Chapter 3

Evelyn’s POV

I barely slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ethan and Amelia kissing on my screen then I heard Ethan’s voice.

If your father managed to pull it off, so can we.

The words replayed in my head over and over again.

What exactly had Amelia’s father done and why had she looked so terrified when Ethan mentioned it?

By morning, I still didn’t have an answer but I did have something else.

Evidence.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was Ethan.

A smile tugged at my lips. The old Evelyn would have answered immediately.

This time, I deliberately let it ring three times before picking it up.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

The familiar endearment made my stomach turn with disgust.

“Morning,” I greeted curtly.

“You left the party early.”

I forced a laugh, “I told you I had a headache.”

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Much better.”

A brief silence followed then Ethan chuckled.

“You know, you nearly killed me with a heart attack yesterday.”

I smiled despite myself, not because I found it funny but because he had no idea how close to the truth he was, and if I could, I would have killed him.

“That wasn't my intention,” I lied.

“I know, darling. You love me too much,” he grinned.

The arrogance of this man knew no bounds. In my previous life, I would have blushed now I wanted to laugh in his face.

“Yes, I do,” I said, repeating the familiar words he was waiting to hear.

He laughed.

The sound once made my heart race. Now it only reminded me of the man who had watched me bleed to death.

“We should have dinner tonight,” he said.

“Okay.”

“I’ll pick you up at seven.”

“Looking forward to it.”

The moment the call ended, my smile disappeared. I immediately blocked his access to three company accounts then I changed the passwords without triggering any notifications.

In my previous life, I had given Ethan unlimited access to everything.

My bank accounts, my company, my future. This time, I was taking it all back one piece at a time.

—

Two hours later, I arrived at Parker Holdings, the company my parents built from nothing, the company I had inherited after their deaths, and the company I had foolishly allowed other people to manage.

As I stepped inside, employees greeted me warmly. I smiled and greeted them back.

Most of them had known me since I was a child. Several looked surprised to see me. I couldn’t blame them. In my previous life, I rarely came here. The Dawsons handled everything.

A mistake I would never make again.

“Miss Parker.”

I turned, and it was my father’s former secretary who hurried toward me, Mrs. Lewis. She had worked for my father for almost twenty years.

“Good morning,” I greeted her.

Her eyes widened, “It’s so good to see you.”

I smiled, “You too.”

The older woman looked genuinely pleased then her expression became hesitant.

“As your guardian, Mr. Dawson usually handles these visits.”

The smile on my face didn’t change but something cold settled in my chest.

Guardian. Even after ten years, everyone still saw him as the person protecting me, not the person benefiting from me.

“I’ll be handling things myself from now on, I’m already twenty-four.”

Mrs. Lewis looked surprised and relieved, “That’s wonderful. Dare I say, it's long overdue.”

An hour later, I sat alone inside my father’s old office. Dust covered parts of the shelves. Family photographs decorated the walls.

For a moment, I sat there.

The room felt frozen in time. Like my father had just stepped out and would return any minute.

My throat tightened and I quickly focused on work. Emotions could wait but revenge couldn’t.

I logged into the company’s financial system then I began digging.

At first, everything looked normal then I noticed something. Several small transfers dated back to ten years ago immediately after my parents' death.

The amounts were small but together? The numbers became terrifying.

My fingers trembled as I reached for a calculator and I added everything. The final number appeared on the screen.

I stared at it and my stomach dropped. Over twenty million dollars was gone.

My breathing became uneven.

For years, I had trusted the Dawsons completely. For years, I had allowed them unrestricted access to my company and while pretending to be my family, they had been stealing from me.

A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts and I quickly minimized the financial records.

“Come in.”

The door opened and Amelia stepped inside. For a second, surprise flashed across her face then she smiled.

“Evelyn.”

My blood instantly ran cold, “What are you doing here?”

She laughed, “That’s a strange way to greet your best friend.”

I forced a smile, “I meant at the office.”

Her eyes drifted toward the desk, toward my computer, and toward the financial reports I had just hidden.

“I wanted to surprise you,” she lied.

I watched her carefully and suddenly I understood something. Amelia wasn’t here because she missed me, she was checking on me.

Making sure everything was still under control. Making sure I remained the same trusting fool she remembered.

Unfortunately for her, that version of me was dead.

“That’s sweet.”

Her smile returned, “I knew you’d think so.”

I smiled back. The perfect best friends. The perfect performance.

“So, what are you doing in the office? You rarely come here,” Amelia asked.

“I’m just trying to see how much I can get from the company to plan the perfect wedding,” I lied.

Amelia laughed, “You know my Dad handles things like this. You just act like a bride and my dad will do everything.”

I forced a smile, my face was starting to hurt from the smiles I've been forcing since yesterday.

“That’s why I love Uncle Robert,” I said with a laugh. “I can always count on him.”

Meanwhile, my mind remained fixed on the number still sitting inside my calculator.

Twenty million dollars.

As Amelia chatted happily about wedding venues and bridesmaid dresses, I found myself wondering something else.

If the Dawsons had stolen that much money from me while pretending to be my family, what else had they taken?

A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called.

The door opened and Mrs. Lewis stepped inside. Relief flashed across her face when she saw me.

“Miss Parker, thank goodness you’re here.”

I frowned, “What’s wrong?”

Mrs. Lewis hesitated before answering, “There’s a gentleman downstairs asking to see you.”

“Who?”

Before she could answer, Amelia casually spoke up, “If it’s another vendor for the wedding, tell them to come back later.”

Mrs. Lewis shook her head, “It’s not a vendor. It's a detective.”

I blinked, “Detective?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Lewis nodded, “He’s been coming here for months asking to speak with you.”

My eyebrows shot up, “For months?”

“Yes.”

“Then why am I only hearing about this now?”

Mrs. Lewis looked confused, “Mr. Dawson didn’t tell you?”

The smile slowly slipped from my face, “No.”

She frowned, “That’s strange.”

“Why would a detective want to see Evelyn?” Amelia asked lightly.

Mrs. Lewis shrugged, “I don’t know. Every time he came, Mr. Dawson met with him privately.”

My pulse quickened, “My uncle met with him?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Lewis nodded, “Every single time.”

A detective had been trying to reach me for months and my uncle had kept it from me.

And judging by the fear flashing across Amelia’s face, whatever that detective knew was something they desperately wanted buried.