelligence behind her gaze.
"Bell," Elodie said softly. "My last name is Bell. My mother's name."
Preston's face turned purple.
Sterling sensed the loss of control. He tried a different tactic. "Listen, if you agree to this, the family will consider investing in that failing tech blog of yours."
Elodie almost smiled. Her anonymous tech blog, 'Cassandra,' had ten million paid subscribers. It was the primary source of traffic for Sterling's own media conglomerate. He was offering to fund her with her own generated revenue.
They were cruel, but they were also incredibly stupid.
Elodie set the knife down. She picked up her linen napkin and dabbed the corners of her mouth.
She stood up.
"Are you all finished?" Elodie asked.
The room went dead silent. They stared at her, completely thrown off by her lack of tears or screaming.
Elodie looked at Sterling. "Worry about your plummeting stock, Sterling." She shifted her gaze to Liam. "Pay off your gambling debts, Liam." She looked at Chad. "I hope the hangover kills you, Chad."
She finally looked at Preston and Cynthia.
"As for my contribution to this family," Elodie said, a cold, dead smile curving her lips. "I think I've done enough."
She turned around and walked toward the dining room doors.
"If you walk out that door, you are cut off!" Preston screamed, his voice cracking with rage. "You hear me? !"
Elodie didn't stop walking. She pushed the doors open and headed for the stairs.
