Chapter 55

Victoria Langley was gently comforting Evelyn Laurent when the fan group chat for "Princess Evelyn" exploded with activity.

Theodore Langley spammed the chat relentlessly.

"Those blind idiots! How dare they insult my sister?"

"I'll sue them into bankruptcy!"

"Just wait—I'm heading to Harvard's forum right now!"

All the brothers, Harvard alumni who never logged into campus forums, suddenly went online to defend Evelyn.

But the backlash had spiraled out of control. The smear campaign against Evelyn was clearly orchestrated—every rebuttal post was instantly drowned out.

Dominic Langley's expression darkened dangerously.

As a top-tier lawyer, he rarely showed emotion. Yet now, his knuckles turned white from how tightly he clenched his fists.

"Fifth brother?" Evelyn sensed the tension immediately.

Dominic forced a calm smile. "Just work stress."

He shot Victoria a discreet look.

Victoria caught on instantly. "Sweetheart, there's an urgent matter at the company. Why don't you chat with Ethan for a bit?"

Evelyn frowned, about to refuse, then remembered her agreement with Ethan Sullivan. Reluctantly, she nodded.

The three left the private dining room in haste.

The moment the door closed, Victoria's eyes welled up. "How dare they treat my daughter this way!"

She burned to reveal Evelyn's true identity publicly. But respecting her daughter's wish for privacy, she held back.

That didn't mean they'd stay passive.

Alone in the room, Evelyn and Ethan sat in suffocating silence.

Evelyn's spine stiffened, her entire body bristling like a porcupine.

"You're hiding something from me," she said abruptly, her gaze sharp as a blade.

Ethan feigned perfect confusion. "What?"

She stared him down but found no cracks in his facade.

"I need the restroom." She stood and left.

Outside, thunder roared.

Rain hammered against the windows in a violent downpour.

Evelyn stood at the sink, water rushing over her slender fingers.

Something was wrong.

Deeply wrong.

Her family's odd behavior, Ethan's微妙 expressions—it all stuck in her throat like a fishbone.

She dried her hands and gripped the door handle.

CRACK—

A flash of lightning split the sky.

The bathroom plunged into darkness.

Evelyn's breath froze in her chest.